Water cooling can help push the performance of your GPU to new heights.
And if you’re looking for the best of the best, that’s what we cover in this article.
Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
What are the advantages of a water cooled GPU?
Water cooling offers a number of advantages over air cooling, the most significant being its potential to lower temperatures by a considerable margin.
This can lead to increased overclocking headroom and improved long-term stability.
In addition, water cooling is generally much quieter than air cooling, making it ideal for use in quiet environments.
Water cooled GPUs will remain silent even under heavy loads.
By and large they are the best for overclocking.
Even if you don’t overclock your graphics card to higher clock speeds, some high-end GPUs will tend to generate more heat as you increase the game resolution up to 1080p or 4K.
Types of Water Cooled GPUs
Generally, there are two types of water cooled GPUs – i-e Hybrid or water block cooling graphics cards.
The main difference is that with a water block, the entire GPU is covered by the water cooling block.
This offers the best possible cooling performance but at the expense of increased cost and complexity.
A hybrid card, on the other hand, uses a smaller water cooling block that only covers the GPU die itself. The rest of the card remains air cooled.
This is a more affordable option but doesn’t offer quite as much cooling potential as a full water block.
Which are the Best Water Cooled GPUs?
Now that you know what to look for in a water cooled GPU, let’s take a look at some of the best options currently available.
#1 EVGA GTX 1070 Ti Hybrid – The Overall Best GPU with Liquid Cooling
Specs
- Base Clock Speed 1607 MHz
- Boost Clock Speed 1683 MHz
- 1920 CUDA Cores
- 8GB GDDR5 Video Memory
- 450W PSU Needed
- 256-Bit Memory Interface
- DirectX 12
Why you should consider the EVGA GTX 1070 Ti Hybrid
The GTX 1070 Ti from EVGA is one of the best Hybrid cards on the market and offers great value for money.
It is based on the Pascal architecture and comes with 2560 CUDA Cores and 8GB of GDDR5 video memory. The card has a core clock speed of 1607 MHz which can be boosted to 1683 MHz.
The GTX 1070 Ti also features support for DirectX 12 and comes with a generous 256-bit memory interface. It requires a minimum 450W power supply and comes with a 3-year warranty.
Best features
- Excellent cooling performance
- Great value for money
- Overclocking potential
- 3-year warranty
#2 EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Hybrid – Great High-End Water Cooled Card for Heavy Gaming
Specs
- Boost Clock Speed 1755 MHz
- 12GB GDDR6 Video Memory
- 352-Bit Memory Interface
- 4352 CUDA Cores
- Adjustable RGB Lights
- 600W PSU Needed
- DirectX 12
Why you should consider the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Hybrid
The RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Hybrid from EVGA is one of the best high-end water cooled GPUs on the market.
It is based on the Turing architecture and comes with 4352 CUDA Cores.
The card has a boost clock speed of 1755 MHz and comes with 12GB of GDDR6 video memory. It also features support for DirectX 12, an adjustable RGB light, and requires a minimum 600W power supply.
Best features
- Best performing GPU
- Excellent cooling performance
- Overclocking potential
- Adjustable RGB light
#3 EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 HYBRID – Most Efficient Liquid Cooled GPU
Specs
- Boost Clock Speed 1683 MHz
- 11GB GDDR5X Video Memory
- 352-Bit Memory Interface
- Adjustable RGB Lights
- 600W PSU Needed
- 3584 CUDA Cores
Why you should consider the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 HYBRID
The GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 HYBRID from EVGA is one of the most efficient liquid cooled GPUs on the market.
It is based on the Pascal architecture and comes with 3584 CUDA Cores.
The card has a boost clock speed of 1683 MHz and comes with 11GB of GDDR5X video memory.
It also features support for DirectX 12, an adjustable RGB light, and requires a minimum 600W power supply.
Best features
- Excellent cooling performance
- High efficiency
- Overclocking potential
- Adjustable RGB light
#4 Sapphire Radeon PRO Duo HBM – Best AMD Graphics Card with Closed Loop Water Block
Specs
- Base Clock Speed 1000 MHz
- 8GB GDDR3
- 600W PSU Needed
- 8192 Stream Processors
- 1x HDMI, 3x DisplayPort
- DirectX 12
Why you should consider the Sapphire Radeon PRO Duo HBM
The Saphire Radeon Pro DUO is one of the best water cooled GPUs on the market and is perfect for gamers who are looking for top-notch performance.
The card is based on the GCN 4.0 architecture and comes with 8192 stream processors. It has a base clock speed of 1000 MHz and comes with 8GB of GDDR3 video memory. The card also features support for DirectX 12 and requires a minimum 600W power supply.
Best features
- Best performing GPU
- Excellent cooling performance
- Great value for money
How to Choose the Best Water Cooled Graphics Card
When choosing the best water cooled graphics card for your needs, there are a few things you need to take into account.
First, you need to decide what type of card you need.
If you are looking for the best performing GPU, then you should consider the RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Hybrid or the Sapphire Radeon PRO Duo HBM.
If you are looking for an excellent value for money card, then the GTX 1070 Ti Hybrid from EVGA is a great option.
Finally, if you are looking for a card that is highly efficient, then the GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 HYBRID from EVGA is a great choice.
Best Water Cooled Graphics Cards – FAQs
What is the best water cooled graphics card?
The best water cooled graphics card is the RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Hybrid from EVGA. It is based on the Turing architecture and comes with 4352 CUDA Cores.
The card has a boost clock speed of 1755 MHz and comes with 12GB of GDDR6 video memory. It also features support for DirectX 12, an adjustable RGB light, and requires a minimum 600W power supply.
What are the benefits of water cooling a graphics card?
Some of the benefits of water cooling a graphics card include improved cooling performance, lower noise levels, and increased overclocking potential.
Water cooling can also help to extend the life of your graphics card by preventing overheating.
What are the disadvantages of water cooling a graphics card?
Some of the disadvantages of water cooling a graphics card include the increased cost and complexity. Water cooling can also void your warranty.
Additionally, if not done correctly, water cooling can damage your graphics card.
Therefore, it is important to make sure that you know what you are doing before attempting to water cool your graphics card.
Can I water cool my graphics card without a kit?
Yes, you can water cool your graphics card without a kit.
However, it is important to note that if you are not familiar with water cooling, it is best to purchase a kit.
This will ensure that you have all of the necessary components and that they are compatible with each other.
It will also make the installation process much easier.
Can I water cool my graphics card with air cooling?
Yes, you can water cool your graphics card with air cooling.
However, using a kit will typically provide better cooling performance than air cooling.
Additionally, water cooling will typically be quieter than air cooling.
Summary – Best Water Cooled Graphics Cards
Water cooling a graphics card can provide many benefits, including improved cooling performance, lower noise levels, and increased overclocking potential.
When choosing the best water cooled graphics card for your needs, you need to consider what type of card you need.
If you are looking for the best performing GPU, then you should consider the RTX 2080 Ti FTW3 Ultra Hybrid from EVGA.
If you are looking for an excellent value for money card, then the GTX 1070 Ti Hybrid from EVGA is a great option.
Finally, if you are looking for a highly efficient card, then the GTX 1080 Ti FTW3 HYBRID from EVGA is a great choice.
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