There are many water blocks for RTX 3080. Apart from traditional water blocks, you also have a wide variety of water block enclosures. These water block enclosures are custom-made in the video card’s form factor to maximize heat transfer out of the GPU.
Disclaimer: I might give certain product names throughout this piece of products I’ve personally purchased and tested. In no way are these affiliations or promotions. Spearblade doesn’t earn any commission from any of the manufacturers named here. There are no Amazon affiliate links in this piece.
This article is a part of a series on water blocks and water cooling in general. Start with an explanation of all terms such as water block, loop, liquid cooling, coolant, etc.: Water cooling dictionary What is a water block – Gamer’s guide Water block price for PC cooling Is a water block worth it? Are water coolers better than fans? Is liquid cooling worth it? What does a CPU water block do? Also read if applicable: Water cooling block for RTX 3080 | Water cooling block for RTX 2080 Ti | Water cooling block for RX 5700 XT | Water cooling block for RX 580
Why does RTX 3080 need a water block?
A water block is a much-needed upgrade for your system’s cooling. The 3080 is a powerful GPU, one I consider to be the best on the market for gaming.
You can definitely use it without a water block and still get high FPS with the coveted hardware-accelerated ray tracing. However, to those of us who have gotten used to water cooling, things just aren’t the same with a fan-cooled GPU.
Different water cooling blocks or enclosures are made for different video cards. Just like that, different models are made for different editions as well. Make sure the block or enclosure you go for is made for your particular RTX 3080. Not all 3080-specific water enclosures are built for the RTX 3080 Founders Edition, for example.
“Reference” means the original reference design published by Nvidia for all third parties to build their products around. However, manufacturers such as ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, EVGA, etc. have slight differences to the original design due to their customized overclocking, cooling, etc. If you have such a card then you need a water block designed specifically for that card.
Some great water blocks for the Nvidia RTX 3080
EKWB remains to be the top brand for RTX 30-series water blocks. Precision-designed and built durably, these enclosures are very high-quality and low maintenance.
The EKWB EK-Quantum Vector water block is a great choice.
If you want other choices but budget isn’t a factor then I recommend looking into Bitspower. The Bitspower Classic VGA water block, as well as the one for Founders Edition, are both great water blocks for the 3080. Make sure you check for PCB and motherboard compatibility before you order any.
These are very expensive. So, if you’re looking for something on the lower end, I have a few options for you.
Alphacool Ice Block Aurora Plexi GPX-N offers competitive pricing. It’s thin and offers a twin-path design for the liquid to flow. The build quality isn’t as great as premium ones, neither is the design as sophisticated and attractive as others. But it gets the job done.
Here’s a summary:
- You can get the EKWB EK-Quantum for RTX 3080 for $260. The Classic (non-Quantum) and the Quantum Vector TUF or RE all come at around $175.
- The budget choice is Alphacoo. The Alphacool Aurora GPX-N with a back-plate cost $180. Another less expensive option is the Corsair Hydro XG7 (reference design), sitting at $170.
- A more mid-tier offering is the Bitspower Classic VGA ($195 for reference design, $170 for the ASUS ROG Strix design).
- If you’re okay with shelling $200+ but don’t want EKWB, then the Aquacomputer Kryographics Next is a cool choice at $275.
