Rampage III Gene fullcover waterblock?

[Diverge]

EK any new information?

Sorry for impatience, but I returned my block without mounting it (too risky for me) and waiting for solution, cause I'd like to finish my LC finally

Does anyone know any other blocks for R3G?

Here's their solution:

We cannot guarantee EK-FB R3Gene waterblock to work with your Rampage III Gene motherboard any more. It is up to you wheter you wish to give it a try or not. There were some people in this thread reporting to have killed the board, so chances of this happening do exist, but are very slim. You can try or send the board back to your seller for a refund.

Best Regards,
N.

Seems their solution is to take a risk... which is pretty poor business practices. If they aren't going to fix their design, they should recall them from 3rd party e-tailers, and stop selling them.

I'd be pretty pissed off if I was one of their customers, and their product blew up my perfectly good motherboard.

[nice Pants]

EK any new information?

Sorry for impatience, but I returned my block without mounting it (too risky for me) and waiting for solution, cause I'd like to finish my LC finally

Does anyone know any other blocks for R3G?

this block from mips was posted on first page, says its for R2G but it should fit?

[c22]

I looked for it and there one special for R3G at MIPS site.

http://www.mips-computer.de/index.ht...arz.htm?pos=20

Maybe this? :/ Don't really know german, so can't tell xD

[MrToad]

I've successfully used the MIPS mosfet block (product code MCH1163 on http://www.mips-computer.de/) for the R3G. However, the block separately does NOT come with a backplate for the mosfets on the back of the board.

Don't know if they include a backplate when you buy the whole set.

For the NB I've used the HEATKILLER NSB Rev3.0 Ni. You need to trim the mounting plate on one side because the inductors on the left of the NB interfere with it, but apart from that it fits fine.

I presume the R3G blocks for the NB from MIPS will fit fine too.

Also bear in mind that the blocks from MIPS DO NOT come with any thermal pads. You have to buy those separately.

[Spazloy]

hey, ive just fired up my motherboard with the EK block (i have the Nickel Plexi version) and i got lucky, it all went smoothly and the temps are really low.

ive got a few picks if u check out my build log. looks really good, cant wait to get the rest of the blocks for the board.

[psygnosi]

Very Nice Spazloy!

Psygnosi

[MrToad]

I hate Peter frakking Pan!

Fourth board did indeed get damaged. Crippled but not dead.

Powers on, boots to OS, blah blah bah, but the 2nd RAM bank is borked. Well, I'm hoping that is the RAM bank and not the memory controller on the CPU, because that would be just the final straw...

It detects RAM in the first and third bank, but not in the second (which means I can't do dual or triple channel...). Don't have much experience with Core i7s going wrong, what do you guys think? Is it worth buying a 5th R3Gene or I've killed the CPU?

[Vetalar]

@MrToad

check for damaged CPU pins in socket, especially in corners... and make sure for correct BIOS settings (voltages, timings etc.) change a bit Vqpi, Vram

[Diverge]

I hate Peter frakking Pan!

Fourth board did indeed get damaged. Crippled but not dead.

Powers on, boots to OS, blah blah bah, but the 2nd RAM bank is borked. Well, I'm hoping that is the RAM bank and not the memory controller on the CPU, because that would be just the final straw...

It detects RAM in the first and third bank, but not in the second (which means I can't do dual or triple channel...). Don't have much experience with Core i7s going wrong, what do you guys think? Is it worth buying a 5th R3Gene or I've killed the CPU?

I think if you do buy a 5th board, don't put the EK block on it... i think you wasted enough money troubleshooting their block for them to just turn around and pretty much say 'oh well, it's your problem, not ours'.

If I am sounding harsh towards EK, it's cause I think their failure analysis was pretty crappy. They concluded there is a problem, but don't care to find out exactly why, or come to a resolution.

If you send me $100 I'll send you something back that might blow up your board too

@koolance, if you guys read this, and want to design a block for R3G, i'm sure there is a least a dozen people who watch this thread who'd buy one

[MrToad]

@MrToad

check for damaged CPU pins in socket, especially in corners... and make sure for correct BIOS settings (voltages, timings etc.) change a bit Vqpi, Vram

I did reset the CMOS and tried two different DIMMs on each slot of the 2nd bank (or bank "B"). I mean different RAM, not two sticks from the same set. One was DDR3-1600 and the other DDR3-1066. No joy.

CPU socket looks fine to the naked eye.

I think if you do buy a 5th board, don't put the EK block on it...

Nope, that block is on it's way back. Tiborr is kindly sorting out the RMA for me with Scan.

If I am sounding harsh towards EK, it's cause I think their failure analysis was pretty crappy. They concluded there is a problem, but don't care to find out exactly why, or come to a resolution.

Well, I did think it wasn't really in depth too, but on the other hand everything happened on the run-up for Christmas, and with the new ATI and nVidia cards popping in the horizon, and Sandy Bridge boards to look into too.

I don't really blame EK for having other matters to attend to at this time. In the end of the day if the R3G is not an EOL product by now, it will be soon enough. And I do believe the block mounted just fine in the board they used to test it originally.

Eddy and Tiborr please step in and correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think if ASUS introduces variations on it's manufacturing process informs of them to the companies that make waterblocks for their products so they can review their designs accordingly...

Don't get me wrong, I'm really angry and frustrated about "killing" four boards, I just can't blame EK for it, and even if I could that wouldn't give me back the money and time I've sank so far...

If you send me $100 I'll send you something back that might blow up your board too

I have a really nice 30A bench power supply here, this time I'm going to have a bit of fun, and see what happens when you put 24V through paths that should only be fed 12V... Martin did it with a fan controller, I'm going to do it with the MB

[Vetalar]

in this thread Ek representatives advised to users of their block to "try"... but not a single word on their official website (last time i checked). it's not a stone age of watercooling now. if You make (and sell!) block potentially damaging hardware even in experienced user's hands it's bad. and something must be done to solve this problem IMHO

[c22]

Look like EK doesn't care about us at all :/ Easy to up the job with the block, but not so easy to find out a solution. And people are waiting...

@koolance, if you guys read this, and want to design a block for R3G, i'm sure there is a least a dozen people who watch this thread who'd buy one

Yeah indeed

[tiborrr]

Hi guys.

Holidays season + ton of other work to attend to.

He have posted a news on our website on 15th of December, two days after first testing was done: http://www.ekwaterblocks.com/index.p...t01returnid=17

Testing is complete, but the results are inconclusive. We tried many custom and alternative mounting methods but to no avail - sometimes the board works and sometimes it trips the protection and refuses to boot. We believe there might be some issues with the ASUS Rampage III Gene circuit board design as it has little to zero tolerance to PCB bending. But the strange part is that many boards work normally with the EK-FB R3Gene block, but there are also few boards that just refuse to work. Therefore we cannot guarantee our EK-FB R3Gene block to work on just any Rampage III Gene board.

So, our conclusions are:
- if you have no problems with already installed EK-FB R3Gene waterblock, feel free to use it without any restrictions
- if you have issues with the EK-FB R3Gene waterblock, return the waterblock for refund (please return it to your reseller. Anyone buying block from our web shop please contact our support first)
- we will stop the distribution and selling of the EK-FB R3Gene waterblock until further notice as we need to perform more thorough investigation

All blocks are being pulled since then and everyone having issues is offered a refund as there are major issues with some of the boards (remember, we have sold a lot of these waterblocks). Majority of systems work fine, but some do not (documented in this thread) and this is not good enough for us. We still haven't found out the reason why and that's why you cannot buy this water block anymore.

Anyone who bought this block and still haven't mounted it is strongly discouraged to do so. Refund it. This was mentioned weeks ago.

[c22]

It is not a solution. We want a block that works. For example: I bought this motherboard, because the block was there. If I wanted to use AC, I would get a dfi jr x58. I didn't - bought R3Gene, because there was a LC solution for mobo. Now there's no solution and I can't finish my project :/

[tiborrr]

I'm terribly sorry for your project but there is no solution to this matter yet. There are about five cases or so of block shorting out the board and more than hundred that are working just fine. The blocks are being pulled, this is the most that can be done at the moment.

[NaeKuh]

Yeah, but.. maybe I didn't make it clear in last post. I'm asking if mounting a block can permanently break my board?

yes it can.

You could miss a mosfet clearance, and fry your voltage regs.

You could short a chip which can zap the entire board.

You could leak and spray water all over your board.

Watercooling itself has a lot of risks tied with it.
Each part you water, you are only making those risks greater.

You can reduce your chance of risk by taking it slowly, and doing it the right way, but you will always have risk.


Its like telling someone bungee jumping is perfectly safe...
It can... and then it can also be a quick ticket to death.

[spacedog]

Anyone who bought this block and still haven't mounted it is strongly discouraged to do so. Refund it. This was mentioned weeks ago.

From the statement above, it almost sounds like you are discontinuing this product. However, no one from EK has explicitly come out and said that -- my interpretation of the status updates is that it's still under investigation. The reason I ask is because I also have a pile of parts collecting dust, waiting for EK's final word on the matter. I can appreciate that the cause of the board failures has turned out to be non-obvious/non-trivial, that this all happened over the holidays, and that you guys have a lot of other stuff going on right now.

If you really are intending to look into it more, even if it takes you a while to get to it, then that's cool. But if you are going to drop this product, it would be great if you could definitively communicate that decision. I just want to know if I'm definitely at a dead end (and have to return the block+motherboard and work out a new build), or if there's some point in waiting a while longer. Thanks!

[MrToad]

The R3G can still be watercooled using single blocks.

MIPS makes blocks for the board (although as I posted earlier on the thread the MOSFET block comes without backplate), and the Heatkiller NSB v3.0 fits the NB just by shaving a few mms off the mounting plate on one side (as the inductors to the right of the NB interfere with it).

Could also be the case that other "generic" NB blocks fit as well (like the XSPC Delta v3 or the Koolance CHC-125 to mention some).

And finally if you have problems to source the MIPS MOSFET block you can probably (90% sure) use the Thermalright HR-09U. Proper air cooling on the MOSFETS should be enough for continued trouble-free operation even overclocked. Alternatively you can cut the heatpipe and use the MOSFET part of the stock cooling, which is what we did when no-one made MOSFET blocks.

In fact if you live in the EU I'll cut the MOSFET part of the HS and post it to you. I have four of those I have no use for...

All in all the fact that the EK block might be troublesome doesn't mean that the R3G can't be watercooled. Is just that we've become very very lazy indeed

[Waterlogged]

I remember a time when we bought MoBo's because they performed well, not because we could water cool them. Too much bling and not enough substance as of late, what has become of XS and this hobby.

[schoolslave]

I remember a time when we bought MoBo's because they performed well, not because we could water cool them. Too much bling and not enough substance as of late, what has become of XS and this hobby.

Agreed 100%

[Alexandr0s]

I remember a time when we bought MoBo's because they performed well, not because we could water cool them. Too much bling and not enough substance as of late, what has become of XS and this hobby.

Everyone has turned into a bling-addicted DB .

[spacedog]

What has become of XS and this hobby.

All you enthusiasts did a great job incubating LC into a mainstream technology, that's what. And now the unwashed masses are here trying to be one of the "cool" kids too.

I appreciate the advice of using several discrete blocks as an alternative, but then I have more points of failure and more restriction to the flow, hence my preference for the single block. TBH, I could probably just skip LC'ing the NB and be okay. But the plan is to have 2 6990s with a mid-high OC on both the CPU and GPU, so I'd prefer LC for the NB to take some of the stress off.

Anyway, curious to see where this ends up.

[Church]

Hmm, i see nothing wrong in choosing motherboard with full cover options available in cases where functionality and performance is very similar to those of competitors or other models by same vendor but without that option. After all, such availability is just another "feature", just like some extra port or better PCB layout, and it's upto user to decide, what features/options he seeks in motherboard. Of course it would be different story, if some board with good LC options would lack some important enough options or seriously lag in performance compared to other boards and user would give up too much when wishing for bling aswell.

[Vetalar]

choosing board because of fullboard block availability? why not. all that x58 boards (in 'normal' conditions) have same performance, may be 2-3% difference between best and worst. since that why not to choose well performing MoBo with descent OC abilities AND available FC block?

[MrToad]

choosing board because of fullboard block availability? why not. all that x58 boards (in 'normal' conditions) have same performance, may be 2-3% difference between best and worst. since that why not to choose well performing MoBo with descent OC abilities AND available FC block?

Agreed. If like me you're using FC blocks for the GPUs (and you cut the double height bracket ) the R3G gives me all I need in terms of slots (2 GPUs, sound card and RAID card) and features, no need to dish out £100 more for the R3E just for a board that all what does for me is take more surface inside the case.

I chose a board that suited my needs, the availability of FC block was a bonus, and something I learned about a couple of months after having the computer up and running.

Obviously when I decided to WC the board I chose full cover over separates because it made very little difference in price and won hands down in terms of ease of installation and flow.

So, if it would have worked out , I'd have saved £100 on the board and £20 on the block over the R3E.

Pity it didn't, but such is life.

Still, finally I have a fully working watercooled R3G, and my new i7 890x (which didn't have a fried memory controller, it was the board, phew!) is doing 4.6GHz 24/7 without a hiccup, looking forward to pushing it a bit further when I have the time, now is time to actually use the computer