Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU - Digital RGB (11728)

The Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU - Digital RGB is an AIO liquid cooler with a 240 mm radiator and two 120 mm fans. It fits AMD AM4, AM5, TR4 and sTRX4 and Intel LGA 1200, 1700, 1851, 2011, 2011-3 and 2066, plus older sockets back to AM2 (full list under Properties). The cooler comes prefilled, can be refilled through a fill port and can be expanded via its quick release fasteners. We also stock the Eisbaer Aurora 360 CPU - Digital RGB V1.1 with a 360 mm radiator.

Properties

Intel sockets

LGA 775, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1700, 1851, 2011, 2011-3, 2066

AMD sockets

AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, AM4, AM5, FM1, FM2, FM2+, sTRX4, TR4

Radiator

240 mm, 279 x 124 x 30 mm, full copper

Fans in the box

2 x 120 mm Aurora LUX Pro

Pump

DC-LT 2, 2600 RPM

Tubes

40 cm, expandable by quick release

Fit

The box holds one set of AMD mountings, one set of Intel mountings and a backplate. On Intel LGA 1156, 1155, 1151, 1150, 1200, 1700 and 1851 the manual fixes the included backplate to the mainboard with its adhesive strips. For AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+ and AM4 you need the original backplate of the mainboard. LGA 2011, 2011-3 and 2066 take their own screws, and a mounting kit for 2011-3 Narrow ILM (Alphacool art. no. 12531) is available separately. Some 2011 and 2011-3 boards have continuous threaded mounting holes in the base: there, the manual says not to tighten the screws more than 4 mm.

Before mounting, remove the protective film from the cooling plate and any remaining thermal paste from the CPU. Apply a pea-sized blob of the included thermal paste to the center of the CPU and spread it into an even, thin layer. Tighten the screws crosswise and hand-tight only, without tools. The window on the pump housing has to face upwards, or the Alphacool logo has to read from the front, so the pump does not run dry.

The heart of the AIO

Alphacool opens with two questions. Can the Eisbaer become even better? Absolutely, it says. Would it look even more impressive with aRGB? Definitely yes. This water cooler is a latest development of the popular Eisbaer, and its heart is the combo of pump, CPU cooler and reservoir. It still cools the CPU with the well-known copper cooler of the Eisbaer, which Alphacool calls high-quality, although the surface area has grown. The cooler base has a fine slotted structure. It was enlarged compared to its predecessor to completely cover the larger DIE areas of AMD and Intel processors.

The DC-LT pump was redesigned too. Alphacool says it works much more efficiently, with almost 10% more power at a reduced noise level. The reservoir is many times larger than in standard AIO systems, which Alphacool says ensures a longer service life. The manual gives the liquid capacity as 41 ml.

Custom cooling components

The hoses and fittings have also been completely revised and are now much smoother and more inconspicuous. They are the durable TPV hose and fittings from Alphacool's Enterprise Solution series for servers and workstations. Since those are now used, Alphacool counts safety and durability among the features and calls the hose extremely resistant. For more individuality, fittings and hose can be easily replaced thanks to the standard G1/4 thread.

As before, the loop can be expanded via the quick release fasteners, which Alphacool names "Eisbaer-Ready". Alphacool calls them 100% compatible with all Eisbaer Ready products, such as prefilled radiators and the Eiswolf AIO water cooler for graphics cards. They also match the HF quick release connector kit, sold separately for normal DIY water cooling systems. In Alphacool's words, custom cooling parts in an AIO mean many more options than usual.

Copper radiator

As usual with Alphacool, the radiator is made of copper. Alphacool describes itself as the first manufacturer worldwide to use copper for all water-carrying components: the end chambers, the cooling fins and the cooling channels the fins are soldered to. Only the thread inserts are brass, because copper is too soft for that job. The fins are only lightly painted, so the copper even shimmers through if you look closely. A thicker coating would reduce the cooling capacity.

The fin density is 15FPI, which Alphacool calls optimal, so the radiator works at low airflow. A higher density would require faster, louder fans. Alphacool calls this the golden number: the fans can run slower and quieter while it still promises fantastic performance.

Fans and lighting

The most striking feature of the cooler is the addressable RGB LED lighting. Here the focus is on the pump and the Aurora LUX Pro fans, which Alphacool calls stylish. The pump housing carries an Eisbaer pattern all around that is fully illuminated, which gives a unique look once installed in a case. The fans are fully illuminated with 5V aRGB LEDs as well. Their frame has many small cut-outs for what Alphacool calls a particularly elegant effect. You do not see individual LEDs, and Alphacool finds the result much more interesting than a simple LED ring. By using a compatible mainboard or a third-party controller, color and effects can be adjusted individually.

How to connect everything

The cooler arrives prefilled with the quick-release fastener pre-installed, so it needs no fittings of its own. To extend the loop, open that coupling. If you extend it, for example with an Eiswolf graphics card cooler, the manual advises checking the water level, and refilling is still possible through the fill port.

The fans run from a 4-pin PWM connector. A Y-cable is included so that 2 or 3 fans share a single header on the motherboard. The RGB lighting uses a 3-pin JST connector, and each cable has an integrated Y-adapter to daisy chain the fans. A 3-pin 5V adapter in the package connects them to any mainboard with the appropriate connector. Alternatively, use the included Digital RGB Controller. The pump has a 3-pin Molex connector, which goes to that controller or directly to the mainboard.

Technical data radiator

Technical data cooler and pump

Technical data tubes

Technical data fittings

Technical data quick fasteners

Technical data fans

Notes

• The lighting is 5V Digital RGB: the manual warns not to connect it to a 12V RGB header.
• Normally there is no need to top up the coolant. If the pump runs unusually loud, top it up with clear, transparent coolant: Alphacool recommends its own CKC or Eiswasser Crystal (no UV), or pure distilled or osmosis filtered water.
• A loud pump during initial operation comes from air bubbles formed in transport. Mount the radiator above the water block; after around 12 hours of operation the air should be eliminated, per the manual.
• When unscrewing the quick release, 2 to 3 drops of water can escape, which the manual calls normal.

In the box

• 1x Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU cooler with radiator and tubes
• 1x set AMD mountings
• 1x set Intel mountings
• 8x M3x5 screws
• 8x M3x30 screws
• 1x thermal paste
• 4x springs
• 4x 0.5 mm washers
• 4x nuts
• 2x 120mm Aurora LUX PRO fans
• 1x Y-adapter 4-pin PWM
• 1x digital-RGB controller
• 1x digital-RGB adapter
• 1x backplate

Alphacool's manual and data sheet are both PDFs.