GTX 680 EK waterblock with EVGA backplate troubles

hey guys,

Has anyone installed an EK waterblock with the EVGA backplate, if so i need your help....how the heck did you get the screws to go into the card/waterblock?

i could only use the 4 spring screws to attach the backplate/card/waterblock together, while the rest of the holes will not accept the screws (EK screws not long enough, evga screws to small to screw into the waterblock. right now i have it attached to the ek bridge which i believe is supporting it enough to get a snug fit, but the more i think about this, i'm afraid that leaving off screws would somehow damage my cards...and i really dont' want to see 1300 dollars go down the drain.

Could i just go to home depot and get a longer length screw?


Edited by cruelntention - 4/9/12 at 6:14am

I did install the waterblock first. It's common sense to install the block first then backplate...
Both companies didn't send me the wrong stuff...it's just that the ek waterblock and evga backplate aren't compatible with each other for some weird reason on these cards.
Edited by cruelntention - 4/8/12 at 11:50am

Okay, well i emailed EVGA the other day asking if they could send me new screws. They responded with, they didn't have any other screws nor did they plan to make revisions to the backplate in order to fit 3rd party waterblocks. Told me to contact EK, so i put in a support request for them at the website, haven't heard anything back yet, assume that I'll get an email about it today from them. I also did ask EK if they could just happen to give me a thread size that the waterblock uses.

I took the cards out last night in preparation to reconfigure them, had to order an EK dual 3 slot bridge, instead of the triple bridge that i have on there now. using the bridge it looks as if the bridge supports the block enough that there isn't any sagging so the blocks have 100% contact and sits flush with the PCB of the card. I've ran the cards thru testing to see if any issues occur because of heat and they keep chugging along at moderate tempertures (24-26*C idle 48-54*C at load) (which i guess is normal for video watercooled?), i'll post some pictures of stress testing later today when i have it re-assembled and hopefully show you some close ups of how flush the cards sit together.

If i dont hear from EK today, i am just going to home depot and seeing fi they can help me find a screw just a bit longer.

it just baffles me that on previous generation cards, i've seen people use the EK blocks with EVGA backplate with no issues and now with the GTX 680 backplate they're all of a sudden not compatible.

you're absolutely right, i most likely wouldn't be getting this error if i used the EK backplate...i KNOW this...but i like the EVGA backplate as i find it more appealing to ME

i've seen people with GTX 580/570/5xx etc use EK waterblocks with EVGA backplates...how am i suppose to know that with the GTX 680 card, EVGA or EK decided to change it up? i went with the presumption that well i've seen it on other people's build, then there shouldn't be a problem with using ek block with and evga backplate. if this was known about then i gladly would have ordered the EK backplate and saved myself the issue

***edit***
Just to be clear, EK and EVGA sent me their correct screw size for their particular items
EK block - screws are sized to fit the regular PCB hole and waterblock screw holes (if you look at the ek backplate, there are no screws holes for that backplate)
EVGA backplate - screws are sized to fit the regular PCB screw hole with the extra ~1cm added space of the backplate between the pcb and backplate.

here is where the problem lies...once you combine everything, EK/PCB/EVGA BACKPLATE, the screw ek provides aren't long enough, and the evga screws aren't wide enough to screwe into the EK block. about the only thing that fits are the 4 spring screws. WHICH HAS ME BAFFLED, because both the evga and ek spring screws work flawlessly, while everything else doesn't fit
Edited by cruelntention - 4/9/12 at 6:01am

thats what i was thinking, however someone on here said that i have to match the screw thread otherwise i'll basically be stripping the thread on my waterblock, not sure about you, but i honestly don't want to spend anymore money on replacing waterblocks because i went and got a wrong screw.

so right now i'm awaiting a reply for EK to see if a) they have longer screws available or b) provide me with a screw thread size.