XSPC 290X & 290 Razor Waterblock Review and Fitting Guide

Up Close:  Packaging and Contents.

They may look a little battered and beaten but the boxes have done their job and protected the charges within.  This is in no small part due to the layers of bubble wrap and expanded polystyrene foam in which XSPC cosset the contents.

     

 

The protective packaging continues even once you’ve extracted the hefty mass of the Water block from the box, with a wrapped layer of thick semi adhesive polythene adding further protection from bumps and scratches.

     

 

With all the packaging removed we get our first look at the Razor in all its glory.  Essentially what we have here is a CNC machined copper base topped with a Stainless Steel layer  Added to that there is then an acrylic layer enabling the use of LED lighting and finally a brushed Aluminium faceplate

     

 

Viewed from the edge we get a better view of this layer cake and can also begin to get a feel for the level of quality of build and manufacture.

       

 

XSPC offer a very generous seven ports, and do of course provide blanks for those not used.  With the ports positioned on either side of the block as well as on the top, and a single one at the rear end it should be possible to plumb in from nearly any direction.  If you’re thinking of adding another card then this can be attached to the loop by either tubing or a cross flow adapter which is attached by means of the smaller screw holes seen in the image below right.

     

 

Rather than take our water block apart we’ve used images from XSPCs website to illustrate the internal structure of the block.  Along with the aesthetic changes made with the release of the latest version of the Razor, XSPC have also reduced the size of their fins from 1mm to 0.5mm.  This it is hoped will translate into better heat transfer and lower temps.  XSPC have also included a steel plate to aid with active VRM cooling which can only be a good thing. 

     

 

Yes we did show two boxes at the top of the page didn’t we.  It’d be rude not to also have a bit of a gander at the XSPC Razor R9 290X/290 Back plate wouldn’t it.  As you can see in the pictures, it also travels in style and once unwrapped apes the style cues of the main water block.