Product Showcase CPU & GPU cooling (installation)
Product Showcase - CPU & GPU cooling (installation)
So here's the part of the review where we will add a graphics card into the cooling loop. The Predator 280 has quick disconnects so you can easily add more components to the loop.
We requested a cooling block for the MSI Gaming X version of the GeForce GTX 1080. This graphics card should be a fun one to see on liquid cooling. Above, you can see the kit we received, for an extra 25 bucks it comes with tubing and quick disconnects and is already factory installed and filled with coolant, we can sincerely recommend you that. The kit now comes prefilled and included are screws, thermal paste and thermal pads.
The water-block directly cools the GPU and memory as well as VRM area - water flows directly over these critical areas, thus allowing the graphics card and its VRM to remain stable under overclocked conditions.
The base is made of electrolytic nickel-plated copper, while the top is made of either acrylic - or POM Acetal material. Screw-in brass standoffs are pre-installed and allow for a safe, painless installation procedure. As you are about to find out, the water block will transform the GTX 1080 into a beautiful graphics card (not that it is bad looking in its original form) ;).
So let me talk you through the process. We take the 650 EURO graphics card and need to remove screws, lots of them - starting with the IO bracket and all screws at the back-plate. You will need a mini Philips screwdriver there. Easily found in any hardware store.
Then for the front and backside you'll notice the beauty that MSI has created, note the front face plates for extra cooling, they all need to come off though.
You can now remove the cooler and fan cable from the PCB. That fan header is a bit tricky to remove though. We left the default MSI padding over the ICs in place, obviously you can replace them with the padding supplied by EK. MSI applies quite a bit of thermal paste, simply remove it as we will be reapplying using the included thermal paste that EK delivers with the kit.
