 |
Next-Cool WaterCUBE GT3 Water Block |
 |
|||||
 |
|
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
Intro
Well our good friends over at Xoxide have been busy stocking the shelves again and they’ve kindly sent us a couple new goodies to peruse. This time we have the Next-Cool WaterCUBE GT3. Here at PimpRig we’ve reviewed blocks from all across the globe, Korea, Germany, Denmark and Australia. And closer to home we’ve seen blocks from California, Oregon, Washington and even one from the Planet Montana. This is the first block to come to us from Italy. Next-Cool is not a name often seen outside of Europe. As far as I know Xoxide is the first and only North American distributor for Next-Cool products. Next-Cool has been producing blocks for approximately two years now. This is the third release of the WaterCUBE.
I can’t comment on the packaging of the Next-Cool WaterCUBE as it was bundled loose in with another product that will be handled in a separate review. I can say it arrived in perfect shape nestled in its foam rubber packing material.
Contents:
WaterCUBE GT3 rel. D
Mounting Bracket
Screw Key
10mm Compression Fittings
Silver Thermal Compound
Instruction Sheet
The Block
First impressions are good. At 50x50mm the GT3 is not the largest of blocks but has a heft that only comes from solid copper. The blue paint scheme and chrome fittings make for an attractive piece for a windowed case. I don’t know what you do with your new toys, but I have a tendency to take mine apart. Sometimes I even manage to put them back together. ;) The GT3 is an all copper block including the blue painted top. The base and top are held together with four allen screws and sealed against leakage with an O-ring. The O-ring lays neatly in a groove machined into the top. The machining is as meticulous as I’ve seen in any block to date.
The base is a typical center entry maze arrangement. Cool water enters at the center of the block, makes its way around the maze and exits at the outer edge. The fitting placement however is not typical for a center entry maze design. Note both fittings are on the outer edge of the block to accommodate the single point mounting system. Water is directed to the center of the block by a channel cut into the upper portion of the block. Rather ingenious really. The fittings are designed for 10mm ID tubing which works perfectly with 3/8” ID tubing. Due to the nature of the design and the European point of origin, I wouldn’t recommend trying to change out fittings on this block. The channel to the center would be blocked with a fitting that screws in too deep. The thread pattern is unknown, but it’s a safe bet it is not NPT.
The base appears flat to the naked eye. Peaking out from the protective static cling is one of the best mirror finishes I've seen to date. Outside of PolarFlo’s super finish few compare to the base on this beauty. Overall the fit and finish are excellent. The German engineered Innovatek blocks have often been referred to as the “Porsche” of water blocks. Let’s take the GT3 out for a test drive and see if we have a Ferrari on our hands, or a …ahem…Fiat.
