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Vadim introduces new Blastflow waterblocks
New VGA cooler features modular cooling plates to make it fit a variety of graphics cards
Top British retailer and high-spec PC builder, Vadim, has just introduced two new waterblocks to its Blastflow range today - the Siberian Rev2 VGA Block and the Tidal Skulltrail SB Block.
The new VGA block is made from CNC-milled copper with a 5mm acrylic cover, and it’s thin enough to ensure that your graphics card still only takes up a single slot. Vadim says that the block is ‘compatible with the majority of the single GPU high end cards,’ although there are issues with GeForce 7950GX2 and ATI Radeon HD 3870X2 cards. However, you can simply use two waterblocks to cool the former.
As with Vadim’s previous graphics card waterblocks, the new VGA block uses Vadim’s patented universal modular system, and just requires a replaceable cooling plate in order to fit various different graphics cards. Plus, Vadim says that you can use it just to cool the GPU if a specific plate for your card isn’t available.
However, the cooling plate offers a major benefit in that it extends the block to cool the VRMs and memory too. Vadim currently has plates for GeForce 8800 GTX, Ultra, GT and GTS cards, as well as Radeon HD 3850 and 3870 cards. The idea is that most of the cooling power is expended on the GPU, and less for the RAM and VRMs, which Vadim calls ‘intelligent distribution of the cooling power.’ We’ve yet to put the block to the test, but Vadim claims that it has ‘a cooling advantage of up to 20°C on load when compared to the competition.’
Meanwhile, the Tidal Skulltrail SB Block is made to cool the Southbridge and SLI bridges on Skulltrail motherboards, and is made from 3mm copper with 8mm acrylic.
See here for more information.
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It looks like the block can do multiple SLI with no tube kinking according to blastflow\'s website picture: http://www.blastflow.com/img/pics/full/38.jpg
Comment by unregistered at 4:23am 13th March 2008
It looks like the block can do multiple SLI with no tube kinking according to blastflow\'s website picture: http://www.blastflow.com/img/pics/full/38.jpg
Comment by unregistered at 4:23am 13th March 2008
I think the horizontal barbs are to keep it to a single slot cooler so that you can have SLIx2/x3/x4 and still have access to some PCI slots. But i'm sure it's possible to squeeze the pipes in without pressing against the side panel too much?!?
Comment by maximus07 at 2:15pm 12th March 2008
hehe, it looks this baby kicks arse to EK big time: http://www.overclock3d.net/reviews.php?/cases_cooling/blast_flow_siberian_rev2_modular_vga_waterblock/1 definitelly on my list :)
Comment by unregistered at 11:20pm 11th March 2008
Yeah EK full cover blocks extend to the VRMs too via a separate plate that fixes to the main copper block. I'm itching to try one of the Vadim blocks to see what performance is like especially in a multiple block system but no way my budget can stretch after what I've spent in the last month! he he! One thing I don't like though is the horizontal barbs, the last block I had that did this was an Alphacool Nexxxos and it made things very difficult plumbing wise. I much prefer the barbs to point up or down, not out towards the side of the case. Not too much of an issue with pushfit or compression but with 1/2" it's just damn awkward.
Comment by combatus at 10:02pm 11th March 2008
All the EK's blocks are full cover as far as im aware. I just got my GTS (G92) arrive today and it's a beauty. The Vadim's require the block and cooling plate to be bought seperately (modular block with cooling plates for different kinds of GPU), which up's the cost significantly. At least, this was the case the last time I checked :p
Comment by D_Cypher at 9:15pm 11th March 2008
Googled for EK waterblocks and had a look, they seem alright but these Vadims extend to cover much more with the module ie the RAM and VRMs. I think this is great - personally I had an X1800XT fail on me because I fitted a Zalman fan, the fan failed to get enough air to the VRMs and the card's fried leaving me with matrix code-style artifacts! As for the price the site I found the EK blocks came up with 90 euros, which is about £68.50, for an 8800GT/GTS. The Vadim with its module comes to about £75, which isn't a hell of a lot more for the extra cooling.
Comment by TWeaKoR at 8:02pm 11th March 2008
They'll be horrendously expensive, just like DangerDen GPU blocks. Why anyone would want to use anything other than EK blocks on their cards is beyond me. Top performance, superb quality, looks awesome and cheaper than the above mentioned.
Comment by D_Cypher at 7:27pm 11th March 2008
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