The waterblock:
Alphacool announces that it has optimized its Eisblock Aurora Acryl GPX-N waterblock made of nickel-plated copper. Alphacool has reduced to the maximum the space between the waterblock and the different elements of the PCB, allowing the use of 1mm thick pads. Then, the thickness of the block was reduced from 7 mm to 5.5 mm while improving the internal flow. The result of this development process allows all components to be cooled more efficiently, i.e. not only the GPU but also the memory chips and power supply stages.
The nickel-plated copper part is one-piece, unlike the rest of the RTX 30 Alphacool series. The latter is covered with two transparent acrylic plates to obtain a more complex flow. The water passes over the first glass to go directly on the chip. It then passes over the sides to cool the memory and power stages before reaching the outlet.
The dimensions of the block are 121.5 x 204.5 x 28.5 mm. As usual with waterblocks, no end caps are available. You will need to purchase them independently and make sure it is compatible with the G 1/4 thread. Two small triangles show you where the liquid enters and leaves. But why 4 “holes”, simply to better manage your cooling loop.
The Alphacool waterblock also has an RGB backlight that you can set to your liking. The leds are evenly distributed on the whole block. The power plug is a 5v model that you can connect directly to your motherboard.
The backplate provided is made of aluminum, black in color and does not seem to have received any special attention. It’s a shame and we would have liked a different finish, especially if the card is positioned horizontally. The other good news is that it is sold with a backplate and especially for a price of 129.99 euros.
