EK®, the leading computer cooling solutions provider, is introducing a cutting-edge addition to the EK-Quantum Line. EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 active backplate is made to complement the existing EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 water blocks and actively cool the backside of a reference design NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 and 3090 GPUs.

EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 Active Backplates

EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 active backplate links the water block and active backplate part with a new terminal, which replaces the stock terminal that comes with your water block. This way, the whole enclosure requires only one inlet and one outlet, removing unnecessary additional tubing and reducing clutter. It is the ultimate aesthetic and performance solution that finds your GPU sandwiched between two water blocks, allowing maximum cooling.

The brand new Vector Active Backplate directly cools all PCB hotspots found on the backside of the GPU core and VRM (voltage regulation module). In the case of RTX 3090, the VRAM located on the backside is being cooled, while the PCB on RTX 3080 GPUs is being cooled around the front-mounted VRAM. Cooling liquid is channeled over all these critical areas.

These newly developed active backplates feature a fin array with six wide channels allowing for very low flow restriction. This, in turn, provides overall lower temperatures, while the active backplate itself gets more than sufficient surface area for heat transfer.

The base of the active backplate is CNC-machined out of nickel-plated electrolytic copper, while the top is either CNC-machined out of glass-like cast Acrylic or black POM acetal. The rest of the backplate is made of nickel-plated or anodized aluminum, and it doesn’t come in contact with the liquid. These Vector Active Backplates also feature terminals that match the top cover – the Plexi version has an acrylic terminal, while the acetal one boasts the black POM acetal terminal. The watertight sealing is ensured by high-quality EPDM O-rings.

Compatibility

EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 Active Backplates are compatible with EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 water blocks made for reference PCB design. For a full compatibility list, please check the EK Cooling Configurator.

D-RGB Lighting on EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX 3080/3090 Active Backplate

On the acrylic model, the aesthetic end-piece is housing the addressable D-RGB LED strip, while the acetal model has no LED lighting. This active backplate boasts a total of eight individually addressable RGB LEDs, and it’s compatible with popular RGB sync technologies from all major motherboard manufacturers. The arrow marking on the 3-pin D-RGB LED connector is to be aligned with the +5V marking on the D-RGB (addressable) header.

Availability and Pricing

The EK-Quantum Vector RE RTX series active backplates are made in Slovenia, Europe, and are already available for pre-order through EK Online Shop and Partner Reseller Network. They are expected to start shipping in early April 2021. In the table below, you can see the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP), VAT included.