Overclockers get ready: the RTX 3080 is getting a water-cooled upgrade
Asus and EK are teaming up to bring water cooling to the RTX 30 series
Asus has announced a partnership with EK to produce GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards with liquid-loop cooling blocks built in, offering out-of-the-box liquid cooling for custom-built rigs.
Asus said in a statement that they would be putting out Geforce RTX 3070, RTX 3080, and RTX 3090 cards with the integrated waterblock, designed and manufactured by EK.
"These high-powered solutions are elegantly combined to have a single-slot footprint, which enables compatibility with a wide range of chassis, including small-form-factor builds," Asus said in a statement.
"ASUS EKWB GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics cards are perfect for seasoned veterans who want a reliable all-in-one bundle for their latest build and for newcomers looking for a smooth start towards building their first custom loop."
- These are the best graphics cards of 2020
- AMD vs Nvidia: who makes the best graphics cards?
- Check out these Black Friday PC component deals
Pricing and availability
While Asus hasn't said anything about pricing yet, they did provide a rough estimate of when the new cards would be available. The Asus EKWB GeForce RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 will go on sale worldwide around the second week of November, with late-November being the time frame for the release of the RTX 3070.
As for pricing, EK Water Blocks typically sell for roughly $99 (about £80, AU$140) to $129 (about £100, AU$180), so these new cards from Asus should sell for about $100 more than their non-EKWB RTX cards do now.
- We'll show you how to build a PC
Get the best Black Friday deals direct to your inbox, plus news, reviews, and more.
Sign up to be the first to know about unmissable Black Friday deals on top tech, plus get all your favorite TechRadar content.
John (He/Him) is the Components Editor here at TechRadar and he is also a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum currently living in Brooklyn, NY.
Named by the CTA as a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his science and technology reporting, John specializes in all areas of computer science, including industry news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, as well as general science writing and the social impact of the tech industry.
You can find him online on Threads @johnloeffler.
Currently playing: Baldur's Gate 3 (just like everyone else).