When the liquid cooling trend emerged in the 1990s, a number of companies were founded dedicated to designing and providing liquid cooling systems for PCs. One of them is German company Alphacool, which has expanded its product line to include liquid coolers for use in both industrial and medical applications. The use of liquid-based cooling systems for home PCs faced very low adoption rates at the time. The complexity of liquid cooling, requiring considerable additional effort and user awareness, was perhaps the biggest drawback of most products available at the time.
A few years later, the first all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooling system was released on the market. The AIO liquid cooling system was sealed and ready to install, making it very attractive to those looking for a liquid-based cooler with the convenience and relative safety of air-based cooler installations. was. However, AIO solutions are relatively inflexible and often do not outperform high-end aviation-based solutions.
A few years ago we first saw Alphacool’s Eisbaer AIO cooler, a hybrid of a sealed liquid cooler and a customizable open loop kit. The idea of his modular AIO cooler was still new at the time, but Alphacool’s Eisbaer is well made and performs very well, making it a fairly popular product among advanced users and enthusiasts. became. In today’s review, we’ll take a look at Eisbaer’s newly upgraded version, the Eisbaer Aurora. The most notable upgrade is his RGB lighting incorporation, but Alphacool has also performed quality and utility upgrades over previous versions.
| Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 AIO CPU Cooler Specifications | |||
| type | All-in-one (expandable) | ||
| radial dimension | 397×124×30mm | ||
| pump dimensions | 66×66×69mm | ||
| fan | 3 x 120mm “Eiswind” fans 800-2000 RPM, 61.5 CFM |
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| RGB | yes | ||
| supported sockets | Intel: LGA1700, LGA1200, LGA1155, LGA1151, LGA1150, LGA2066, LGA2011-0 & LGA2011-3
AMD: AM4, AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+ (requires backplate) |
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| guarantee | 2 years | ||
| price | $224 | ||
packages and bundles
The Eisbaer Aurora comes in a dark cardboard box with basic artwork printed around a photo of the main block itself. The cooler is well protected inside a cardboard shell and coated with a nylon bag to provide ample transport protection.
The Eisbaer Aurora bundle is modest but well organized. The box contained only the hardware needed to mount the cooler and connect the fan, along with installation instructions. Mounting hardware is included in a labeled bag. Includes plates for socket 1700 and TR4 processors.
The Rise Aurora fan is the highlight of the Eisbaer Aurora and perhaps the most important upgrade over the previous version. An obvious upgrade is the inclusion of his RGB LED lighting in the hub and frame of the fan. As for the actual upgrade, the previous version of the Eiswind fan had a top speed of 1700 RPM, but the new Rise Aurora fan has a top speed of 2500 RPM and also features anti-vibration pads.
Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 CPU Liquid Cooler
Unsurprisingly, the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora is physically similar to most AIO liquid coolers and, as expected, almost identical to previous Eisbaer versions. It looks like a standard AIO liquid cooler, with the radiator and main block connected by his two hoses. The main difference that the Alphacool Eisbaer cooler has with most of his AIO liquid coolers on the market is that it is not a sealed kit. The tube fittings can be removed and he one of the hoses has a connector. So while the cooler is ready to install out of the box, it actually supports future upgrades by advanced users if needed.
The Eisbaer Aurora’s radiator may be visually similar to the radiator used in many other products. However, upon closer inspection, there is one major difference: both the radiator channels and fins are made of copper. Alphacool also improved the radiator over previous versions from Eisbaer by increasing the number of fins and only painting the front of the radiator fins. This way the radiator still looks black (unless viewed from the side in strong light) but has a much better coefficient of heat dissipation as the energy does not have to go through the paint to be released into the air. increase. The only problem here is that more fins means more airflow resistance, and Rise Aurora fans are not primarily designed with static pressure in mind. You can see the company logo printed on the side of the steel frame.
Tube is another upgrade from previous versions of Eisbaer. Alphacool used corrugated tubing in previous versions. This is not only functional and kink resistant, but it is stiff and aesthetically unpleasing. The Eisbaer Aurora uses thick rubber (TPV) tubing, which is easier on the eyes and overall easier to work with.
The Eisbaer Aurora block/pump assembly is tall but not too wide. Like virtually all pump blocks, it has a plastic body and a copper base. The main difference from nearly all other AIO liquid coolers is that the assembly has an inlet at the top that allows the user to refill and maintain the system. A small window on the side allows the user to see the pump and liquid. This window is not easily visible from the side panel of the case, and even if it is visible, it is difficult to discern what is happening when the pump is spinning at high speed. Alphacool nevertheless installed his RGB LEDs on the windows as well as on all sides of the block where the series logo (the bear) is etched.
Inside the assembly Alphacool installed one of its own designs based on the DC-LT ceramic 12V pump. This is similar to the design used in the previous series, but the company’s engineers improved it, increasing the maximum flow to 75 l/h (from 70 l/h) and a lift of 0.95 m (from 0.85 m). ). Such numbers may not be large when compared to larger external pumps, but they are impressive for such a small device.
The copper base of the cooler is very smooth and finished to an amazingly smooth mirror finish. It is coated with antioxidants and remains transparent when exposed to air. Alphacool clearly wanted to cover the latest CPU dies, so the base dimensions are slightly larger than the previous Eisbaer.
The Rise Aurora Fan’s RGBW lighting is just amazing. On the frame he has two rings, one on the front of the frame and one in the middle of the frame. The hub is also very well and evenly lit. The lights are decoupled from the fan’s engine, so they are unaffected by fan speed and remain lit even when the fan has completely stopped. The drawback of this design is the number of cables. This can make cable management a bit difficult, especially in cases where there’s little to no space behind the right panel.
