Skinnee Labs - GTX480 Block Round-Up (working thread)

Some of you may know that we (Skinnee Labs) are running a GTX480 Round-Up with a planned start for the first week in May. Now I say planned start due to stock availability of both the GTX480 as well as blocks.

This thread will be sort of a catch-all, discussion and feedback type of thing, we'll take a look at each of the blocks as they arrive, installation and a variety of other things I am sure. We'll add links to specific posts in this opening post for ease of finding information as this thread grows.

In short, we're trying something a bit different from our norm, and we'll see how this goes as to whether to incorporate something like this in the future.

GTX480 Full Cover Block Roundup

Post Index:

Pretesting Info
Card Arrived, looping and initial pretesting

Guides
GTX480 Stock HSF removal
Bitspower Black Freezer Installation - Part 1
Bitspower Black Freezer Installation - Part 2
Koolance VID-NX480 Installation Video
Danger Den Installation Video
EK Block Installation Video
Aqua Computer aquagrafx480 Installation Video
EVGA Hydro Copper Install Video
XSPC Block Install Video
Watercool HeatKiller GPUX3 Install Video

Block Photos (in order received)
Koolance Block pics
Danger Den Block pics
EK Block Pics
Bitspower Block Pics
AquaComputer Block Pics
EVGA/Swiftech Block Pics
XSPC Block Pics
Watercool Block Pics

Full Review
GTX480 Full Cover Block Roundup

Final Data/Charts
Restriction/Pressure Drop
http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...drop-table.png

http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...X480_pdrop.png

http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...0_flowrate.png

Temps
Stock Profile
http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images..._stock-gpu.png

http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images..._stock-vrm.png

Overclocked Profile (875/1750/2130 @ 1138mV)
http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...480_oc-gpu.png

http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...480_oc-vrm.png

Relative Performance Score
50% Overclocked GPU Temp, 25% Overclocked VRM Temp, 25% Loop Flow Rate
http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images..._perfscore.png

The Koolance Block was the first to arrive...

http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...80_boxshot.jpg http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...0_prodshot.jpg http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...TX480_base.jpg http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...X480_base2.jpg

http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...X480_base3.jpg http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images...owchannels.jpg http://skinneelabs.com/assets/images..._internals.jpg

Sounds good Skinnee. Can't wait. :D

cant wait :)

ek and DD left

sick, my GTX280 will get an upgrade after testing... ;drooling; thanks skinnee!

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Originally Posted by owned666

cant wait :)

ek and DD left

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EK, DD, BitsPower(PowerColor), and Swiftech(EVGA HydroCopper) left AFAIK.

Looks nice. I wonder if switech sent you a sample.

what about Watercool HK..

My DD Nickel will be here tomorrow. so I'm exited to read this review sir!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xguntherc

what about Watercool HK..

My DD Nickel will be here tomorrow. so I'm exited to read this review sir!

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+1, any news from Watercool HK?

I assume that you are running the rads with chilled water from a CenTraVac. :D

Lets hope your blocks and cards come fast !

I am extremely looking forward to these results as I just snagged 2 EVGA 480 GTX cards off Newegg and am going to wait a few weeks before buying the WC components. Thank you Skinnee for being so aggressive with gathering these blocks and trying to get a review out.

love waterblocks showdown

:up:

i missed the newegg 480's today by a few minutes.. sadness

My EVGA FTW i on its way with the Swiftech block on it. I can't wait to see the results of this as they will help make up my mind about keeping the stock WB or going with some EK's on them

The only relevant test will be the flow test, not that it's likely to have any effect on temps or OCing capabilities of the cards. :2cents:

This is a debacle and a headache just waiting to happen. ;)

The Beta Version from Aquacomputer looks like this - Nickel plated version available soon:

http://www.abload.de/img/4802dq6h.jpg


Here we have a thread for all available GTX 480 blocks:


http://www.hardwareluxx.de/community...en-704065.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Waterlogged

The only relevant test will be the flow test, not that it's likely to have any effect on temps or OCing capabilities of the cards. :2cents:

This is a debacle and a headache just waiting to happen. ;)

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That could be true if all the blocks seat perfectly on the cards and have no contact issues with any parts that need to be cooled.

I really want to see if these cards do better then the evga FTW (Swiftech) as it uses a heat pipe and not a full card design.

Quote:

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by GTOViper

EK, DD, BitsPower(PowerColor), and Swiftech(EVGA HydroCopper) left AFAIK.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by xguntherc

what about Watercool HK..

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by kone

+1, any news from Watercool HK?

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We contacted the companies listed below (alphabetical order) all together in one large communication to keep everyone on the same page.

Aqua Computer, Bitspower, Danger Den, EK, Koolance, Swiftech/EVGA, XSPC, and Watercool

We received confirmation from all but Watercool, no email response what so ever. Another communication will go out the first week in May to the same recipients who were sent the first email confirming the test schedule. We had to give some additional time for all companies to ramp up production and stock for the blocks, additionally there needs to be stock of the GTX480's as well just in case something goes wrong with testing and if you've looked for GTX480's in the past couple days, there are none to be had.

But, I'm going to keep this thread updated as much as possible with photos and everything else and will probably even share the pretesting and test procedure validation with my trusty 9600GT... just to wet the appetite

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SiGfever

I assume that you are running the rads with chilled water from a CenTraVac. :D

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No more CenTraVac's for me, just "typical" triple radiator cooling... I have no ties to Trane (other than it being one of our business sectors) any more since I was moved to Ingersoll Rand in the acquisition. :( I am in a Trane office today though, officing out of here on my way to Detroit. :)

what about xspc and enzotech?

Yes, XSPC was contacted as well... I edited my reply. Good call with Enzo, I will contact them later today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by skinnee

No more CenTraVac's for me, just "typical" triple radiator cooling... I have no ties to Trane (other than it being one of our business sectors) any more since I was moved to Ingersoll Rand in the acquisition. :( I am in a Trane office today though, officing out of here on my way to Detroit. :)

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Sorry to hear that. Well you do now have access to some kick arse air compressors. :)

Hope you you are doing well, long time no talk.
John

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bundymania

The Beta Version from Aquacomputer looks like this - Nickel plated version available soon:

http://www.abload.de/img/4802dq6h.jpg

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Ahhh, that is such a bad photo (done by the boss *g*). Here are much better pics :)

Heatkiller?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bundymania

The Beta Version from Aquacomputer looks like this - Nickel plated version available soon:

http://www.abload.de/img/4802dq6h.jpg


Here we have a thread for all available GTX 480 blocks:


http://www.hardwareluxx.de/community...en-704065.html

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No alu in that block ?