Test: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 WaterForce 3-Way-SLI Kit
Page 5: Gigabyte WaterForce - Impressions (3)
We installed the graphics card set, then placed the WaterForce box on the case, and we now have to lead the coolers through the 5.25" bay to the outside. But we will need a few additional accessories for the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 WaterForce 3-Way SLI kit to begin its work.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 WaterForce 3-Way SLI Kit
Gigabytes provides a 3-Way SLI bridge that connects all three cards. Motherboards with SLI support usually provide corresponding bridges, but Gigabyte's bridge sets itself apart with an illuminated logo. Of course, the included bridge is only compatible with boards that allow for installation of the three cards in consecutive slots. If the three cards are used on a motherboard which leaves more space, you will have to use SLI bridge provided with the motherboard.
After we put the SLI bridge on the cards, we can place the three coolers inside the WaterForce box. As mentioned before, they can be simply plugged into the appropriate slots.
Thereafter, you can bundle the hoses and the power/USB cables at the front and guide them to the outside. The water cooling hoses are somewhat stubborn and it requires some patience until everything is in its place. But since the connections to the coolers can be rotated, this helps in sorting and aligning the tubes.
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 WaterForce 3-Way SLI Kit
I'd like to point out a problem that occurred in our sample of the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 WaterForce 3-Way SLI kit. The rubber frame around the three 120 mm fans became unfastened, which not only looks unsightly but also led us to touch the fans when closing the WaterForce box. We assumed a loose cable caught in a fan, but it was the rubber rings which are meant to avoid vibration and direct contact of the fans with the cooler.
According to Gigabyte, the problem is already known and will only occur in press samples. The final versions of Gigabyte GeForce GTX 980 WaterForce 3-Way SLI kit are being shipped with different rubber frame constructions, final customers won't be affected. Gigabyte provided us with pictures of the revised version (Image 1, Image 2, Image 3).
The above picture shows two more accessories: a hose clamp, one of six included in the package. They allows for two tubes of each graphics card cooler to be combined to make hose routing easier. The elongated rod is a kind of telescopic base to support the cards. The telescopic base can be clamped into the PC case. A pneumatic holds it in place. The three arms can be moved in height and adjusted to the level of three graphics cards. We already saw similar solutions in a card by PowerColor.