Installing the Eiswolf 2 AIO:
Remove the cooling system :
OK, now it’s time to install the Eiswolf 2 AIO cooling system. Please note that we have already carried out a series of benchmark tests. The idea is also to record the temperatures of the various components of our Asus RTX 4090 TUF OC Edition. Before starting to install the Alphacool kit, we need to remove the original cooling system from our RTX 4090. The mat we used during these various manipulations is the Alphacool Eisplateau anti-static 120 x 60 cm.
First step: remove the seven screws on the PCI bracket. This will be replaced by a new one supplied in the bundle. We advise you to have a box ready to store all the screws, so as not to lose anything for future reassembly.
The next step is to undo all the screws holding the backplate and radiator in place. Next, you’ll need to remove the four screws holding the radiator in place around the GPU. This will first release the fairing that holds the three fans in place. As you can see, the original radiator is really quite imposing!
Now that our cooling system has been removed, it’s time to properly clean the various components of the power stage. We recommend using a soft cloth and a small soft-bristle brush or paintbrush. Don’t forget to clean both sides of the PCB!
For the GPU chip, we used wipes from Noctua. As you can see, disassembly is a breeze. You should also know that you won’t lose the Asus warranty if you opt for a waterblock. A good point for Asus, as not all brands accept it!
Installing the waterblock on our RTX 4090 PCB:
Now that our PCB is ready, let’s move on to the installation of the Eiswolf 2 waterblock. As specified in the kit unboxing, Alphacool provides a very clear, full-colour document, translated into three languages, to guide you through the installation of the liquid cooling kit. The first step is to place the pre-cut thermal pads directly onto the waterblock. We start with the 1 mm pads in the blue bag. Be careful, these are protected on both sides by a plastic film that you mustn’t forget to remove!
As you can see from the photos above, the number of thermal pads corresponds exactly to those on the original radiator of our RTX 4090 TUF. Installation is fairly easy, except on the smaller ones where removing the two plastic protectors is a little trickier.
Now that our waterblock is ready, we need to place some thermal paste on our GPU chip. Alphacool supplies a tube of thermal paste in the bundle. Once the thermal paste has been applied, simply place and tighten the waterblock on the PCB.
As with the Alphacool Core 1 CPU block, the brand supplies foam washers to place between the PCB and the screw. We really don’t like this choice, as it doesn’t ensure identical tightening. We installed them for the tutorial, but then removed them and opted for plastic washers which we feel are much more suitable.
Off to the accessories department to pick up the PCI Alphacool bracket. Once this is in place, let’s move on to the rear of the PCB to place the 3mm thermal pads that will dissipate heat via the backplate.
The thermal pads are now in place, and all you need to do to complete the installation is attach the backplate to the rear of the PCB. Installation of Alphacool’s Eiswolf 2 AIO is now complete. As you can see, nothing too complicated.
The final step is to attach the three 120 mm Aurora Rise Digital RGB fans directly to the radiator. Let’s get down to business and compare the performance of the original radiator on our Asus RTX 4090 TUF OC Edition with the Alphacool Eiswolf 2 AIO cooling solution.
