EK Supreme and EK Supreme LT Installment
by Vapor - September 23, 2009
Intro The EK Supreme is EK's current flagship CPU block and is actually a bit of an old-timer by now, being almost 2 years old. It is a restrictive block that aims for the best CPU temperatures possible. It uses a microchannel design with 49 flow paths right over the center of the processor. It utilizes a split flow design, injecting the water at the center of the base and then splitting it outwards in opposite directions and recombining the two flowpaths at the outlet. The mounting system is a basic off-the-shelf type affair using standard screws, a bunch of washers, springs and thumbnuts. It comes in 4 main varieties, all using the same base: a delrin version (standard black top), an plexi version (transparent top), a copper version (solid copper top) and a Limited Edition GOLD variety that uses a gold-plated copper top. The EK Supreme LT is the little sibling of the EK Supreme. It uses a simpler base with fewer (and larger) microchannels and a very simple top. The increased simplicity is for one thing: decreasing cost to the end user but still providing great quality and performance. The block uses a single flowpath from one end of the microchannels to the other end. It uses the same off-the-shelf mounting hardware as its big sibling. This test will focus on the performance of the blocks in general and over a large flowrate spectrum. Results from the installments of Roundup #2 will be compiled, as they're posted, into an Overall Comparison page. |
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Thermal Testing Methodology/Specification Methodology My waterblock testing methodology has evolved over the past few months and I think it's finally at a resting point where I can start piling up test results rather than tweak the methodology (and thus preventing cross-comparisons). I use Dallas One Wire DS18B20 temperature probes at various points through my watercooling loop and at the air intake to measure temperatures, I've isolated the radiators so that the flowrate through them never changes, I use six different pump settings for each block, and use good testing practice by performing 5 mounts. Where applicable, I will also test various modifications to the blocks. These include testing various orientations and removing/adding various midplates, nozzles, dividers, etc. In some cases I will also modify the mounting system and present results from increased mounting pressure. For my waterblock tests, I'll perform 5 mounts of each configuration for every waterblock. The best configuration will then go on to be tested through the full flowrate spectrum. Specification
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Thermal Test Results Now finally some results! First up, the individual configurations testing. |
 Here we can see the Supreme pulling ahead of the Supreme LT, with both showing similar losses when oriented incorrectly. The best orientation for each is positioning the barbs parallel to the top of the board (or perpendicular to the socket latch). Specifically with the LT, having flow go from right to left (from the RAM slots to the I/O ports) nets a small but noticeable improvement. This is likely because Bloomfield processors have the die off-center, closer to the RAM slots. |
Specific Pumping Power Now that we've figured out what the best configuration is for each block, let's chart its performance over the entire flowrate spectrum.
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Other Graphs   Note: these results are derived from adding the water-to-air delta three times to my water temps. I add them three times to emulate the radiator power of a loop with 1/3rd the radiator power mine has. I use 2xMCR320s with push-pull 2200RPM Yate Loons and the data emulates the conditions of a loop with a single 120x3 radiator with ~1600RPM fans. Here we can see both blocks showing benefit (even if small) for all pumping powers tested on my testbed. Until you back down the radiator power that is...at that point both blocks really only benefit up until using dual DDCs. Past that and the heatdump from the pumps outweighs the improved block performance. Below is another repurposing of the data, this time translating the CPU temperature data into thermal resistance (C/W) data. Because I can't isolate the block's thermal resistance from the IHS's or the TIMs' resistance, I'll be showing the thermal resistance of them as a group. I'm approximating the CPU's heatdump at 235W. 
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Conclusion First things first, I'm really excited that I finally get some data where the flow vs. temperature curves are crossing! As for how the blocks compare, it's pretty data-centric. At extremely low pumping power, the LT is ahead, but at every other pumping power, the original Supreme is as good or better. The mounting systems are identical, so that's a wash. Aesthetics aren't for me to decide, so again a wash. Yes, the Supreme is more restrictive, but not by a staggering amount; the added restriction is definitely worth the improved temperatures. Pretty simply, the Supreme is the better block in my book. I do want to point out the mounting system though--I'm not fond of it. I don't mind assembling the screw system for mounting it, but it's a noticeable drawback behind the likes of Koolance, Swiftech, and D-Tek. Furthermore, the thumbnuts EK uses are pretty bad. They work fine, but after 30+ mounts with them, the sides and pads of my index fingers were totally raw--either they need to be made taller to reduce pressure on the fingers, or just be made less sharp. No other thumbscrew or thumbnut has left me clamoring for another one, but these did. When compared against each other, the two products fit into their respective price brackets well--the Supreme is the better block while the LT is the lower cost, lower performing offering. Where things get interesting will be seeing how the two blocks compare to their competition. More reviews are rolling out shortly, so stay tuned.
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