Alphacool Core M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 Liquid Cooler (13079)

The Alphacool Core M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 Liquid Cooler is a water block for one M.2 NVMe SSD that is mounted in a free PCI Express x4 slot and has two G1/4 connections. It fits an M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD.

Properties

Fits

One M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD

Slot

PCI Express x4

Ports

2x G1/4

Size (L x W x H)

130.7 x 56 x 24.41 mm

Material

Nickel-plated copper, acrylic top, aluminum backplate

Lighting

5 digital aRGB LEDs, 5V

Why an active M.2 cooler?

SSDs in M.2 format are standard PC equipment today, and their high transfer rates and extremely low access times allow faster and more effective working or gaming. Due to their design they are only capable of delivering their maximum performance for a short time. The controller chip heats up extremely quickly and starts to throttle the drive early on to avoid overheating. Alphacool cites independent tests which have shown that the transfer rates of uncooled M.2 SSDs can drop after just 30 seconds during write operations. With read processes the throttling usually occurs a few seconds later.

Alphacool offers this cooler so that the full performance of the SSD can be used permanently: the maximum performance is available over a significantly longer period of time. It says this is clearly noticeable during longer read and write processes. Alphacool calls it a useful addition to any water cooled system, one that ensures the SSD memory can unleash its full potential.

Mounting

The Core Cooler is compatible with drives whose PCB is populated with memory chips on one or both sides, and 0.5 mm and 1 mm heat conduction pads are in the box. If memory chips are only installed on one side, the 0.5 mm and 1 mm thermal pads go on top of each other on the side without chips. The manual shows where the pads are used in each case.

Once the top and bottom have been fitted with pads, the SSD is inserted into the retaining clip of the M.2 NVMe PCIe PCB. It is secured there with the SSD mounting nut and the M3x4 screw. A 1 mm pad goes under the PCB, and four M2x5 screws hold the cooler, the PCB and the backplate together.

Copper instead of aluminum

Alphacool only uses copper in its water coolers and says the reason is simple. In its words, copper has almost twice the thermal conductivity of aluminum and is therefore the obviously better choice of material for a water cooler. Here the cooler is nickel-plated copper with a bottom 4 mm thick.

Brilliant lighting

The cooler has 5 digitally addressable 5V RGB LEDs installed, which Alphacool says create a unique, very noble-looking illumination. The digital aRGB LED illumination is connected via a JST 3-pin connector. To control it, the enclosed adapter must be connected to the 3-pin female connector and then to a digital RGB controller or a digital RGB-capable mainboard. An example of such a controller is Alphacool's Aurora Eiscontrol (Art.: 15360), which is not included. Additional LEDs of the same kind can be connected to the remaining 3-pin male connector.

What the loop needs

The cooler itself can now be integrated into the water loop using the integrated G1/4 connections. There are two of them, so it takes two fittings. The card also needs a free PCI Express x4 slot, and a low-profile IO shield is in the box.

Technical data

Notes

• Alphacool's note on application: use only with clear, transparent water cooling fluids. It warns that the particles and additives in pastel liquids can clog and permanently damage radiators, pumps, coolers and hoses.

In the box

• 1x Core M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 Liquid Cooler & backplate
• 1x M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 PCB
• 1x Low-profile IO Shield
• 1x 20x68x0.5mm Pad
• 3x 20x68x1mm Pad
• 1x SSD Mounting nut
• 1x SSD Mounting screw M3x4
• 4x M2x5mm Screw
• 1x Screw driver
• 1x Digital-RGB Adapter

Alphacool's manual and datasheet (EN) are both PDFs. Its 3D model of the cooler is an STP file, and the 3D viewer shows it from every side.