Full cover waterblocks are a treat for your graphics card as they cool down all the vital components on the PCB, being it most importantly the graphics core, but also the memory ICs and the entire voltage circuitry. Universal waterblocks might be easier to install, however air cooling the VRMs (Voltage Regulator Modules) is still part of the deal to ensure stable operation.

 

 

The EKWB full cover waterblock for the R280 Matrix edition is alike the ASUS card a rebrand of the 7970 Matrix edition waterblock. Nevertheless it's a nice piece of craftsmanship from the Slovenian EK waterblocks company.

The blocks base is made out of nickel plated electrolytic copper, with the typical 7970 raised core for maximum heat transfer. The R280X Matrix edition is only available in one version with an Acetal top. Normally full waterblocks for reference PCB design can be ordered in several versions alike copper, nickel plated and acetal+ nickel plated ones.

We did not opt to open the block as the rubber washers are a true pain in the butt to reinstall, hence to ensure proper sealing.

Screw-in brass standoffs are pre-installed for an easy installation procedure. The Factory provided back plate must be re-used, however the screws need to replaced by the included EK M2.5 ones.

 

The below pictures don't even come close do to do justice to the beauty of these full cover water blocks. With each EK product the units are pre-leak tested. A quality control sticker is also included, if there are any issues with your product (out of the box), they can quickly locate which employee did what exactly.

 

 

 

 

G 1/4" threaded fittings can be used on either side of the FC terminal; according the EK website Flow orientation doesn't matter and is thus not prescribed. If one intends to install more than one of the cards in a setup the guys from EKWB have got you covered: by using their EK-FC Terminal, no tubing nor awkward fittings are required, being available in a Dual, Triple or Quad configuration in the EKWB online shop.

 

 

 

The box includes, besides the full cover block, a clear and concise manual, pre-cut thermal pads, EK-TIM Ectotherm grease (1g) and the required screws to mount the block. If one tends to use non EK fittings/barbs they also kindly included standoffs with rubber ring to allow a higher compatibility with other brands. Ek also provides a dual slot I/O to replace the triple slot bracket. Handy if one intends to use multiple cards.

 

 

For this article we use the original ASUS HD7970 Matrix edition card. No problem as the ASUS R280X Matrix is a re-branded HD7970 version PCB wise. These factory overclocked cards feature a humongous triple slot cooler solution. While it might look overkill, it allows to run these cards daily on air cooling at safe operating temperatures at a reasonable noise level.

 

 

Four screws later we reveal already a part of the ASUS PCB. Never mind the dust, this card was still running in a test rig. After removal of the top plate, which has a dual function: first of all as a big heatsink for the Voltage Regulator Modules and secondly as a PCB reinforcement.

 

 

 

First step, after cleaning up the thermal paste on the GPU core, is to apply the pre-cut memory thermal pads; this makes the installation far easier and more professional looking then cutting the pads yourself.

 

 

 

Next up are the various VRMs, sadly scissors need to be used here. Nevertheless after a few minutes it's all over and done. Apply the included thermal paste and then mount the full cover block. Afterwards secure the block and the original back plate gently. I always closely observe the attitude of the PCB when tightening down the screws. Just take your time and you will end with a reborn, stunning looking graphics card.

 

 

 

Without wasting too much words, some impressions with the full cover block mounted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When we demounted the full cover block, the thermal pads remained in position. All with a clear imprint of the ICs and MOSFETs, indicating good contact.

The Madshrimps testbed comprises of the following parts:

• Gigabyte Z77X-OC motherboard
• Intel i7-3770K  Delidded and OC'ed at 4500MHz 1.25 Vcore cooled by EK L360
• Corsair Vengeance 32GB 2400MHz C10 rams
• Samsung 500GB EVO SSD
• Western Digital 2TB Green Caviar HDD
• ASUS HD7970 MATRIX video card stock / cooled by EK-R280X Matrix waterblock
• Corsair HX1050W Power supply
• Corsair Carbide 750D case
• Ambient air temperature is 21°C

To stress the AMD RADEON card we used 3 loops of Futuremark's 3DMARK Vantage, running the complete GPU suite. The card is first tested at stock speeds with the stock triple slot cooler versus the EK Full Cover Waterblock.

For the second test we use the HD7970 Platinum Edition clock speeds:

• GPU 1100 vs 1050Mhz
• RAM 1650 vs 1500Mhz

Last but not least we overclock the card with the ASUS GPU Tweak tool, maximizing the voltage at 1.256VGPU. Instead of using Vantage as stress test we opted to test the card in a daily scenario: multiplayer Battlefield 4. DICE's latest sibling  is very  strenuous on the graphics core; any instability leads to graphic corruption or freezes. Similar stress testing is done with the EK FC installed.

For the monitoring software we use GPU-Z, as it allows us to track the minimum, maximum and average temperatures of the GPU. The output results in the charts are the average out of three runs. Here are some more shots of the complete watercooled build inside the Corsair OBSIDIAN 750D case.

 

 

 

Take note that the test setup is a run in a closed but decent ventilated chassis; temperatures could differ from enclosure to enclosure. Secondly for the temperature results of the EK Full Cover block, consider that the Intel i7-3770K is running at 4500MHz at 1.25Vcore, thus also contributing it's share with a little extra heat in the loop.

First up the Stock Temperature results of the ASUS triple slot air cooler versus the Full Cover EK water block. The test was conducted at stock speeds of the ASUS HD7970 MATRIX card (1050/1500).

 

 

 

Take note that the ASUS cooling solution keeps the factory OverClocked card way cooler then the reference AMD HD7970 model we also have in the [M] lab. Maxing out at 66°C with 1050Mhz on the core versus 76°C with the core at just 925Mhz for the reference model. Not even talking about the noise production of the reference model measured at 55dBA versus 38dBA of the ASUS Triple slot solution. When comparing the bulky ASUS Air cooling solution versus the EKWB Full Cover Water block we see a small gain at idle of a mere 2°C. After running 3 loops of the 3DMARK Vantage test, GPU-Z logged a maximum GPU temperature of 45°C, of course in favor of the water cooling block. The results are not so impressive as when reviewing the EK Titan FC, however the Nvidia TITAN cooling setup is completely under dimensioned.

Time to up the game and flash the ASUS Matrix card with the Platinum Edition Bios. Thus we increased the clocks to 1100Mhz for the GPU and to 1650Mhz for the RAM ICs. Temp wise both remain close to the outputs at the slightly lower OC with a small 1°C loss for the ASUS Air cooler.

 

 

 

Instead of conducting further tests with the synthetic Vantage benchmark, Madshrimps opted to go more real life scenario wise. As your humble reviewer is an avid FPS multiplayer nOOb, what game better then Battlefield 4 from Dice to trash the graphic card. Usually Graphics cards tend to do a lot worse in clocking performance with this FPS shooter then in all sorts of synthetic applications.

Without touching the voltages in GPU tweak, nor adjusting Powertune we tested for 100% gaming stability.

 

 

 

Stock our Matrix 7970 card runs at 1050Mhz, with the PE bios flashed we slowly moved the MHz slider and played a few maps on BF4. On air we maxed out at 1110MHz before artifacting started to appear. With the EK water cooling Full cover block 1185MHz was rock stable. Moving upwards required to adjust the voltage slider.

 

 

 

We ran out of steam at 1215MHz and 1.33VGPU, more volts didn't help to stabilize the game. Frequent lockups are extremely annoying, especially during high ticket maps. Take note that our HD7970 Matrix card probably has previously been abused by an unknown owner. This refurbished card never ever has shown it's true potential versus all the other Matrix editions out there...

 

Slovenian EK Waterblocks keeps on maintaining a continuous follow up on the latest trends in the graphics department. Not only are full cover water blocks crafted for reference designs, but also for the non reference aka more exotic designs, alike the ASUS Matrix and MSI Lightning editions. The today's tested R280X Matrix of course is nothing more than a rebranded HD7970 Matrix full cover block. Labeling the box with the R280X sticker and re-machining the acetal top was all that was needed this time to be ready for the 280X series.

 

 

Full-cover waterblocks require some extra time to install versus the universal solutions. Nevertheless the Voltage Regulator Modules are kept well within proper operating temperatures, this without requiring extra airflow. Downside of all these CNC crafted beauties is the more elevated price, though the cooling performance is amazing. Even when being compared to the ASUS bulky triple slot solution of the Matrix cards, watercooling is the king for 24/7 OC'ed stability. Far lower operating temperatures will increase the lifespan of your high end graphic solutions. As a bonus one can achieve higher clock speeds at similar voltages for the highest performance during intensive gaming sessions.

The R280X Matrix Full Cover Waterblock is designed not only to look astonishing, but also to deliver superb cooling performance, easily besting the ASUS solution with over 20°C. What more can one say, the machining is as usual top. EKWB's choice to opt only for one version of the R280X Matrix edition is understandable as reference models will be sold in far higher quantities. Thus the end user has a wider range of choice there.

Assembly was as straightforward as it could be; the pre-cut thermal pads allow for a professional installation in no time. The included two slot I/O bracket provides higher compatibility for multiple graphics card installations. Even the users that want to use non EKWB Adapters are supplied with o-ringed barbs for a hassle free installation.

The R280X EKWB Full Cover Block is another great addition in the continuously expanding range of cooling solutions from EKWB. Killer looks, great machining and fab cooling is all that one requires. Retailing at 112 Euros these blocks are far from cheap, however the cooling performance reached another level, which will be hard to best for daily usage. Therefore the  EKWB R280X Matrix edition gets rewarded with the Madshrimps Performance award.

 

 

PROS:

• Great looks and craftsmanship
• Superb cooling performance
• Easy assembly
• Included thermal grease and I/O bracket

 

CONS:

• Full Cover blocks are costly

 

I wish to thank Niko from EKWB for the R280X sample

 

 

Bernice from Gigabyte for the Z77-UP7 sample

 

The Tones crew for the CPU and support through the years