Since AMD launched its Radeon R9 285 at a live event back in August, we haven’t seen all that many aftermarket coolers for the card. The reason for that is because most of the R9 285 cards that came out are custom cards, making it rather difficult and unnecessary for cooling vendors to make their own solutions. EKWB didn’t entirely agree though, as the company has announced that it is now shipping water blocks for the Radeon R9 285.
This water block follows the usual recipe – it covers the VRM circuitry, the memory, and the GPU through a 0.5 mm micro-channel structure. It also has a high-flow design, which means it can be used in longer, more complex loops, or with weaker pumps.
EKWB built two versions of the block – one that comes with an acrylic see-through top and another with a black POM Acetal top. Both come with nickel-plated copper bases, with the brass standoffs pre-installed.
The water block is built for cards that are based on the reference PCB design, so it won’t be compatible with all of the R9 285’s on the market. Because it’s not entirely clear which these are, as many of them have custom coolers, be sure to check the EKWB cooling configurator.
Both variants of the water block are available immediately at EKWB’s website for $125.11, and a backplate is available for an additional $33.73.
