Gotspeed_2000
Their original coating was great, but with the cerakote process I think it could have been done better or what I would have preferred was to stay with their original nickel plating process.  My Kingpin block has been holding up, but I am also concerned about the longevity of the coating adhering to the block itself.  The FTW3 block I absolutely love and if given the change I would buy it again in the original nickel coating.  But moving forward I'm thinking I'm going with EK stuff and away from the Kingpins.  I checked that off the bucket list so I really shouldn't need to try that again in the future.  I am leaning toward trying to get a Galax lab version for my next bucket list build though.  
 
Honestly I would have paid a little more to get the blocks in the original nickel.  I'm not sure what their reasoning is to move away from something that was widely accepted and was doing great.  

Iyatsu
Some crazy things going on with Optimus if cerecoate is coming off! Because that finish is mainly used for firearms it shouldn’t come off! Sounds like they have a major manufacturing issue.

zippytek
 
i'm fully prepared for optimus to blame it on you for whatever coolant you chose, regardless. seems on brand for them, but i wouldn't be at all surprised if the cerakote reacts with coolant of some kind. i wonder if someone else can ask them separately if they have a list of approved coolant products for use with the cerakote finished blocks?

kraade
[...] I hope now that we have some cards that use so much power , EVGA partners with a quality block mfg. 
[...] I think we are in a way different market than we have seen... ever

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kraade
This has been a Rough read, knowing I almost threw my hat in here ,  so I have witnessed from afar, and waited and waited and waited with you all , I got a brand new HC kit off eBay for 5$ under msrp. (Seemed insane after watching the scalpers stick it to us) SO I stuck it on and while it improved my temps was no where near beating the pants off the Hybrid, It has been ridiculous to see the lack of customer service you all have received, Having done the EK Ti with the vector2 block has been by far the best experience with temperature outcomes, I hope now that we have some cards that use so much power , EVGA partners with a quality block mfg. so this is not such a big issue, Looks like they might have time with the 40series to do just that since it looks like its getting pushed back, EVGA: the Kingpin has nearly outgrown it's Cooling solution, that's pretty evident. I am a little but worried about what options we are going to have moving forward, as they just keep pouring the coal to these high end cards. The 3090 KPE was not that special, and doubt I will wait for a 4090 KPE just to know there might not be a block either , I think we are in a way different market than we have seen... ever

Knowing what I know now, I would have stuck with the Hydro Copper coolers and either attached a universal water block to the backplate of the card or made a new backplate that a water block directly mounts to with screws and thermal paste instead of using the Optimus blocks.  It would be just as effective and cost me less time and money.

kraade
Watercool heatkiller V is a nice looking block, just not made for that many cards

fragility_V1

B0baganoosh

kraade
Watercool heatkiller V is a nice looking block, just not made for that many cards

They have a FTW3 series block. It didn't seem like the prices were that far from the competition and I'm just looking at them knowing how good the quality is on some of their other products and I'm wishing EVGA would work with a company like that to produce some really high end HC cards.

I'll second that.  Heatkiller would be a good quality partner, German engineering.  At one time I thought EGVA worked with EK to make blocks, but that, I think, was early on.  No idea who has been making their blocks as of late.  The 3090 Ti FTW3 HC looked like it'd be an interesting new design, but that was DOA.  Remains to be seen if that design will make an appearance in 40-series.

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ShawnB420
I hope EVGA never partners with EK they are worse then Optimus in all aspects. Cryofuel is total crap.

I can't say that I've ever had EKs finish flake off into my coolant and clog up my CPU block within a couple hours of use, unlike my Optimus GPU blocks.

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ShawnB420

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ShawnB420
I hope EVGA never partners with EK they are worse then Optimus in all aspects. Cryofuel is total crap.

I can't say that I've ever had EKs finish flake off into my coolant and clog up my CPU block within a couple hours of use, unlike my Optimus GPU blocks.

EK has had major issues with nickel flaking in the past. At least Optimus owns up to it and replaces the blocks, where as EK did all they could to deny it was them and blamed everything and everyone under the sun. I’ll take Optimus’s CS over EK’s anyway, even if Optimus likes to go MIA at times, they still do the right thing way more then EK ever has or will.

Yes EK had nickel flake in the past.  I've also seen nickel flake off of multiple Heatkiller and Alphacool blocks and the manufacturers blamed the coolant, yet nobody complains about them every single post when Heatkiller and Alphacool blocks are mentioned.  However, the nickel flaking with EK it usually didn't happen within the first few hours of use.  It took prolonged use, and often with coolants that EK said not to use.  Every company can have a bad batch with mass produced products.  I know a few people who had nickel flaking issues with EK products and had absolutely no issues getting the products replaced under warranty.  I also had an EK drain valve malfunction and not open all the way.  I was shipped a replacement valve via DHL the next day via express shipping.  The shipping cost more than the valve did.  So, I don't know where you get their idea that EK denies everyone and has customer service worse than Optimus.  If a customer uses a coolant that EK says not to use with their products, then maybe EK has the right to deny the warranty claim. 
 
However, the expectations are a bit higher on a $600 water block that was delayed multiple times, and delayed due to a supposedly better coating.  Optimus hasn't offered to replace my block or blocks after I contacted them about the issue.  The best they said that can do is either strip them to bare copper or strip them and try to refinish them again and hope that the coating doesn't come off again.  This is because the Optimus Kingpin blocks are already out of production.  With EK, Watercool.de/Heatkiller and Alphacool, I can usually get replacement parts for at least a few years after a product is released.  With Optimus, here we are about 8 months after their first KP 3090 blocks are shipped and the best they can do is have me send my blocks in and wait who knows how long for Optimus to to strip off the finish and refinish them.  With how long Optimus has taken to get anything done in the past, I'm not hopeful that I'd get the blocks back in a timely manner if I sent them in to get refinished.
 
What Optimus customer service?  Until recently its usually been non existent.  Optimus only replied to about 10%-20% of the people who contacted them through the contact form on their web site based on the experience of people here and elsewhere who never heard back from Optimus after multiple contact attempts.  Most of their customers they ignored for a long time.  It shouldn't take angry tweets on twitter to get a replay, however that's what it took some people here and other forums to get updated about the KP 3090 blocks.  In addition to that, Optimus would say that products are in stock, then when the products were immediately ordered, there would be a 2 to 4 month wait for the products to ship because they lied and said items were in stock when they weren't.  Optimus also has a history of missing deadlines and making excuses.  Look at their Threadripper block, look at their 2080 ti blocks, look at the KP 3090 blocks....
 
So far the Optimus experience has been poor and I don't think I'll buy their products again.  I've been let down by them too many times.  You seem to be a huge Optimus fanboy based on things you have said here before, but I don't know how anyone can be an Optimus fanboy based on so many bad customer experiences, missed deadlines, mislead customers, lack of warranty replacement inventory, and lack of customer service.