Whats the advantage of EK over Alphacool which includes the backplate for 106 euros? I waited till all 3 waterblocks were out (bykski, Alphacool & EK) compared the prices with shipping and the Ek product ended up being a full 100$ more expensive (block + backplate as you cant use the custom one). Wonder if anyone has ever compared the 3 companies with temperatures and such to see if there is any advantage at all from paying more?

Looking at this test, I don't have high hopes for the EK https://www.tomshw.de/2019/02/12/vier-wasserbloecke-fuer-die-geforce-rtx-2080-ti-im-abschliessenden-vergleich/2/

I wonder why it is acrylic is still being used for liquid cooling. It has a temperature limit of like 50-55C and will visibly crack and or warp at them temperatures. Not to mention failure of any sort is awfully close at them temperatures as well, albeit from hairline cracks and or just one off in the production process. With liquid temps never going above 45 degrees ever I've still had acrylic rear up its ugly face and fail. POM Acetal on the other hand i can guarantee will not crack and or warp. Hence I've learned my hard lesson first hand. triple Acrylic lian li pump top from XSPC failed on my three separate times...So i bought my POM Acetal BitsPower pump tops X3 for all of my pumps and placed them in a series just like they were with the XSPC and viola no leaks and no pressure issues!!! Especially if one is going to be spending hundreds of dollars on a "few" of something I personally would love longevity from it. POM Acetal FTW... Acrylic is so yesteryear.

DeskStar:

I wonder why it is acrylic is still being used for liquid cooling. It has a temperature limit of like 50-55C and will visibly crack and or warp at them temperatures. Not to mention failure of any sort is awfully close at them temperatures as well, albeit from hairline cracks and or just one off in the production process. With liquid temps never going above 45 degrees ever I've still had acrylic rear up its ugly face and fail. POM Acetal on the other hand i can guarantee will not crack and or warp. Hence I've learned my hard lesson first hand. triple Acrylic lian li pump top from XSPC failed on my three separate times...So i bought my POM Acetal BitsPower pump tops X3 for all of my pumps and placed them in a series just like they were with the XSPC and viola no leaks and no pressure issues!!! Especially if one is going to be spending hundreds of dollars on a "few" of something I personally would love longevity from it. POM Acetal FTW... Acrylic is so yesteryear.

Just to add, unless your water temps are at that 50-55c ( GPU in the 70c range) range, then It “should” not crack or warp. Water temps vs GPU temps are always different. When a GPU is at 50-55c, water is normally at 30-40c range ( depending on amount of cooling ) and the water is what is touching the acrylic more. As for the quality of acrylic, that is a different ball game and I agree with you that POM is better.

DeskStar:

I wonder why it is acrylic is still being used for liquid cooling. It has a temperature limit of like 50-55C and will visibly crack and or warp at them temperatures. Not to mention failure of any sort is awfully close at them temperatures as well, albeit from hairline cracks and or just one off in the production process. With liquid temps never going above 45 degrees ever I've still had acrylic rear up its ugly face and fail. POM Acetal on the other hand i can guarantee will not crack and or warp. Hence I've learned my hard lesson first hand. triple Acrylic lian li pump top from XSPC failed on my three separate times...So i bought my POM Acetal BitsPower pump tops X3 for all of my pumps and placed them in a series just like they were with the XSPC and viola no leaks and no pressure issues!!! Especially if one is going to be spending hundreds of dollars on a "few" of something I personally would love longevity from it. POM Acetal FTW... Acrylic is so yesteryear.

well that's somewhat worrying to find out but thankfully i've never experienced any cracking of my cpu/gpu block or reservoir tube. my old liquid cooling could at times reach 53 degree's water temp new one hasn't reached above 46 in the summer yet and should be getting even cooler with an upcomming case switch (NZXT H440 > Lian Li 011 Dynamic).

Nymbryxion:

Just to add, unless your water temps are at that 50-55c ( GPU in the 70c range) range, then It “should” not crack or warp. Water temps vs GPU temps are always different. When a GPU is at 50-55c, water is normally at 30-40c range ( depending on amount of cooling ) and the water is what is touching the acrylic more. As for the quality of acrylic, that is a different ball game and I agree with you that POM is better.

GPU's have never seen a temperature higher than that of 45C and that was for a few seconds at some absurd amount of voltage. Liquid temps have for sure been lower than that of 45C in every possible scenario, but the blocks I used from XSPC were designed to fail from the beginning. Hence I've gone through three of them in the past. Now its POM Acytal FTW whenever I personally build any liquid loop. Unfortunate when a company introduces something, but will not stand by their "something" failure. For that matter XSPC has literally put a bad taste in my mouth. Spend in excess of $100 just for pump tops over a period of time only for the company to not stand by their products.... They still make the double Lian-Li pump tops, but for sure they trashed the triple because of obvious issues...