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Nickel plating peeling off

10K views 112 replies 25 participants last post by  spinFX 
#1 ·
Took apart my Superemacy Evo and saw that the plating was peeling off with no effort. Should I be concerned?

 
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#3 ·
Yes it will be a problem. If its sill in its warranty period contact EK. This is the reason why I would never buy anything but plain copper blocks.
 
#5 ·
This reminds me a fiasco a couple of years ago with faulty nickel plating.

A quick google search confirmed it:
http://www.overclock.net/t/915966/please-read-before-purchasing-ek-nickel-plated-blocks-update-revised-plating-info

I would avoid EK nickel product forever. This issue date back from 2011-2013.

This issue made me go for plain copper. Can't go wrong IMO.

As for your question, I think you have to make an online RMA ticket. Once you got a RMA number, you can call them. Ask for them to pay for shipping (see link I provided).
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by mercinator16 View Post

Can I request an rma from them even if I've bought mine from a 3rd party store?
Depends on your country and the shop in question. Manufactures warranties are usually international but you could also try just contacting the store you bough it form and see what they say.

In order to get in contact with EK --> https://www.ekwb.com/customer-care/
 
#8 ·
Looks like typical corrosion you see in the places where there is no flow and coolant is trapped, like where the plastic top presses against the base and around the oring. Its not a brand thing as it pops up in all of them from time to time.

EK will fix it if its in warranty but its of no concern other than it looks visually unappealing. What sort of coolant are you using and how long was it in there?
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Those are isolated incidents. A small handful of EK blocks get affected by this every year, though the last few months seem to be a bit worse than usual. Koolance had a couple go bad before any of EK's did, too, but again, isolated incidents. Koolance and AC were also better about responding to the issue and keeping it from escalating. I don't know who you'd go to if EK doesn't replace the block, but if you're dead-set on EK, either go with un-plated copper or use corrosion inhibitor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by outofmyheadyo View Post

So basically nickel plated blocks are a big nono ?
thumbsdownsmileyanim.gif
Most of the time, nickel is fine. Some people will say having a silver coil present as a biocide exacerbates any potential flaking/corrosion, but there's not a lot of proof of that. If you're concerned about any of it, just add some corrosion inhibitor. It won't solve the problem if the block itself came out of the factory wrong, but it will mitigate flaking/corrosion.
 
#15 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chunky_Chimp View Post

Those are isolated incidents. A small handful of EK blocks get affected by this every year, though the last few months seem to be a bit worse than usual. Koolance had a couple go bad before any of EK's did, too, but again, isolated incidents. Koolance and AC were also better about responding to the issue and keeping it from escalating. I don't know who you'd go to if EK doesn't replace the block, but if you're dead-set on EK, either go with un-plated copper or use corrosion inhibitor.
Most of the time, nickel is fine. Some people will say having a silver coil present as a biocide exacerbates any potential flaking/corrosion, but there's not a lot of proof of that. If you're concerned about any of it, just add some corrosion inhibitor. It won't solve the problem if the block itself came out of the factory wrong, but it will mitigate flaking/corrosion.
The only reason they are "isolated incidents" is because they make and sell far fewer of them.
 
#16 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashcroft View Post

The only reason they are "isolated incidents" is because they make and sell far fewer of them.
That has no bearing on it whatsoever, else Swiftech would be ripe with plating issues. A quality company doesn't allow manufacturing volume to overwhelm the metal preppers, platers, quality control staff, etc., and with exception to the big EK incident in the first half of this decade, they haven't had plating issues, not even isolated ones. EK was churning out blocks like cupcakes for the longest time up until then, so again, that doesn't have anything to do with it.
 
#18 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chunky_Chimp View Post

That has no bearing on it whatsoever, else Swiftech would be ripe with plating issues. A quality company doesn't allow manufacturing volume to overwhelm the metal preppers, platers, quality control staff, etc., and with exception to the big EK incident in the first half of this decade, they haven't had plating issues, not even isolated ones. EK was churning out blocks like cupcakes for the longest time up until then, so again, that doesn't have anything to do with it.
Of course it has a bearing but its nothing to do with quality control. Its simple maths. More blocks in the wild means you will see more incidents of corrosion reported simply because the sample size is larger but the rate of incidence can be exactly the same. There are lot more Toyotas crashed every day than Lamborghinis but that doesn't mean Toyotas are more likely to crash

Swiftech don't make nickel blocks as far as I know, they use chrome, but that's by the by as I don't believe they make as many blocks as EK either.
There is a common factor in nearly all genuine corrosion issues we see on these forums and its not manufacturer. Its using home brew coolant containing Silver or copper sulphate and no corrosion inhibitor.
The manufacturers recommend using corrosion protection but still some people won't believe.

Nickel blocks are great. In my opinion, having owned a few of each I will always buy Nickel now, but they need to be taken care of. Not using protection is not a guarantee of trouble but its a risk for sure.
 
#19 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashcroft View Post

Of course it has a bearing but its nothing to do with quality control. Its simple maths. More blocks in the wild means you will see more incidents of corrosion reported simply because the sample size is larger but the rate of incidence can be exactly the same.

Swiftech don't make nickel blocks as far as I know but thats by the by.
There is a common factor in nearlly all genuine corrosion issues we see on these forums and its not manufacturer. Its using home brew coolant containing Silver or copper sulphate and no corrosion inhibitor.
The manufacturers recommend using corrosion protection but still some people won't believe.

Nickel blocks are great. In my opinion, having owner a few of each I will always buy Nickel now, but they need to be taken care of. Not using protection is not a guarantee of trouble but its a risk for sure.
Proper nickel plating shouldn't ever do that. The process they use is cost-cut oriented and it reduces a lot the life of the plating.
 
#20 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Just a nickname View Post

Proper nickel plating shouldn't ever do that. The process they use is cost-cut oriented and it reduces a lot the life of the plating.
Far out I thought we were past all this stuff. Thats some pretty good inside info there getting the low down on their plating system/technique.

I think this post says it best

http://www.overclock.net/t/1542289/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel-chipping/60#post_24162822
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakusonfire View Post

The supposed bad history has always been nothing more than overblown hype and user error.

Just some examples, find the common denominator;

http://www.overclock.net/t/1379838/build-log-first-build-break-down-finding-lots-of-corrosion
Silver and Copper Sulphate

http://www.overclock.net/t/1499504/ek-blocks-3-years-5-months-later
Silver

http://www.overclock.net/t/1558227/aquacomputer-titan-blocks-nickel-plating-flaking-off
Copper Sulphate

http://www.overclock.net/t/584302/ocn-water-cooling-club-and-picture-gallery/79140#post_23509039
Silver

http://www.overclock.net/t/584302/ocn-water-cooling-club-and-picture-gallery/54240#post_21345128
http://www.overclock.net/t/584302/ocn-water-cooling-club-and-picture-gallery/54300#post_21349081
Copper Sulphate

Multiple brands, All, No corrosion inhibitor.

Its fine if people have to learn for themselves the hard way but encouraging others to do the same all based on endlessly repeated internet 'wisdom' is just irresponsible.
And other:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1580670/few-problems-with-my-loop-silver-kill-coils-safe
Bitspower and Silver with no corrosion protection. The name for quality fittings

If its cost cutting then it must be all the companies doing it. EK, Aquacomp, Koolance, Heatkiller etc, because they have all had examples of the same type and they are all in on the recommending corrosion protection racket.
 
#21 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashcroft View Post

Far out I thought we were past all this stuff. Thats some pretty good inside info there getting the low down on their plating system/technique.

I think this post says it best

http://www.overclock.net/t/1542289/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel-chipping/60#post_24162822

If its cost cutting then it must be all the companies doing it. EK, Aquacomp, Koolance, Heatkiller etc, because they have all had examples of the same type and they are all in on the recommending corrosion protection racket.
Ever heard about passivation? Check it out if you don't know what that is.
The thing is that, if your layer is not very good (i.e. purity/bad process), you can have local corrosion pit (direct contact with the substrate, copper in this case). This is the first thing you want to avoid as corrosion pit generate a coupling between the substrate and the layer. This coupling accelerate the flaking and you lose the protecting properties of the passive layer.

What you suggest is to reduce the oxidizing power of the medium. This is a good way to prevent the flaking but this shouldn't happen in the first place with a good plating. This is the point I was trying to make.

You might be interested by this:
http://www.plating.com/platingtechnical/pitteddeposits.htm
 
#22 ·
Ive used Koolance cpu-380i for 3.5 years non stop the only thing i did was change the coolant after 2 years. I was using Koolance Liq 702 clear pre mix coolant. After opening the block after 3.5 years ( secondary wc system) it looked like brand new no corossion no dis color no crap no flaking. My main pc also uses Koolance blocks with the same coolant but i clean block approx every 14 months but there is hardly anything to clean since they are spotless.

I dont know why some dont even use anti corossion in their loop....ive learned from past mistakes ie distiled and silver kill coil which almost ruined my hk-3 Full nickel block...never again, go with the recommended coolant as per what the manufacturer recommends the end user.

I placed a thread here about my findings with pics cant find it now since im on cell phone but if some one want it il can post the link here later on.
 
#23 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashcroft View Post

There is a common factor in nearly all genuine corrosion issues we see on these forums and its not manufacturer. Its using home brew coolant containing Silver or copper sulphate and no corrosion inhibitor.
The manufacturers recommend using corrosion protection but still some people won't believe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashcroft View Post

Far out I thought we were past all this stuff. Thats some pretty good inside info there getting the low down on their plating system/technique.

I think this post says it best

http://www.overclock.net/t/1542289/ek-supremacy-evo-nickel-chipping/60#post_24162822
And other:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1580670/few-problems-with-my-loop-silver-kill-coils-safe
Bitspower and Silver with no corrosion protection. The name for quality fittings

If its cost cutting then it must be all the companies doing it. EK, Aquacomp, Koolance, Heatkiller etc, because they have all had examples of the same type and they are all in on the recommending corrosion protection racket.
Then you explain to me why this isn't happening so much more often with every company if it's user error, and explain why it's only EK that's suffered as of these instances. Swiftech is the company supplying eVGA's HydroCopper blocks, and they make plenty of those that don't have their chrome plating flake. If you were correct in that more blocks in the wild = more instances, then by that logic other companies' blocks would have this happen more than once or twice a year, though still less than EK. Again, Koolance and Aquacomputer had isolated incidents that were resolved. EK is pretty consistent in letting blocks slip out into the wild that are prone to this problem, and they don't seem to have addressed the original problem, that being bad plating prep and quality control that doesn't inspect for that. Remember, EK blaming the user is what really got everyone riled up during the original incident because there were blocks out there that were still flaking even with the loop ONLY having distilled+PT Nuke, or even just straight distilled, flaking would occur even without a silver coil. If you were right about the silver coil being the core of the problem, then those blocks wouldn't have had plating flake and this would have been settled a long time ago with no new incidents.
 
#24 ·
I have not liked EK for some time, even long before there water blocks with low grade chrome, and nickel plating started peeling. it was not the chrome, or the nickel, that was the issue, but the rest of the crap that was mixed into the metals that was the issue.
a simple look at the coloring of the blocks can show this, there nickel plated blocks that corroded, the blocks looked more like white gold, than nickel.
same can be said for the chrome plating on them today, it looks cheap, and if you try to polish it, never really gets to that mirror finish, because there are too many contaminates in the mix.
 
#25 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bit_reaper View Post

This is the reason why I would never buy anything but plain copper blocks.
Concur.

No performance benefit to nickel plating, and if this happens you get nickel flakes gunking up your loop.
 
#26 ·
Nickel plating was never meant to give any performance benefit, it's for aesthetics and to prevent the copper from oxidizing, which is also an aesthetics issue.
 
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