Alphacool Eisbaer PRO AURORA Digital 240mm AIO Review

We recently reviewed ALPHACOOL Eisbaer PRO AURORA – HPE 360 Digital liquid cooler, which is the premium cooling solution from the manufacturer. That cooler packs a good performance. This time we are taking a look at another Eisbaer cooler named Eisbaer PRO AURORA – 240 Digital. One key difference between these two is that the 240mm cooler is not using HPE series radiators, so expect a somewhat lower thermal performance.

In fact, ALPHACOOL has only provided 360mm and 420mm size coolers in HPE. There are non-HPE coolers as well in 360mm and 420mm. Make sure you check the naming convention carefully before pulling the trigger.

This cooler has a 240mm copper-made radiator and comes with 2x AURORA 120mm fans. These fans have digital RGB lighting. ALPHACOOL has provided extensive socket support here. This cooler is compatible with Intel 3647 and 4189 sockets and AMD TR4 / sTRX4 / sWRX8 / SP3 sockets.

Also Read: How To Buy CPU Coolers

Besides, this cooler is also compatible with Intel: 115X / 1200 / 1700 / 2011 / 2011-3 / 2066 and AMD: AM4 / AM5 sockets. ALPHACOOL has implemented a full-length 78x60mm copper base plate so that this cooler can fully cover the IHS of those CPUs. This cooler still features the same DCLT 2 pump, which is on non-Pro series Eisbaer coolers, as per our checking on their website.

Specifications

Packing Box

This cooler comes in a cardboard box finished in white and black colors. We can spot some features of this cooler listed here. Seems like the focus is on German Engineering.

The rear view of the main packing box shows CPU socket compatibility information printed. ALPHACOOL has listed the salient specifications of this cooler as well. The provided information is enough to make a buying decision.

When we opened the box, we found an egged carton inside the main packing box. The cooler, fans, mounting hardware, and user guide are safely tucked inside this carton to ensure the safety of contents during shipping.

Also Read: Understanding CPU Coolers

Design

Let’s start with what ALPHACOOL is saying about this cooler. “The Alphacool Eisbaer Pro Aurora CPU AIO water cooler is a special development for processors with particularly large CPU dies. These include the AMD Threadripper and Epyc processors and the Intel CPUs for the LGA 3647 and LGA 4189 socket.”

Let’s start with the radiator of this cooler.

Radiator

This cooler uses a 240mm radiator having a dimension of 279x124x30mm (±3% in the range of pre-chambers). 30mm refers to the height or thickness of the radiator’s housing. With 25mm thick fans, the overall height of this unit would come to 56mm, including bulkheads of screws. We can see a copper sheen reflection despite the fact that this assembly is in the black color coating, indicating the fins are made of copper and are also black color coated.

The housing of this radiator is also made of aluminum material and is a black color coating. There is an ALPHACOOL branding on the right side in blue color. Please take note that the 30mm thickness above refers to the total thickness of the unit, including housing. The actual thickness of fin stacking is less than 30mm which is a standard design feature.

ALPHACOOL has used HF screw-on sleeve TPV metal fittings with a size of 12.7/7.6mm to match TPV tubing (brass material). These fittings are also available in nylon finish on their online shop. There is a serial number sticker printed here as well.

ALPHACOOL has used its industry-level TPV tubing in this cooler. This tube is made of EPDM/PP material. This tube has a length of 400mm. This tube has a dimension of 12.7/7.6mm. Their tolerance range is -50°C to +155°C, and their hardness grading is 35 Shore-A to 50 Shore-D. This tube is in matte black color. These tubes don’t kink, which is a good design aspect.

Another striking feature of these coolers is the quick-to-disconnect or decoupling fitting. This fitting allows an easy expansion of the unit, like incorporating other radiators or blocks in the loop. This coupling is also in matte black finish having a dimension of 95x27mm. It is made of Nylon material, and it supports 12.7/7.6mm tube size. Keep that in mind when buying an expansion unit.

Pump/Block

It is time to take a look at the block and pump of this unit.

This unit has the same block as we have seen on the Eisbaer PRO AURORA HPE 360 cooler. We have the same dimensions of 64x79x54.3mm. It is made of nylon material in a black color coating. Here 54.3mm refers to the height of this block, including the base. 79mm is the length of this block which is there to provide full-length coverage on large CPU IHS. Overall look and feel are fantastic. ALPHACOOL has done a good job with a streamlined and well-synced design element here.

We can see ALPHACOOL branding in the center. There are line patterns that are backlit. Eisbaer Pro is also backlit. Tubes are installed on top of this unit using straight fittings. There is a G1/4” port cover labeled Fill behind the tubes. This port is dedicated to serving as a refill port. Users can add more coolant using this port in the long run if the coolant level drops. Looking at the front, there is no branding or design as such.

There are cables coming out from this side. These cables should have been routed out from the sides as their short length would make a cable management job challenging.

This unit has a built-in reservoir which is made of acrylic material. There is a see-through window towards the rear, which is actually an acrylic reservoir showing the coolant level.

With a quick view from the rear of this unit, we can spot a ceramic bearing of the pump inside this unit. ALPHACOOL has used a clear coolant comprising distilled water and Glysantin. The working temperature for this coolant is 15°C/+90°C. This is ALPHACOOL’s DC-LT2 pump. It is rated for 2600 RPM (±10%). It can move coolant over 1m in length with a maximum flow rate of 72 L/H. The voltage range is 6 ~ 13.5V DC. Power consumption is rated at 3.2W. The tested pressure rating is 0.8 Bar. The maximum working temperature is 60°C.

Three cables are coming out from the block itself. One is a 3-pin connector that powers the pump motor. The other two are JST 3-pin connectors which allow daisy-chaining of the RGB elements. ALPHACOOL has provided a 3-pin connector to power the pump. I was hoping for a PWM control here, given it is their premium liquid cooler.

ALPHACOOL has provided an adapter cable that allows users to connect this proprietary connector to a 5V, 3-pin digital RGB header on the motherboard. We have tested GIGABYTE RGB Fusion 2.0 app to control lighting on this unit, and the system was responding flawlessly to a change in light mode from the app. There are 20 digital RGB LEDs inside the housing.

We have mentioned that ALPHACOOL has provided full block coverage with these coolers. This cooler has a nickel-plated copper base measuring 78x60mm. The cold plate has a 0.4×0.4mm fin structure. There is a protective cover over the base, cautioning the user to remove it before installation. This cover is there to protect the base from any damage.

Fans

ALPHACOOL has provided 2x 120mm fans with this cooler. These are the same fans provided with the Eisbaer PRO AURORA – HPE 360 cooler. These fans have a thick frame featuring an integrated digital RGB ring for brilliant and vivid lighting effects. A fan has 9x frosted blades. The tips of these blades have a raised surface, and the forward edges have insets. Each mounting corner has an anti-vibration pad to reduce vibrational noise.

The backside of the fan shows a 4-arms assembly with one arm being wider and having an inset on which the wires are routed from the center toward the frame. RISE AURORA is printed on a sticker.

Each fan has three cables. One is a 4-pin PWM connector to power the fan’s motor.

There are 3-pin JST connectors for digital RGB lighting.

The salient specifications of the fans are:

These fans feature Auto Stop and Auto Restart functions, for which you would need to have a motherboard supporting these features. These fans report tachometer as well. Each fan packs 20 digital RGB LEDs.

Mounting Hardware

There is a comprehensive user guide provided with this cooler.

The main hardware is supplied inside a black color bag with a transparent front.

AMD hardware includes:

• 1x Set of AMD Bracket for AM4/AM5
• 1x Set of AMD Bracket for TR4 / sTRX4 / sWRX8 / SP3
• 4x 2mm washers
• 4x Long Screws or Pillars for AM4/AM5
• 4x Long Screws or Pillars for other sockets

Intel hardware includes:

• 1x set of Mounting Brackets for Intel LGA 115x/1200/1700 sockets
• 1x set of Mounting Brackets for Intel 3647 socket
• 1x set of Mounting Brackets for Intel 4189 socket
• 4x Long Screws or Pillars for Intel LGA20xx Socket
• 4x Plastic made Standoffs
• 1x Allen Key

ALPHACOOL has provided:

• 1x Plastic Backplate for Intel LGA 115x/1200/1700 Sockets
• 1x User Guide for Intel LGA1700

ALPHACOOL has provided:

• 2-Way PWM Y-Cable.
• Sub-Zero Thermal Paste (1gm)
• Plug Removal Tool for Fill port

We have:

• 8x Short Screws for the Radiator
• 8x Long Screws for Fans and the Radiator

We have:

• 4x Springs
• 5x 0.5mm Washers
• 5x Nuts

Installation

We have tested this cooler on an AMD AM5 socket using GIGABYTE B650 AORUS MASTER X670E motherboard and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X.

Above picture shows prepared brackets for AM4/AM5 sockets. This includes using provided screws with 0.5mm and 2.0mm washers, springs, and nuts.

The above picture shows you how to install this cooler on AM4 and AM5 sockets. This cooler is compatible with an AM5 socket because it uses an AMD stock backplate. You would need to remove the stock mounting brackets from the motherboard. Apply the thermal paste on the IHS of the CPU. Carefully place blocks on the CPU by aligning standoff holes with the tips of the screws. The rest is self-explanatory.

Clearance

The ALPHACOOL Eisbaer PRO AURORA – 240 Digital is a 240mm liquid cooler. It does not obstruct DIMM slots because tubes are installed on top of the housing. Similarly, there is no clearance issue for the first x16 PCIe slot. The radiator has a dimension of 279x124x30mm size. Keep that in mind when it comes to PC Case clearance.

Digital RGB

This cooler is all about RGB lighting and aesthetics after the performance. We have RGB elements on the fans and the block. ALPHACOOL has provided a dedicated controller with this cooler as well as an adapter cable that allows users to connect this cooler to the motherboard for RGB control.

This controller has a slim profile. It is SATA powered. One end of this controller has a 3-pin interface which follows a standard 5V interface. There is also a 2-pin socket that operates at 12V. Optionally, users can connect a 3-pin cable to the pump with this socket and have it powered directly from the PSU. The pump will run at its full speed. Users would need to daisy-chain digital RGB elements and connect them to supplied adapter cable. That cable then either be connected to this controller or directly attached to the motherboard. There are 3 buttons on this controller. Mode changes light modes. The speed button changes the speed of the dynamic lighting mode. Light will change static colors. ALPHACOOL has provided an adapter cable with one end having a standard 3-pin 5V interface, whereas another end has a 3-pin JST connector. There are a few zip ties as well.

We have used GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0 app to control the lighting of this unit and found it working flawlessly.

1 of 10

Thermal Test

We have used below mentioned configuration to test the performance of this cooler: –

• AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
• GIGABYTE AORUS MASTER X670E
• XPG Lancer RGB 2x16GB @ 6000MHz
• MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Gaming X Trio 24G
• Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe SSD [For OS]
• be quiet! Straight Power 11 1000W Platinum PSU
• Thermaltake Core P6 TG Snow Edition in an open frame layout

Here is the settings table for testing:

Disclaimer: Every silicon is different; hence no two same SKUs are likely to take some voltage to yield the same performance at the same thermals per se, but the margin would be close. Not every stress test run may yield the same result, which could be due to various reasons like thermal paste application, ambient temperature variation, the mounting pressure of the cooler, etc. This is very why we have listed our variables and their settings. Variables not mentioned are on the Auto setting.

Result

We pitched this cooler against ALPHACOOL’s HPE series 360mm cooler and found a difference of 4°C between both which is kinda expected.

Noise

The fans provided with this cooler are loud at full speed. They made roughly 54 dB(A) at an ambient sound level of 32~33 dB(A).

Conclusion

ALPHACOOL’s PRO AURORA and PRO AURORA – HPE series coolers are high-performance liquid cooling solutions from the manufacturer. In this article, we have tested a 240mm version of the Eisbaer PRO AURORA cooler. This cooler is using ALPHACOOL’s standard NexXxos 240mm all copper made radiator having a dimension of 279x124x30mm. This is not an HPE series radiator.

This radiator has a height of 30mm. The complete assembly is black color coated. We can sheen of copper on the fins showing that fins are also made of copper material. This radiator features 2x G1/4” ports with HF screw-on sleeve TPV metal fittings in 12.7/7.6mm size. The FPI count is 18 on this unit.

ALPHACOOL has used their industrial grade tube in this unit which is TPV (EPDM/PP). These tubes run to approximately 40 mm. They are of size 12.7/7.6mm. These tubes are black in color, and their hardness rating is 35 Shore-A to 50 Shore-D. They have a high-temperature tolerance of -15°C to +150°C. Like other Eisbaer coolers, this unit features a quick-release coupling which allows an easy expansion of the loop by adding more radiators and blocks. This coupling is matte black in color and has a dimension of 95x27mm. It is made of Nylon material, and it supports 12.7/7.6mm tube size.

We are still seeing DC-LT2 pumps in this series of coolers. We are hoping that ALPHACOOL will soon come up with a new and improved pump for their Eisbaer series coolers. This pump is rated at 2600±10% RPM using 12VDC. It has a flow rate of 72 L/H. The pressure head rating is 1m. The block itself is quite stylish and aesthetically pleasing. It has an integrated reservoir and pump, which can be seen through an acrylic window on three sides of the main frame. Each port on this unit conforms to G1/4” size. There is also a refill port on the block.

There is a large-size nickel-plated copper base measuring 78x60mm with a 0.4×0.4mm fin structure. This large size is there as this unit has extensive socket coverage, including Intel 4189/3647 and AMD TR4/sTRX4/xWRX8/SP3, and ALPHACOOL has provided full IHS coverage. Speaking of socket compatibility, this unit is compatible with Intel: 115X / 1200 / 1700 / 2011 / 2011-3 / 2066 / 3647 SQUARE & NARROW / 4189 and AMD: AM4 / AM5 / TR4 / sTRX4 / sWRX8 / SP3 sockets.

ALPHACOOL has provided 2x RISE AURORA series 120mm fans with this liquid cooler. They are rated for 0~2500 RPM ±10%. The airflow rating of these fans is 118.9 m³/h, whereas the air pressure rating is 3.17mmH2O. The noise level rating is 31.5 dB(A). They have sleeve bearings. Their input current is 0.72A maximum at 12V DC. These fans are powered by 4-pin PWM connectors.

These fans pack 20 digital RGB LEDs for which ALPHACOOL is using 3-pin JST connectors. ALPHACOOL has also provided a SATA power dedicated RGB controller as well as an adapter cable which allows the RGB lighting control via the motherboard. There is also a 12V 2-pin socket to which a 3-pin cable from the pump can be connected to be powered directly from PSU. This is optional.

ALPHACOOL has provided a plethora of mounting hardware for the supported sockets. One key difference between HPE and non-HPE is the provision of the metallic backplate for HPE compared to plastic-made backplate in non-HPE versions. We have tested the cooler on the AMD AM5 platform on the X670E socket. The mounting hardware for this socket comprises 22 items which are definitely on the high side. This is only for the block and does not include fan, radiator installation, and thermal paste application.

ALPHACOOL Eisbaer Pro Aurora – 240 Digital is listed at €179.98 and USD 187.16 at the time of this writing. This is a steep pricing for a 240mm AIO particularly when it lacks a display screen like a few other AIOs. However, this price is coming from other factors like extensive and out-of-box full support for various sockets, expandability,  copper radiator, modularity, and refill option, to name a few. ALPHACOOL is offering a 3-year warranty, which is somewhat less, in my opinion. The thermal performance of this cooler is good, with one obvious con of loud fans at full speed.