Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acryl GPX-A Radeon RX 6700XT Gaming X with Backplate (11966)

The Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Acryl GPX-A Radeon RX 6700XT Gaming X with Backplate is a GPU water block for the MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Gaming X 12G, an AMD graphics card. Alphacool also lists the two MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Mech 2X 12G cards for it. It cools the card with a nickel-plated copper block under an acrylic top lit by digital RGB LEDs, and the black aluminum backplate is in the box.

Properties

Fits

MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Gaming X 12G and Mech 2X 12G

Cold plate

Nickel-plated copper, 5.5 mm thick

Top

Acrylic, transparent

Ports

4 x G1/4

Backplate

Aluminum, black, included

Lighting

Digital RGB LEDs, 5V

Compatibility

Alphacool lists these cards for this block:

• MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Gaming X 12G, 12GB GDDR6 (V398-007R)
• MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Mech 2X 12G OC, 12GB GDDR6 (V398-002R)
• MSI Radeon RX 6700 XT Mech 2X 12G, 12GB GDDR6 (V398-005R)

The cooler was designed for one PCB layout, and card makers sometimes revise a board so that a cooler no longer fits later models. The Gaming X 12G named here is the 12GB GDDR6 card with HDMI and 3x DP outputs. Before ordering, compare your card and its PCB number with the pictures in Alphacool's Graphics Card Configurator, or look it up in its AMD List of Compatibility.

More performance

Alphacool says this Eisblock combines style with performance and extensive digital RGB lighting. Its aim during the development of the graphic card GPU block was more of it: "we wanted to further increase the performance". The first step was to move the cooler closer to the individual components by reducing the thermal pads to a thickness of 1 mm. Next, Alphacool reduced the thickness of the nickel-plated copper block: instead of 7 mm, it is now only 5.5 mm thick. Inside the cooler, the water flow has been optimized as well. Alphacool says all important components, such as the voltage transformers and the memory, are now significantly better and more effectively cooled by the water. In its words, all this ensures a significant increase in cooling performance.

New design

The cooler has been designed so that lighting is more important than on the previous models. The addressable digital RGB LEDs are embedded directly into the cooling block and run along its entire length. The effect is an illumination of the whole block: Alphacool says no corner or edge remains unlit by the aRGB LEDs. The new design is more angular, with all edges beveled, and this promotes better light diffusion in the water cooler due to the reflections on these bevels. In addition, they create various contours, which Alphacool says give the cooler its very own unique identity.

Copper or aluminum?

Of course, Alphacool only uses copper for its water coolers, and on this one the copper is nickel-plated. Compared to its predecessor models, Alphacool has improved the nickel plating even further, which it says has considerably increased the acid resistance. For the buyer this means that the nickel should resist flaking. Why does Alphacool rely on copper instead of aluminum? Simply because, by its account, copper has almost twice the thermal conductivity of aluminum and is therefore clearly the better material for water cooling.

Is there anything else new?

The block also relies on Alphacool's new patented stop fittings, which sit flush with the surface of the terminal. The Alphacool logo now sits in the corner on the top and is also fully illuminated. On the front of the terminal you can see the corresponding names of the compatible graphic card types, and these too are fully illuminated by the digital LEDs. IN and OUT are now marked by small triangles, which Alphacool finds easily recognizable and a fit for the entire aesthetics of the graphic card water cooler.

Alphacool on this generation

Alphacool describes the cooler as a complete redevelopment of the previous Alphacool graphics card water coolers. It says no technical compromises were made, but that the entire technical know-how flowed into the development and implementation. With experience of over 16 years, Alphacool claims the ability to create GPU blocks that represent high quality and fantastic performance, and says that this perfectly describes the Aurora Acryl GPX Eisblock.

What the loop needs

The block has four G1/4 threads. Two take the compression fittings for your tube size, which are not in the box, and the other two are closed with the two screw plugs that are, using the enclosed plug tool. The lighting has a 3-Pin JST power connector. The included Digital-RGB adapter links it to a digital RGB controller such as the Alphacool Aurora Eiscontrol (Art. 15360), which is not included. Additional digital RGB LEDs can be connected to the adapter's remaining 3-pin connector. Thermal pads, thermal grease, screws and washers also come with the block.

Technical data

Technical data backplate

Notes

• Alphacool's note on application: please use the block only with clear transparent water cooling fluids. It warns that the particles and additives in Pastel liquids can clog and permanently damage water cooling products such as radiators, pumps, coolers and hoses. Using them can also void the manufacturer's warranty.
• Put the card on an antistatic mat to remove the original cooler, and clean it of thermal paste and pad residues before fitting the block.
• Spread the thermal paste on the GPU in a layer less than a millimeter thick, and hand-tighten the screws crosswise, one turn at a time.

In the box

• 1x Eisblock Aurora Acryl GPX-A RX 6700XT Gaming X cooler
• 1x Backplate
• 2x 8x66x1mm thermal pad
• 2x 15x51x1mm thermal pad
• 1x 30x30x3mm thermal pad
• 2x 15x51x3mm thermal pad
• 2x 8x74x3mm thermal pad
• 8x M2x5 screws
• 8x M2 washers
• 4x M2x11 screws
• 2x Screw plugs
• 1x plug tool
• 1x Thermal grease
• 1x Digital-RGB adapter

Alphacool's manual and datasheet are both PDF downloads.