Alphacool Eisbaer 360 AIO Modular CPU Cooler Review

Introduction Alphacool Eisbaer 360 Have you built yourself a new high-end system, but just can't get the temperatures of your new CPU where you want them to be? Then it's time to show your processor who is the boss! The new Eisbaer from Alphacool comes equipped with a massive 360mm radiator, 3 x 120mm fans, and a powerful pump. Of course, with this on your CPU you should be able to get seriously low temperatures, low noise, and higher overclocks. Furthermore, you should be able to do it with ease. But Wait, There's More! There literally is more with this cooler, as it is very much expandable. Unlike most AIO's, this is not a closed loop cooler. However, it's just pre-assembled in the factory. "The Alphacool “Eisbaer” is modularly built and can be upgraded, rebuilt or refilled at any time. This means that the “Eisbaer” is not only an AIO, but also fully built on classic water cooling components. That means it is quieter and more powerful than the average AIO solution." Want to add another CPU block, a GPU block, or another radiator? You can, and that makes it more like a custom loop kit, albeit with the ease of use of a set of Lego. Radiator Alphacool depends on a radiator made of pure copper. The base of the radiator is the popular Alphacool NexXxoS series, which is well-loved around the world. Of course, the pure copper construction raises the cooling performance enormously compared to the usual aluminium radiators used in classic AIOs. Hoses The flexible PVC hoses make installing the “Eisbaer” easy. These hoses are easier to arrange and move into the right position. So the tubes don’t bend and stop the flow of the water, both feature anti-kink springs. The 11/8 mm size is also a standard in the cooling market, alongside the 13/10 and 16/10. Quick-lock closure The “Eisbaer” was designed with expandability directly in mind. This is why you’ll find a quick-lock closure on one of the hoses. This quick-lock mechanism is compatible with Alphacool HF quick-lock closures (1010383, 1010394, 1010395, 1010442), with which the circuit can easily be expanded to include anything from a radiator to a graphics card cooler. Furthermore, the “Eisbaer” is compatible with the upcoming Alphacool GPX-Pro graphics card AIO, which will use identical quick-lock closures. Fans The “Eiswind” fans were developed specially for radiators and generate a high static pressure to push cool air through the fan blades. Both fans can be regulated with PWM to anywhere in an enormous range from 550 to 1700 RPM. A PWM Y-adapter is included with the “Eisbaer” so that both fans can be controlled by the motherboard or a separate fan control with a PWM connection. Connectors All connectors are based on the classic G1/4 inch thread, the standard thread in the water cooling field. This way, all attachments can be switched out for others any time as desired. This also means that, for example, you could later decide to switch to thicker hoses or even HardTubes and set your system uniquely apart. Specifications Pump (Alphacool DC-LT 2600 Ultra-low noise Ceramic) Speed: 2600 RPM Voltage: 7-13.5V DC Power consumption: 4W Maximum flow rate: 70L/h Maximum head: 0.85m Fan (Eiswind 12) Bearing: sleeve bearing Voltage: 12V Power connection: 4-pin PWM Rated speed: 550-1700 (+/- 10%) Airflow: 63.85 cfm / 108 m3/h Static pressure: 1.66 mmH20 Volume: 29 dB(A) Packaging and Accessories This wouldn't be a customisable kit, if we didn't have a few extra bits. So thank you Alphacool for throwing in a few other block designs, and some colour customisation kits too. This thing is going to look pretty dope once it's installed. Everything is packed very neatly, and well protected. This is a good peace of mind that it'll all get to you in one piece. What's in the Box? 1 x Alphacool Eisbaer 360 CPU - Black 3 x Eiswind Fan 1 x Intel Backplate, 1 x Intel bracket, 1 x AMD bracket PWM Adapter Mounting material 1 x Thermal paste A Closer Look Firstly, we have these lovely Eiswind 12 fans, which operate up to 1700 RPM PWM. They're very durable, and with black sleeved cables, they look nice and tidy too. The actual radiator, pump, and tubing, all came pre-assembled and filled with coolant. The Eisbaer is pretty much as close to being an AIO as custom loop can be, without actually being an AIO. It's as simple as plug and play. Quick-Release Those who want to dive into more advanced cooling solutions will love these connectors. Unscrew it, and the valve closes preventing anything more than a couple of drips getting free. Add in a pre-filled GPU block from Alphacool, screw it together, and you're good to go. It's that simple. The liquid levels in all coolers drop over time. However, there's a standard fill loop on the top here, so you can easily top it up as required. All the hose fittings are removable too, so you can swap them for new ones if needed and they use standard accessories, so even other brands products will work just fine. The top of the standard block looks great. However, that blue insert is swappable for one of the other ones included with the mod kits. Built-in Reservoir One of my favourite features is the window on the side of the block. Obviously, it's a big block, and that's because it doubles as the reservoir. From this window, you can see the liquid flow and the impellor turning. Of course, you can check levels, and you'll see when it's time to top them up. The colossal contact plate is a welcome bonus, and it's pretty thick too, which should aid with general cooling performance. However, its size means it'll comfortably cover many of the more significant CPUs that are now hitting the market. More screw in compression fittings on the radiator, all changeable and easy to service if required. The actual radiator looks stunning. It's 100% copper, so it's sure to last and provide excellent heat dissipation. Of course, at 360mm it's got a lot of surface area to help cool even the most demanding CPUs. Modding As we said, there are a few extra bits in the box here. First up, we have this gorgeous clear acrylic XPX CPU block. How about this Chrome finish block? What I love about these is that the top part can be removed, and even the coloured Alphacool logo. Add Some Colour There's a red and blue top cap. However, you'll also get the matching mounting hardware. If that's not enough, there's also red, green and orange inserts. This is awesome, as you don't need to buy a whole new pump just to change the aesthetics. Test System and Methodology Please note that our testing system was completely revised in September 2017. That means all previous results have been scrapped, and a new set of benchmarks introduced. For a look at our previous reviews, please consult our most recent review that used that system. Please note that we re-tested the Noctua NH-D15S as our base benchmark for cooling results. Test system: Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 9 Z270 Intel Core i7-7700K Delidded w/ NT-H1 under IHS Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti 32GB Crucial DDR4 2400 MHz 512GB OCZ SSD be quiet! Dark Power Pro 800W Lian Li T80 Test Bench All testing conducted using NT-H1 thermal paste We’d like to say a big thank you to Gigabyte, Noctua, Crucial, Intel, OCZ, be quiet!, and Lian Li for providing us with the above testing equipment and their on-going support. Testing Methodology We always use Noctua Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste to make sure testing reveals the efficiency of the tested coolers not the efficiency of the bundled thermal paste Prime 95 is run for 10 minutes to calculate "load" results Unigine Superposition is run for 10 minutes to calculate "gaming" results The average temperature across all cores is taken Fans are left to operate at default PWM profile speeds unless otherwise stated For water cooling tests, all pumps have been operated at 12 volts unless otherwise stated Ambient temperatures should be between 21-23 degrees in all our tests unless otherwise stated Acoustic measurements are taken 10cm horizontally and 10cm vertically away from the CPU cooler with the VGA fan disabled Stock tests are performed using "out of the box" settings for the CPU Overclocking tests are performed with the CPU set to 5 GHz and 1.345v All coolers were tested under identical settings unless otherwise stated. There is approximately a 1-degree Celsius margin of error in our temperature recording software CPUID HW Monitor There is approximately a 1.5dBA margin of error with our Benetech GM1351 decibel meter In all these graphs we may have a few "reference" results of particular products that do not fit within that category for comparative purposes. Software Used CPUID HWMonitor Prime 95 Unigine Superposition (1080 Extreme) Performance Temperatures The Alphacool Eisbaer is the most extreme cooler we've ever tested. Of course, it's a custom loop cooler in a pre-built form factor, so it's setup to perform better than anything we've tested to date. It makes no excuses when it comes to cooling our 7700K, topping out at just 51c under full load. Obviously, that's miles ahead of anything else on our charts. Overclocking the CPU barely made an impact on the heat either, with incredible idle and gaming temperatures, and just 58c under full load. Acoustics Of course, the acoustics are exceptional too. It hovered between 33 and 34 dBa from idle to load. Furthermore, the only thing quieter at idle is the Noctua NH-D15S. However, at load, it's right up there as the best. Amazingly, overclocking only pushed up the acoustics by 1dBa, and without a decibel meter, you wouldn't have known it. Final Thoughts Pricing Extreme cooling, especially custom loop cooling, can be pretty damn expensive. However, at just £130 + shipping, this is far from breaking the bank. OK, it's not cheap. However, when you look at the level of performance and quality on offer, it competes with many AIO coolers. Overview Alphacool are truly masters of their craft when it comes to custom cooling hardware. It's no wonder they continue to grow each year as a business and deliver award-winning products time and time again. The Eisbaer, or Ice Bear if you prefer, is an incredibly powerful cooler. Of course, if you're trying to push extreme overclocks, or tame the high TDP of some of the extreme CPUs released in the last 12 months, look no further. Performance I was expecting excellent performance from this, but it decimated the competition. Despite the fact we've tested more expensive products in the past, none have come even close. The only thing comparable is the 360mm cooler from Corsair, which lacks some key features when compared to the Eisbaer. Design It's a clean and straightforward design regarding aesthetics and black on black hardware is easy to blend into any system build. The larger CPU block design is excellent too, as it doubles as the reservoir while removing the need for additional hardware. However, it's the quick release tubing system that sweetens the deal here. You can open them up, losing barely a drop of liquid, add in a GPU block, another radiator or more cooling hardware in literally seconds. Overall, you can't get that from an AIO. Pros Custom loop design Durable build quality Premium quality component Extreme cooling performance Incredibly quiet even at full load Competitive price Expandable cooling loop Cons None