What water-block for ASUS KO RTX 3070 OC?

[Mousemagician]

I just bought an ASUS KO RTX 3070 OC at Microcenter.
Why this one? It was the only one available!
Now, time to find a water-block for this puppy.
I did not take-off the air-cooler yet, but I have found this picture of the PCB online

This seems identical to the PCB of the ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 TUF Gaming OC

...but cannot be sure since the KO PCB picture is not complete.
I have to check it on my own, but first I hope to hear from others that may have done it already.

Considering these blocks:
- Corsair HYDRO X SERIES XG7 RGB RTX 3070/3080/3090 ASUS STRIX GRAPHICS CARD WATER BLOCK (CX-9020013-W)
- Bykski N-AS3070DUAL-X GPU Water Block for ASUS RTX 3070 DUAL + BackPlate aRGB
PLEASE, HELP!

 

[termite]

I just bought an ASUS KO RTX 3070 OC at Microcenter.
Why this one? It was the only one available!
Now, time to find a water-block for this puppy.
I did not take-off the air-cooler yet, but I have found this picture of the PCB online
View attachment 309932
This seems identical to the PCB of the ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 TUF Gaming OC
View attachment 309933
...but cannot be sure since the KO PCB picture is not complete.
I have to check it on my own, but first I hope to hear from others that may have done it already.

Considering these blocks:
- Corsair HYDRO X SERIES XG7 RGB RTX 3070/3080/3090 ASUS STRIX GRAPHICS CARD WATER BLOCK (CX-9020013-W)
- Bykski N-AS3070DUAL-X GPU Water Block for ASUS RTX 3070 DUAL + BackPlate aRGB
PLEASE, HELP!

May just need to take it apart and look. Quick glance they look similar. You can pull the heatsink off, snap a picture, reapply TIM to the die and put it back together until you decide on a block.

 

[Mousemagician]

May just need to take it apart and look. Quick glance they look similar. You can pull the heatsink off, snap a picture, reapply TIM to the die and put it back together until you decide on a block.

Thank you termite.
I ended-up buying a
Bykski 3070 GPU Water Cooling Block For ASUS RTX3070 DUAL, Graphics Card Liquid Cooler System, N-AS3070DUAL-X
from FormulaMod.
The pictures in the item description look promising, with a hypothetical overlap between the DUAL version and the KO one.

Fingers crossed!
I'll post pics once it arrives and it is mounted.
Wish me good luck!

 

[TinkerTom]

Did this water block end up working for the ko?

 

[Mousemagician]

Did this water block end up working for the ko?

Still waiting for the shipment to transition from China to USPS. Hope to get it around the 2nd week of January. I'll keep you posted.

 

[t3iggerhippie]

Did the Bykski water block work for the KO? I'm in the same situation and would like to know if the waterblock is compatible.

【SUB】 ASUS KO RTX 3070 Korean Edition OC Review + Teardown

Video in Korean, english closed captions.

This video in says the pcb is identical to the tuf. Isn't that a different waterblock?

Barrow LRC2.0 full coverage GPU Water Block for ASUS TUF 3070

 

[Mousemagician]

Did the Bykski water block work for the KO? I'm in the same situation and would like to know if the waterblock is compatible.

【SUB】 ASUS KO RTX 3070 Korean Edition OC Review + Teardown

Video in Korean, english closed captions.

This video in says the pcb is identical to the tuf. Isn't that a different waterblock?

Barrow LRC2.0 full coverage GPU Water Block for ASUS TUF 3070

Short answer: IT WORKS!!!!
Longer answer: it fits like a glove! Totally wort it!
Pics incoming.

 

[Mousemagician]

It's done!
The block arrived on Jan 15th.
Below the steps for installing it.
I ordered the GPU block, RGB, and back-plate.
View attachment 320586

View attachment 320587
View attachment 320589View attachment 320591
No instructions included! I had to guess what goes where, but it was not my first GPU block to install, so I managed.
The block is stunning:

First, remove the original dual-fan heatsink:

Here the PCB. This may be the first customer-made picture of it.
It looks identical to the DUAL model.

...time to look at the back side, with thermal pads there too:

Critical moment now... will it fit?

But first, some new pads and thermal paste:

IT FITS!!!
YES, YES, YES!!!

Time to install the back-plate with thermal pads too:

...at least, the right screws are provided

Done!

Time to see it altogether:

It's really a beauty!

Now, installed in the ITX side of my dual system, custom water-loop, of course:

and how it looks like in the whole system:

Red is the ITX gaming system, blue is the TR working system.
I am so glad that it worked!

 

[t3iggerhippie]

Thank you for posting all this info its real helpful!

 

[vegeta535]

Thank you termite.
I ended-up buying a
Bykski 3070 GPU Water Cooling Block For ASUS RTX3070 DUAL, Graphics Card Liquid Cooler System, N-AS3070DUAL-X
from FormulaMod.
The pictures in the item description look promising, with a hypothetical overlap between the DUAL version and the KO one.
View attachment 310620
Fingers crossed!
I'll post pics once it arrives and it is mounted.
Wish me good luck!

Is that site reputable? I assume everything will take awhile to get since it is coming from china. Pretty good prices there. Lower then Aliexpess.

 

[t3iggerhippie]

Is that site reputable? I assume everything will take awhile to get since it is coming from china. Pretty good prices there. Lower then Aliexpess.

I think so. I ordered mine from FormulaMod as well. Use Paypal to order so at least you have insurance.

 

[vegeta535]

I think so. I ordered mine from FormulaMod as well. Use Paypal to order so at least you have insurance.

Still waiting to buy a ftw 3 block. I'll give it a try once they put it up if other places don't get one out.

 

[Mousemagician]

Thank you for posting all this info its real helpful!

I think so. I ordered mine from FormulaMod as well. Use Paypal to order so at least you have insurance.

I was wondering the same before ordering. I saw some good reviews, but what do they really mean? Reviews can always be faked.
Anyway, I paid with PayPal, so I felt protected.
Interesting note (at least for me): FormulaMod does not load-up with a VPN, so I had to close my VPN (IPVanish).
It took a month to get to my door (US).
All in all, I do not regret buying from them. And the price was less than on eBay, AliExpress, or Bykski China (it is not available yet in the Bykski US site).
Thumbs-up for me!

 

[vegeta535]

I was wondering the same before ordering. I saw some good reviews, but what do they really mean? Reviews can always be faked.
Anyway, I paid with PayPal, so I felt protected.
Interesting note (at least for me): FormulaMod does not load-up with a VPN, so I had to close my VPN (IPVanish).
It took a month to get to my door (US).
All in all, I do not regret buying from them. And the price was less than on eBay, AliExpress, or Bykski China (it is not available yet in the Bykski US site).
Thumbs-up for me!

That cool. Well my alphacool block just got delivered today out of no where from performance PC. No notice it shipped til I checked my email this morning saying it was out for delivery.

 

[Mousemagician]

That cool. Well my alphacool block just got delivered today out of no where from performance PC. No notice it shipped til I checked my email this morning saying it was out for delivery.

I'm happy that you got it.
I had some bad customer experiences with PPCS last year, so I stopped buying from them.

 

[vegeta535]

I'm happy that you got it.
I had some bad customer experiences with PPCS last year, so I stopped buying from them.

I had nothing but good experiences with them. They replaced two ek pumps that failed at me with out any issues.

 

[Mousemagician]

I had nothing but good experiences with them. They replaced two ek pumps that failed at me with out any issues.

That's good. Maybe it is just my bad luck with things... or with people.
Anyway, I'm glad that you got your block too.

 

[soju2323]

It's done!
The block arrived on Jan 15th.
Below the steps for installing it.
I ordered the GPU block, RGB, and back-plate.
View attachment 320586View attachment 320597View attachment 320587
View attachment 320589View attachment 320591
No instructions included! I had to guess what goes where, but it was not my first GPU block to install, so I managed.
The block is stunning:

View attachment 320593View attachment 320594

First, remove the original dual-fan heatsink:
View attachment 320595View attachment 320598

View attachment 320608View attachment 320599View attachment 320609
View attachment 320610View attachment 320611View attachment 320612
View attachment 320613View attachment 320614View attachment 320615

Here the PCB. This may be the first customer-made picture of it.
It looks identical to the DUAL model.
View attachment 320617View attachment 320618

...time to look at the back side, with thermal pads there too:
View attachment 320619View attachment 320620

Critical moment now... will it fit?
View attachment 320621

But first, some new pads and thermal paste:
View attachment 320624View attachment 320627


IT FITS!!!
YES, YES, YES!!!
View attachment 320628

Time to install the back-plate with thermal pads too:
View attachment 320632View attachment 320636

...at least, the right screws are provided
View attachment 320638View attachment 320639
Done!
View attachment 320640

Time to see it altogether:
View attachment 320641View attachment 320644

View attachment 320643View attachment 320642

It's really a beauty!
View attachment 320646

Now, installed in the ITX side of my dual system, custom water-loop, of course:
View attachment 320648
and how it looks like in the whole system:
View attachment 320649
Red is the ITX gaming system, blue is the TR working system.
I am so glad that it worked!

What thickness did you use for thermal pads? Im Just looking to replace pads and paste. Not installing a water block at this time.

 

[THRESHIN]

Wow the memory is super close to the gpu on those things. I was hoping to keep using my old universal block for all time but looks like I may have to finally ditch it when I get a new card.

 

[Mousemagician]

What thickness did you use for thermal pads? Im Just looking to replace pads and paste. Not installing a water block at this time.

It is thick. Likely 1 mm or more.
The pads were included in the block packaging.

 

[celwin]

No instructions included! I had to guess what goes where, but it was not my first GPU block to install, so I managed.

That statement alone should prevent others thinking of buying to not do so. Think about a newbie or even someone who has done it just once or twice trying to figure out how to install a waterblock on a new gen GPU. You need to have installed many GPU water blocks to install one with no instructions. I would be suspicious of the quality of any GPU water block that did not come with instructions.

 

[Mousemagician]

That statement alone should prevent others thinking of buying to not do so. Think about a newbie or even someone who has done it just once or twice trying to figure out how to install a waterblock on a new gen GPU. You need to have installed many GPU water blocks to install one with no instructions. I would be suspicious of the quality of any GPU water block that did not come with instructions.

Good point about having done it already to know what to do.
No issue with the quality, though. This is my second Bykski videocard water-block. Both times I opted for this brand because it was the only one making blocks for my cards. Eventually, I can confirm that the quality is very good, compared to the other blocks that I have tried from other brands.
I guess that I paid the price of getting the first batch. For example, the block that I installed for my MSI Radeon 5700 XT MECH OC came with instructions.
You can also contact the US Bykski site, I guess they can provide anybody with instructions.

 

[bastage]

Hey I love seeing this. I actually bought the 3070 KO & then the same Bkyski block from Aliexpress for my first watercooled build.. Ended up buying another GPU that I could get a block for much faster (Reference rx6800 so the EK blocks were readily available) and sold the 3070 local for the cost of the block & card combined. Block arrived weeks later after I had everything up & going with the 6800 & I passed it on to the guy I sold the card to since I was just looking to not loose my ass on it. Glad to see I was right about it working since I couldn't find confirmation anywhere.

 

[Mousemagician]

Hey I love seeing this. I actually bought the 3070 KO & then the same Bkyski block from Aliexpress for my first watercooled build.. Ended up buying another GPU that I could get a block for much faster (Reference rx6800 so the EK blocks were readily available) and sold the 3070 local for the cost of the block & card combined. Block arrived weeks later after I had everything up & going with the 6800 & I passed it on to the guy I sold the card to since I was just looking to not loose my ass on it. Glad to see I was right about it working since I couldn't find confirmation anywhere.

Glad it helped you. There is very little info about compatibility for VGA waterblocks and often it is all about trying them.

 

[azael_valdo]

Hey Mousemagician just curiousity, what kind of thermalpads you used for replacement? actually i have the same gpu model but cannot find the specs and i dont wanna disassembly my gpu till know that, i am a little bit worried about vram temps.

 

[Mousemagician]

Hey Mousemagician just curiousity, what kind of thermalpads you used for replacement? actually i have the same gpu model but cannot find the specs and i dont wanna disassembly my gpu till know that, i am a little bit worried about vram temps.

Hi Azael, I used the pads included in the Bykski box. They look to be 2 mm thick, which is in the larger spectrum, but they fitted without issues.

 

[jonathonhagerty]

Hi guys,
I just tried installing my first gpu block on my KO 3070. I tried the EK quantum TUF. The whole thing went together fairly easily. The only hard part was EK’s included thermal pads did not make contact with the block. So I had to reuse the stock thermal pads which were noticeably thicker. I pulled the block off to make sure the GPU and pads were all touching the block (that the thermal grease was squished out and that the pads were indented/imprinted.

Now the tricky next step will be: in order for me to check the temps of everything, I will need to install a fresh windows 11 OS. But this takes a few minutes, which…if the GPU isn’t cooling properly…. Any advice here anyone?

Thanks, Jon

 

[Mousemagician]

Hi guys,
I just tried installing my first gpu block on my KO 3070. I tried the EK quantum TUF. The whole thing went together fairly easily. The only hard part was EK’s included thermal pads did not make contact with the block. So I had to reuse the stock thermal pads which were noticeably thicker. I pulled the block off to make sure the GPU and pads were all touching the block (that the thermal grease was squished out and that the pads were indented/imprinted.

Now the tricky next step will be: in order for me to check the temps of everything, I will need to install a fresh windows 11 OS. But this takes a few minutes, which…if the GPU isn’t cooling properly…. Any advice here anyone?

Thanks, Jon

It's interesting your observation about the pads that were too thin in the EK kit. I actually was surprised of the opposite with the Bykski kit, with these thick pads. Now, I guess thick is better than thin, in this context.
Regarding spending time while installing Win 11 concerned that the GPU isn't cooling properly, I guess that it SHOULD be fine is you saw pads touching and thermal paste 'squeezed', as you said.
I'd just put one or two fans blowing on the GPU with air directed between GPU and cooler... just in case.
I'd do this if I were you, but I cannot tell you to do it, it's a responsibility that you must take on your own.
One more thing that can be done, is to install the OS with a CPU with integrated GPU (an APU), if you have any available, unplug the GPU from the PCI-E slot, but still installed in the water-cooling circuit. Once OS install is done, switch CPU with the one without integrated video and plug the GPU in the PCI-E slot. The new PCU will self-install at the first re-start. You will still need to install the GPU drivers anyway.
Good luck!

 

[jonathonhagerty]

It's interesting your observation about the pads that were too thin in the EK kit. I actually was surprised of the opposite with the Bykski kit, with these thick pads. Now, I guess thick is better than thin, in this context.
Regarding spending time while installing Win 11 concerned that the GPU isn't cooling properly, I guess that it SHOULD be fine is you saw pads touching and thermal paste 'squeezed', as you said.
I'd just put one or two fans blowing on the GPU with air directed between GPU and cooler... just in case.
I'd do this if I were you, but I cannot tell you to do it, it's a responsibility that you must take on your own.
One more thing that can be done, is to install the OS with a CPU with integrated GPU (an APU), if you have any available, unplug the GPU from the PCI-E slot, but still installed in the water-cooling circuit. Once OS install is done, switch CPU with the one without integrated video and plug the GPU in the PCI-E slot. The new PCU will self-install at the first re-start. You will still need to install the GPU drivers anyway.
Good luck!

Thanks, good idea on disconnecting the GPU initially and using the APU.

Yep, I saw the GPU thermal compound was spread out after installing-removing the water block.

The thermal pads I reused from the stock cooler were quite thick it seems. Here's two pictures.

 

[Mousemagician]

Thanks, good idea on disconnecting the GPU initially and using the APU.

Yep, I saw the GPU thermal compound was spread out after installing-removing the water block.

The thermal pads I reused from the stock cooler were quite thick it seems. Here's two pictures. View attachment 431326View attachment 431327

So, how did it go?

 

[Dan_D]

I've got a Bykski block on my RTX 3090 FE. It works very well.