How to install the Hydro X Series XG5 RGB 5090 ASTRAL GPU Water Block

If you're reading this article because you got an ASUS 5090 Astral GPU, then congratulations. The 5090 is a monster number cruncher, and unsurprisingly, it generates a lot of heat.

This is where custom cooling really shines because, unlike an air cooler, water cooling loops are not limited to the heatsink size of the GPU in question. Instead the heat dissipating surfaces can be functionally increased via adding more radiators.

Luckily for you, we've created the Hydro X Series XG5 RGB 5090 ASTRAL GPU Water Block, specifically designed for the ASUS 5090 Astral

In this guide we will be removing the cooler of the RTX 5090 Astral card from ASUS, so follow this step-by-step guide to get yours installed, too.

You can take pictures as you disassemble, and make sure to keep the screws in an organized way. We do this because once we're done disassembling the cooler, it is hugely helpful to assemble it again (without the PCB obviously).

This will make storing the stock cooler easier, and it if you ever need to reinstall it, you won't have to go searching for the screws.

By far the hardest part of installing a GPU water block is taking the stock cooler off the graphics card, and if you are nervous about this, we understand. Taking a screwdriver to a multi thousand dollar graphics card can be a bit scary. In this guide we will mark the screws you need to take off in each step with a red circle.

We find this easiest by using our thumbs as leverage (MAKE SURE all screws in the steps above have been removed, as you might otherwise damage your PCB)

If any thermal pads have stuck to the PCB side (the grey pads) then you want to move those to their place on the stock cooler (again, this will make reassembly much easier) you can use isopropyl alcohol to clean the die, but it comes off easily enough with a paper towel.

At this point you will notice that we have unscrewed the entire IO bracket, but if you have followed the previous steps, yours will still be screwed firmly into the display ports which is fine - leave it like that.

Again, make sure all thermal pads are in their original location on the backplate and that none are left on the PCB.

At this point, you should reassemble the stock cooler. It's the exact same process in reverse, just without the PCB in the middle.

(Note that all Hydro X Series GPU Water Blocks come with pre-installed thermal pads and thermal paste. There is no need to replace these.)

Please note that the screws on the tension bracket are not included in the box, and the original screws (which should be stuck on the bracket) must be used. Be careful not to cross thread these while installing.

Congratulations You now have one of the coolest, and fastest graphics cards on the planet. This can now be installed into your water cooled system.

Note that there is no dedicated inlet or outlet on this water block. So you can plumb it into the loop in any direction you like.