ekwb EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB User manual

INSTALLATION MANUAL
EKAIO Elite 360 DRGB / EKAIO Elite
280 DRGB
Compatible with:
Intel Socket 115X / 20xx CPUs
AMD Socket AM4 CPU
To ensure safe and easy installation, please carefully read
this manual before starting with the installation process!
1st Revision - August 24, 2020

1. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS 4
2. ENCLOSED IN THIS PACKAGE 5
MOUNTING KIT 5
3. INSTALLATION  INTEL LGA115X SOCKET 6
STEP 1: REMOVING THE MOTHERBOARD 6
STEP 2: ATTACHING THE BACKPLATE TO THE MOTHERBOARD 6
STEP 3: ATTACHING MOUNTING SCREWS 6
STEP 4: INSTALLING THE FANS TO THE RADIATOR 6
STEP 5: REMOVING THE COLD-PLATE PROTECTIVE COVER 6
STEP 6: MOUNTING BRACKETS INSTALLATION 6
STEP 7: PUMP UNIT INSTALLATION 6
STEP 8: INSTALLING THE ASSEMBLY OF FANS AND THE RADIATOR INTO A PC CASE 7
STEP 9: PUMP – CONNECTING CABLES 7
STEP 10: FANS – CONNECTING CABLES 8
OPTIONAL STEP! APPLYING THE THERMAL COMPOUND 8
4. INSTALLATION  INTEL LGA20XX SOCKET 9
STEP 1: ATTACHING MOUNTING SCREWS (LGA-20XX) 9
5. INSTALLATION  AMD AM4 SOCKET 9
STEP 1: REMOVING THE ORIGINAL PLASTIC HOLD-DOWN CLAMPS (AMD) 9
STEP 2: ATTACHING MOUNTING SCREWS (AMD) 9
STEP 3: INSTALLING THE FANS TO THE RADIATOR (AMD) 9
STEP 4: REMOVING THE COLD-PLATE PROTECTIVE COVER (AMD) 9
STEP 5: MOUNTING BRACKETS INSTALLATION (AMD) 10
STEP 6: PUMP UNIT INSTALLATION (AMD) 10
STEP 7: INSTALLING THE ASSEMBLY OF FANS AND THE RADIATOR INTO A PC CASE (AMD) 10
STEP 8: PUMP – CONNECTING CABLES (AMD) 10
STEP 9: FANS – CONNECTING CABLES (AMD) 11
OPTIONAL STEP! APPLYING THE THERMAL COMPOUND 12
6. SUPPORT AND SERVICE 12
7. SOCIAL MEDIA 12
TABLE OF CONTENTS

- 4 -
This product is intended for installation by expert users only. Please, consult with a qualified
technician. Improper installation may result in damage to your equipment. EK Water Blocks
assumes no liability whatsoever, expressed or implied, for the use of these products or their
installation. The following instructions are subject to change without notice. Please visit our web
site at www.ekwb.com for updates.
1. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
1. Keep and store the product away from the reach of children.
2. Check the component list and condition of the product before installation. If you encounter
a problem, contact the shop where you have purchased the product to get a replacement or
a refund.
3. EKWB d.o.o. is not responsible for any damages due to external causes, including but not
limited to: improper use, problems with electrical power, accident, neglect, alteration, repair,
improper installation, and improper testing.
4. CPU and motherboard are subject to damage if the product is incorrectly installed.
5. The excessive force exerted on the fan may cause damage to the fan and/or system.
6. This product is a CPU liquid cooling solution kit, comprising of individual original EKWB parts.
Combining this liquid cooling unit with parts, other than EK Water Block products, may lead to
warranty loss.
7. Product design and specifications may be revised to improve quality and performance.
8. You must not run the pump below 20% RPM. The pump must stay within a 20-100% PWM
duty cycle at all times. We recommend to always run the pump at 100%.

- 5 -
2. ENCLOSED IN THIS PACKAGE
EK-Vardar S 120ER D-RGB (6x ) /
EK-Vardar S 140ER D-RGB (4x)
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB /
EK-AIO Elite 280 D-RGB
(1x)
A tube of Thermal Paste (3830046998446 - EK-TIM Ectotherm (1g))
(1x)
Mounting Kit (1x)
User Manual (1x)
MOUNTING KIT
Phillips Head Screw UNC 6-32 x 30mm
(5 mm thread length)
(12x / 8x)
Phillips Head Screw UNC 6-32 x 34mm
(12x / 8x)
Phillips Head Screw
UNC 6-32 x 6mm
(12x / 8x)
Thumb nut (Intel /AMD)
(4x)
Mounting thumb screw for Intel LGA
20XX socket
(4x)
Mounting thumb screw for INTEL
LGA 115x / AMD AM4 socket
(4x)
Mounting Plate Phillips Head M4x4mm
(for the installation of mounting
brackets)
(4x)
Spring
(4x)
Intel LGA 115x Backplate
(1x)
AMD mounting bracket
(2x)
Intel mounting bracket
(2x)
HUB (with PWM and D-RGB cable)
(1x)

- 6 -
3. INSTALLATION  INTEL LGA115X SOCKET
STEP 1: REMOVING THE
MOTHERBOARD
If your PC case doesn't have a cutout from the
bottom CPU side of the motherboard, you will
first need to remove the motherboard from
your computer.
STEP 2: ATTACHING THE BACKPLATE
TO THE MOTHERBOARD
Install the Intel backplate for LGA-115x socket
to the back of your motherboard. Align the
holes on the motherboard with the holes on
the backplate.
Intel LGA 115x
Backplate
STEP 3: ATTACHING MOUNTING
SCREWS
Install 4x LGA-115x mounting thumb screws
through your motherboard to the backplate.
Thumb screws are to be installed without the
use of tools (i.e. pliers).
Start fastening two thumb screws at a time,
preferably in a cross pattern, but do not tighten
them fully until all four are partially screwed in.
Mounting thumb
screw for INTEL
LGA 115x / AMD
AM4 socket
STEP 6: MOUNTING BRACKETS
INSTALLATION
Use four M4x4 screws to install two Intel
brackets onto the pump unit.
Be careful not to touch or damage the pre-
applied thermal compound!
M4x4
Intel
Mounting
Bracket
STEP 4: INSTALLING THE FANS TO
THE RADIATOR
Attach the fans (2x or 3x, depending on the
AIO version) to the radiator using the UNC 6-32
x 30mm screws.
UNC
6-32 x 30 mm
Fan Radiator
STEP 5: REMOVING THE COLD-PLATE
PROTECTIVE COVER
Remove the protective cover from the
backside of the pump unit. It is there only to
prevent the damage of the cold-plate and the
pre-applied thermal compound that is on the
cold-plate.
When removing the protective cover and
proceeding with installation be careful not
to touch or damage the pre-applied thermal
compound!
STEP 7: PUMP UNIT INSTALLATION
Wipe the CPU’s contact surface (using a
non-abrasive cloth pr a Q-tip as shown in the
sample image).
Align the pump unit over the mounting screws
and CPU as shown in the picture.
Place the enclosed compression springs and
thumb nuts over the mounting screws (4x). Start
fastening two thumb nuts at a time, preferably
in cross pattern, and do not tighten them fully
until all of them are partially screwed in.
Thumb Nut
Spring
Non-abrasive
cloth IHS
Protective
Cover
Pre-applied
thermal
Compound

- 7 -
STEP 9: PUMP – CONNECTING
CABLES
D-RGB
Connector
VDG Connector
4-pin Connector
Step A:
Plug the 4-pin PWM connector of the pump
into the motherboard.
Do not use the same HUB that fans are
connected to - the rotational speed (RPM)
of the fan and the pump should be regulated
separately.
D-RGB Header
RGB Header
Step B:
Plug the 3-pin connector of the pump’s
D-RGB LED light into the D-RGB HEADER on
the motherboard or into one of the D-RGB
(Addressable RGB) HEADERS on the HUB. The
LEDs will work if the pin layout on the header is
as follows: +5V, Data, Empty, Ground. With
some motherboards, you can alternatively
use a VDG connector instead of the D-RGB to
connect the LEDs.
Please ensure that the arrow
indicated on the connector is
plugged into the +5V line as
indicated on your motherboard. If
you put LED Diode to the 12V RGB
HEADER you can damage the LEDs.
Connector is the same on D-RGB
and RGB versions, but D-RGB
version has 3 cables from connector
to PCB; RGB version has 4 cables. If
you connect D-RGB led to ordinary
RGB header you can damage your
motherboard or LED strip.
STEP 8: INSTALLING THE ASSEMBLY
OF FANS AND THE RADIATOR INTO A
PC CASE
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB / EK-AIO Elite 280
D-RGB
Option 1
Use the UNC 6-32 x 34mm screws to attach the
preassembled radiator-and-fans setup with the
remaining three / two fans (to have six / four
fans in total) to the PC chassis.
The orientation of the fans is crucial for
achieving the best performance of the radiator.
Install the fans so that they will push the air
through the radiator. To be sure about the fan
orientation, you can look at the position of
the EK logo on the side of the fan - it must be
oriented the same way on both the upper and
lower set of fans. It is also recommended that
cables of all fans are facing the same direction
for easier cable management.
Option 2
If there is not enough space inside your PC
chassis to place all six / four fans on the radiator,
you may position the remaining three / two
somewhere else inside your PC.
In that case, use the UNC 6-32 x 6mm screws
to attach the preassembled radiator and the
fans to the PC chassis.
UNC 6-32 x 34 mm
(12x / 8x)
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB / EK-AIO Elite 280 D-RGB
D-RGB Header to
Motherboard (1x)
PWM Header to
Motherboard (1x)
4-pin “Red” PWM Header
4-pin PWM Header (7x)
D-RGB Header (7x)
HUB
SATA

- 8 -
STEP 10: FANS – CONNECTING
CABLES
Fan D-RGB LED Light
Connector
Fan Connector
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB / EK-AIO Elite 280
D-RGB
Step A:
Plug all of the 4-pin PWM fan connectors into
PWM headers on the HUB (x6 / x4). Make sure
the red PWM header on the HUB is always used.
Plug the PWM connector from the HUB
directly into the CPU fan header on the
motherboard. Always use the CPU fan header
if possible.
Step B:
Plug the D-RGB connectors of the fans into the
D-RGB HEADERS on the HUB (x6 / x4).
Plug the D-RGB connector from the HUB
directly into the motherboard.
D-RGB Header
RGB Header
OPTIONAL STEP! APPLYING THE
THERMAL COMPOUND
This step is relevant only in the case of a
second installation of AIO or if you have
damaged the pre-applied paste on the
backside of the pump unit! For the first
installation, you don’t need to apply the
additional thermal compound to the CPU’s
contact surface!
Wipe the CPU’s contact surface (using a
non-abrasive cloth or a Q-tip as shown in the
sample image). On a clean IHS, apply a line
of thermal compound and spread it over the
whole CPU heat spreader (IHS) with a credit
card or something similar.
Non-abrasive
cloth IHS
Fan
Connector

- 9 -
5. INSTALLATION  AMD AM4 SOCKET
STEP 1: REMOVING THE ORIGINAL
PLASTIC HOLD-DOWN CLAMPS (AMD)
Using Philips-head screwdriver, remove the 4
UNC 6-32 screws securing the original plastic
hold-down clamps around the socket as
shown in the image. Keep the original AMD®
backplate and remove the hold-down clamps
to store them away. See the image for further
part identification.
Hold-down
clamps
UNC 6-32 Screws
4. INSTALLATION  INTEL LGA20XX SOCKET
STEP 1: ATTACHING MOUNTING
SCREWS (LGA-20XX)
LGA-20xx (2066 / 2011 V3 / 2011) socket
motherboards do not require backplate
installation. Install 4x LGA-20XX mounting
thumb screws into M4 threaded stubs on the
integrated latch mechanism (ILM) of the LGA-
20XX socket.
Thumb screws are to be installed without the
use of tools (i.e. pliers).
Continue installation by following
the instructions from Step 4 on
page 6
LGA-2011 M3
Thumb Screw
STEP 2: ATTACHING MOUNTING
SCREWS (AMD)
Install 4x mounting thumb screw for AMD
AM4 socket onto your motherboard. The
screws are to be installed without the use of
tools (i.e. pliers).
Mounting thumb
screw for INTEL
LGA 115x / AMD
AM4 socket
STEP 3: INSTALLING THE FANS TO
THE RADIATOR (AMD)
Attach the fans (2x or 3x, depending on the
AIO version) to the radiator with the UNC 6-32
x 30mm screws.
UNC
6-32 x 30 mm
Fan Radiator
STEP 4: REMOVING THE COLD-PLATE
PROTECTIVE COVER (AMD)
Remove the protective cover from the
backside of the pump unit. It is there only to
prevent the damage of the cold-plate and the
pre-applied thermal compound that is on the
cold-plate.
When removing the protective cover and
proceeding with installation be careful not
to touch or damage the pre-applied thermal
compound!
Protective
Cover
Pre-applied
thermal
Compound

- 10 -
STEP 5: MOUNTING BRACKETS
INSTALLATION (AMD)
Use four M4x4 screws to install two AMD
brackets onto the pump unit.
Be careful not to touch or damage the pre-
applied thermal compound!
M4x4
AMD
Mounting
Bracket
STEP 6: PUMP UNIT INSTALLATION
(AMD)
Wipe the CPU’s contact surface (using a
non-abrasive cloth pr a Q-tip as shown in the
sample image).
Align the pump unit over the mounting screws
and CPU as shown in the picture.
Place the enclosed compression springs and
thumb nuts over the mounting screws (4x). Start
fastening two thumb nuts at a time, preferably
in cross pattern, and do not tighten them fully
until all of them are partially screwed in.
Thumb Nut
Spring
Non-abrasive
cloth IHS
STEP 8: PUMP – CONNECTING CA-
BLES (AMD)
D-RGB
Connector
VDG Connector
4-pin Connector
STEP 7: INSTALLING THE ASSEMBLY
OF FANS AND THE RADIATOR INTO A
PC CASE (AMD)
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB / EK-AIO Elite 280
D-RGB
Option 1
Use the UNC 6-32 x 34mm screws to attach the
preassembled radiator-and-fans setup with the
remaining three / two fans (to have six / four
fans in total) to the PC chassis.
The orientation of the fans is crucial for
achieving the best performance of the radiator.
Install the fans so that they will push the air
through the radiator. To be sure about the fan
orientation, you can look at the position of
the EK logo on the side of the fan - it must be
oriented the same way on both the upper and
lower set of fans. It is also recommended that
cables of all fans are facing the same direction
for easier cable management.
Option 2
If there is not enough space inside your PC
chassis to place all six / four fans on the radiator,
you may position the remaining three / two
somewhere else inside your PC.
In that case, use the UNC 6-32 x 6mm screws
to attach the preassembled radiator and the
fans to the PC chassis.
UNC 6-32 x 34 mm
(12x / 8x)
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB / EK-AIO Elite 280 D-RGB

- 11 -
Step A:
Plug the 4-pin PWM connector of the pump
into the motherboard.
Do not use the same HUB that fans are
connected to - the rotational speed (RPM)
of the fan and the pump should be regulated
separately.
D-RGB Header
RGB Header
Step B:
Plug the 3-pin connector of the pump’s
D-RGB LED light into the D-RGB HEADER on
the motherboard or into one of the D-RGB
(Addressable RGB) HEADERS on the HUB. The
LEDs will work if the pin layout on the header is
as follows: +5V, Data, Empty, Ground. With
some motherboards, you can alternatively
use a VDG connector instead of the D-RGB to
connect the LEDs.
Please ensure that the arrow
indicated on the connector is
plugged into the +5V line as
indicated on your motherboard. If
you put LED Diode to the 12V RGB
HEADER you can damage the LEDs.
Connector is the same on D-RGB
and RGB versions, but D-RGB
version has 3 cables from connector
to PCB; RGB version has 4 cables. If
you connect D-RGB led to ordinary
RGB header you can damage your
motherboard or LED strip.
D-RGB Header to
Motherboard (1x)
PWM Header to
Motherboard (1x)
4-pin “Red” PWM Header
4-pin PWM Header (7x)
D-RGB Header (7x)
HUB
SATA
STEP 9: FANS – CONNECTING CA-
BLES (AMD)
Fan D-RGB LED Light
Connector
Fan Connector
EK-AIO Elite 360 D-RGB / EK-AIO Elite 280
D-RGB
Step A:
Plug all of the 4-pin PWM fan connectors into
PWM headers on the HUB (x6 / x4). Make sure
the red PWM header on the HUB is always used.
Plug the PWM connector from the HUB
directly into the CPU fan header on the
motherboard. Always use the CPU fan header
if possible.
Fan
Connector