Good point regarding the issues surrounding getting a separate waterblock (instead of just buying card brand new with block installed). Just so you know I've only owned eVGA graphics cards over the last 4 years and I've installed waterblocks on most of them (despite the fact that they strategically place the serial number sticker over the heatsinks screws) and I've never had any issues regarding warranty even though I had installed after market heatsinks and waterblocks. Granted they probably handle it on a case by case basis but for the most part they allow aftermarket coolers as long as you keep the stock heatsink and re-install when RMA'ing. This is another reason why eVGA is always my first choice. With that all said glad to hear you got the FSP Booster X3 up and running, it should be a nice addition. So whats going on with the GTX285, have you tried to RMA or get a refund through retailer?