EKWB (EK Water Blocks), the Slovenian hardware company best known for its range of high-end cooling components, including, more recently, EK Quantum Vector² Water Blocks for Strix and TUF RTX 40 Series GPUs, remains operational and committed to delivering quality products to customers despite the “financial challenges” that the company has been contending with as of late, Edvard König, CEO of EKWB, has announced in a letter to EK employees and the community. The letter comes amid several ongoing investigations into EKWB, including those that allege the company is a “corrupt” one that is “imploding” for various reasons, including contractors/staff not being paid and poor conduct by executives.
König writes:
- “…I deeply regret the financial challenges we’ve faced and the impact this has had on our employees, partners, and suppliers. The overall industry downturn has additionally worsened our situation, adding to our challenges. I understand the frustration and uncertainty this has caused, and I want to reassure you that we are fully committed to resolving all outstanding payments.”
- “I want to be clear: People have always been the heart of this company. We are working tirelessly to meet our obligations and ensure that every person and partner is paid in full. This is not just about fulfilling a financial commitment—it’s about upholding our integrity and trust with everyone who has been a part of EK’s journey.”
- “I recognize how challenging this has been, and I sincerely appreciate the patience and understanding many of you have shown. While these issues cannot be fixed overnight, we are making substantial progress.”
- “EK remains operational, and we are determined to continue delivering the exceptional quality and innovations we are known for. We are navigating through this tough time, and I firmly believe we are emerging stronger.”
- “To our community: We ask for your continued patience and support as we work through these challenges. Your trust in EK and your confidence in our products are invaluable to us, and your continued support through choosing our products helps us move forward. Let’s stay focused on constructive solutions and avoid speculation that could slow our progress.”
Some of the allegations that seemingly prompted EKWB’s response:
EKWB on one of its latest water blocks:
The new Vector² EVO water blocks efficiently tackle the excessive heat generated during high loads on the GPU. These water blocks, an evolution of the Quantum Vector² GPU water blocks from EK’s premium Quantum Line, feature a 3rd-generation Vector cooling engine that has been tweaked to maximize cooling power. They cool not only the GPU die, but also the voltage regulation module, voltage controllers, and VRAM, providing comprehensive thermal management.
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Discussion (5 replies)
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That was quite a piece GN put together. Well worth the watch if anyone hasn't already.
I almost felt like I was watching Tech 60 minutes.
"Zarathustra, post: 89152, member: 203" wrote:That was quite a piece GN put together. Well worth the watch if anyone hasn't already.
I almost felt like I was watching Tech 60 minutes.
Currently in the middle of watching it now, quite a while after posting it here: https://forums.thefpsreview.com/threads/ekwb-lays-off-25-of-workforce-in-anticipation-of-weaker-water-block-demand.8697/post-89051
Some fascinating stuff. Also a company led by dooshbags, wow.
"DrezKill, post: 89154, member: 230" wrote:Some fascinating stuff. Also a company led by dooshbags, wow.
Definitely.
Shouldn't be a surprise though.
Remember the whole nickel plating issue back in 2010/2011? They essentially screwed over all of their existing customers in order to save their own asses. That pretty much showed what kind of people they were.
They took no responsibility at all for an obvious product defect, hiring some sham lab to give them a report that said it wasn't their fault, and then shafted every last one of their customers.
I've tried to avoid them ever since, but it wasn't always possible, as often they were the only ones that made a specific block for a specific GPU.
I owned an Asus Z690 Formula board that was made in conjunction with EK for water cooling, though I never used it for that directly. There was an issue on EK's end with the board that was faulty. EK has shot themselves in the foot on many occasions since then.
"Niner51, post: 89205, member: 106" wrote:I owned an Asus Z690 Formula board that was made in conjunction with EK for water cooling, though I never used it for that directly. There was an issue on EK's end with the board that was faulty. EK has shot themselves in the foot on many occasions since then.
That one was on both of them - EK delivered what ASUS ordered, i.e. an aluminum block for custom loops (lol).
Discussion (5 replies)
Join Discussion →That was quite a piece GN put together. Well worth the watch if anyone hasn't already.
I almost felt like I was watching Tech 60 minutes.
Currently in the middle of watching it now, quite a while after posting it here: https://forums.thefpsreview.com/threads/ekwb-lays-off-25-of-workforce-in-anticipation-of-weaker-water-block-demand.8697/post-89051
Some fascinating stuff. Also a company led by dooshbags, wow.
Definitely.
Shouldn't be a surprise though.
Remember the whole nickel plating issue back in 2010/2011? They essentially screwed over all of their existing customers in order to save their own asses. That pretty much showed what kind of people they were.
They took no responsibility at all for an obvious product defect, hiring some sham lab to give them a report that said it wasn't their fault, and then shafted every last one of their customers.
I've tried to avoid them ever since, but it wasn't always possible, as often they were the only ones that made a specific block for a specific GPU.
I owned an Asus Z690 Formula board that was made in conjunction with EK for water cooling, though I never used it for that directly. There was an issue on EK's end with the board that was faulty. EK has shot themselves in the foot on many occasions since then.
That one was on both of them - EK delivered what ASUS ordered, i.e. an aluminum block for custom loops (lol).