Phanteks expands waterblock line to tackle temps on select RTX 2070 cards

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When your GPU needs to chill out.

The GeForce RTX 2070 is one of the best graphics cards you can buy right now, but like all high-end GPUs, it can run hot when gaming. To help tackle high temps, Phanteks is rolling out a new full-coverage Glacier series waterblock for certain RTX 2070 and 2060 models.

  • Asus ROG-Strix-RTX-2070-A8G-Gaming
  • Asus ROG-Strix-RTX-2070-O8G-Gaming
  • Asus ROG-Strix-RTX2060-O6G-Gaming

Phanteks also offers waterblocks for certain RTX 2080 Ti (Founders Edition, Asus Strix, and Gigabyte Extreme) and RTX 2080 (Founders Edition) models, but not for every SKU on the planet.

This new one is its first for RTX 2070 and 2060 cards. It's compatible with the original backplate that Asus equips its Strix cards with, and also works with RGB-equipped motherboards. The caveat is that you'll need to purchase a digital RGB controller that Phanteks sells separately.

The new waterblock brings the chill to RTX 2070 and 2060 cards by focusing the flow of liquid to the section of the copper coldplate that sits on the GPU. It also provides cooling to the surrounding area, including the memory. As for durability, Phanteks claims the Viton rubber sealing it uses is the same as found in the automotive and aerospace industries.

Should you consider liquid cooling in the first place? As we have seen, graphics cards can get hot enough to cook an egg on—literally. Liquid cooling can certainly help, though custom loops require a bit of skill and maintenance. The payoff, however, is a chillier system then one that is just air cooled, and usually quieter to boot.

It's not the only way to go, though. Jarred recently wrote about how to lower your graphics card temperature. If you're not ready to dip your toes in the world of liquid cooling, there are alternative (and free) methods of getting temps under control.

As for the new waterblock, Phanteks says it will be available this month for $149.99.

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Paul Lilly
Paul Lilly

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).