Do we need to install pump and fans to work with a waterblocked graphics card?

zzzhhh

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May 13, 2018
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I am using water cooler for my CPU so I know I need a pump and fans for it. Now I am facing the same problem for a waterblocked graphics card (nVidia GeForce GTX TITAN). The item for sale is just the graphics card having waterblock and radiator attached. Do I need to purchase an extra liquid pump and fans to make the card work under normal condition, like the picture shown below?

EK-Predator_240_2_1200.jpg


s-l1600.jpg


The TITAN for sale is as follows:

s-l1600.jpg


PS: is the logo on the radiator the Chinese character for "fire"?
PS2: I browsed a few previous threads related to this question. A main idea is that waterblock is expensive. But these threads are at least 4 years ago. I checked ebay just now and found no item higher than $100; this is not expensive compared to a graphics card more than 300 dollars. So I was wondering whether waterblock is still considered less cost-effective when it is in the middle of 2018.

Thank you.
 
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gareththegiant

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From the image it looks like you will need a pump, tubing, water, fans and the radiator.

It is not a Chinese symbol for fire it is the logo for the company EKWB attached is their website link.
https://www.ekwb.com/

Asfor your last question could you please clarify

 

zzzhhh

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Thank you for the reply.

Isn't the radiator already installed on the graphics card? There are no screws on the back plate around the position where the GPU chip sits. If the back plate is not the radiator, what is it?

I searched in ebay using key words "water block gpu", most of the items returned is below $100. The second image in my question is an example which is only $17.84. I'm not sure whether cheap waterblocks like this works with the TITAN shown in the post, or whether I missed something important that is worth hundreds of bucks. Anyway, it is my first day that I heard of the word "waterblock". I had just thought paying more than 300 dollars is enough for me to enjoy the performance of TITAN; it seems turn out that this is just the beginning of troubles and frustrations.

PS: following is another picture provided by the seller. Is this the radiator?
s-l1600.jpg
 

zoltan.boese

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Hello zzzhhh!

This is how a water cooled graphics card looks like:
85c.jpg


You got the heat sink on the card. Attach tubes, that run to the pump and radiator, and fill the system with coolant (water). Plug in the pump, attach fans to the radiator and you are good to go.

The picture in your first post from 08:07 looks like a 240mm all in one processor cooler from EK water blocks. In all in one systems the pump is integrated into the heatsink or the radiator. Such closed loops are not meant for extension.

If you want to water cool both your cpu and gpu in the same loop you have to build it yourself, or look for an open loop AIO such as the Alhpacool Eisbaer product line!
 

gareththegiant

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The backplate is literally just a backplate. the second image you have posted looks like a vga waterblock the one being sold has a full cover waterblock. See that lumpy bit at the top that is the in and out for the pipes.

https://www.ekwb.com/ there are some good tips and guides on this website.

Also first question do you really need a water cooled GPU unless you are overclocking it i would just get a basic fan cooled one

The Radiator does not attach to the GPU as it would do ah heck all. fans are attached to the radiator which has two pipes one goes to the water block taking cold water the other goes to a pump which in turn goes to the water block.

Have a read through this and watch videos on how to build a GPU water cool loop

https://www.ekwb.com/guides/
 

zzzhhh

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Are you sure it is an "all-in-one" water block? I studied an "all-in-one" water block product here and found that there should be two pipes already connected to the radiator, but there are no such existing pipes in the picture -- only two holes waiting for me spending more money to fill it. So are you sure it is an "all-in-one" water block?
 

zzzhhh

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So the radiator is what outlined in red in the following picture?
2yl421i.jpg
 

zoltan.boese

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I referred to the picture in the post from zzzhhh dated 16 May 2018 08:07:08
If the fittings at the end of the tubes are removable, than you can extend the system, and I admit my assumption was wrong. If they are sealed, you will have a hard time connecting other components to it.
 
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