Live MB OC Report :: ASUS Rampage Extreme

[Mezzro]

Has anyone tried the Swiftech MCW-NBMAX W/B yet that replaces the fusion block ?. Looks like it arrives in the UK at the end of next week.

I'm a fan of Swiftech products, but the MCW-NBMAX falls short by failing to address the core problem with Asus' stock HPA: the surface of the waterblock is too far removed from the surface of the chipset it's intended to cool. The NBMAX copper base rests against a copper plate that, in turn, makes contact with two copper pipes that only make indirect contact with the chip surface through a copper plate beneath the pipes. The only advantage the NBMAX might provide would be any increased volume of water it may (or may not) hold (it appears larger than the stock NB wblock) and a more finely machined base plate, providing better contact. IMHO, those differences don't offset the horribly inefficient HPA design. You can replace TIM and add as many washers as you like: it's still 'lipstick on a pig.'

To stay within budget, how about removing the HPA and cooling FETS, SB and VR with conventional heatsinks by Swifty or EnzoTech, then using an EK-NB S-Max for the NB as one alternative?