In a new video, the famous Der8auer shows us that it is possible to watercool an RTX 5090 FE. To do this, he tests a waterblock that he and his teams designed. Clearly, while the operation is possible, it looks a bit laborious, mainly because of the design of the original card. It should also be pointed out that this is a prototype and that the final product, if it goes into production, will include some changes!
Der8auer’s first working waterblock for RTX 5090 FE!
As far as the block is concerned, it’s still at the prototype stage and arrives completely disassembled. Likewise, the upper part is made of matt copper, and the finish of this part will be subject to change, whereas on purchase the block will be fully assembled.
Among the areas for improvement, the videographer mentions better support for the PCIe slot. This is currently not fully screwed in, with two or three screw holes still unexploited. Another area for improvement is the use of a custom backplate. Currently, the RTX 5090 Fonders Edition backplate is being used.
In short, once the block has been put together and pressure tested, it can be assembled. For this stage, he uses Duronaut thermal paste as well as thermal mastic for the memory chips and VRMs. He also points out that the gaps between the heatsink and the components have been reduced, so there’s no need to use a lot of putty.
After a successful initial start-up, the GPU was put under water. The results are immediately apparent, with the GPU showing a significant reduction in temperature: 30°C less. The same applies to the memory chips, which lose 38°C! Naturally, this drop in temperature means that the card boosts harder and for longer. In benchmarks, there is a slight improvement in scores.
Now, this is just a prototype, but it’s proving to be a high performer. However, there are still a few problems to be solved, notably with the PCIe slot. It also remains to be seen whether there is a customer base behind it, especially as the heatsink on the RTX 5090 Founders Edition is fairly complicated to dismantle, while the waterblock needs to be fitted methodically. Finally, what about the final price if such a solution goes into production?