Alphacool ES GPX-A Radeon RX 6800/XT/6900 Reference Copper/Carbon with backplate (13077)

The Alphacool ES GPX-A Radeon RX 6800/XT/6900 Reference Copper/Carbon with backplate is a GPU water block for AMD Radeon RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, RX 6900 XT and RX 6950 XT graphics cards. They are the cards built on the Reference Design, and the Gigabyte Radeon RX 6800 XT 16G and the PowerColor AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB GDDR6 are two of them. It is a 1-slot cooler for the server rack with both G1/4 connections on the back, and the black aluminum backplate is in the box.

Properties

Fits

Radeon RX 6800, RX 6800 XT, RX 6900 XT and RX 6950 XT, Reference Design

Cold plate

Nickel-plated copper

Top

Carbon, matte

Ports

2 x G1/4, on the back

Slots

1

Backplate

Aluminum, black, included

Compatibility

Alphacool lists these cards for this block:

• AMD Radeon RX 6800, 16GB GDDR6
• ASRock Radeon RX 6800 16G, 16GB GDDR6
• Asus Radeon RX 6800, RX6800-16G, 16GB GDDR6
• Gigabyte Radeon RX 6800 16G, 16GB GDDR6 (GV-R68-16GC-B)
• AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, 16GB GDDR6
• Gigabyte Radeon RX 6800 XT 16G, 16GB GDDR6 (GV-R68XT-16GC-B)
• AMD Radeon™ RX 6900 XT Graphics
• Gigabyte Radeon™ RX 6900 XT 16G (GV-R69XT-16GC-B)
• PowerColor AMD Radeon™ RX 6900 XT 16GB GDDR6 (AXRX 6900XT 16GBD6-M2DHC)
• XFX AMD Radeon™ RX 6900 XT Gaming Graphics Card with 16GB GDDR6
• AMD Radeon™ RX 6950 XT

The block was designed for one PCB layout, and graphics card manufacturers occasionally revise a card so that a cooler no longer fits later models. Before ordering, compare your card and its PCB number with the pictures in Alphacool's GPU configurator, or look it up in its Compatibility List for AMD cards. Alphacool's Eisblock Aurora GPX-A for the same Reference cards is on our shelf with an acrylic top and with an acetal top.

One slot in the rack

Alphacool developed its ES GPX Copper/Carbon water cooler for the Alphacool Enterprise Series. Thanks to the compact design, only 1 slot is needed to mount the cooler in the server rack instead of 1.5 slots as before. Alphacool calls this additional space saving one more argument for using the graphics card water cooler. The top is made of carbon, which makes the block lighter compared to Alphacool's Eisblocks with acetal or acrylic tops.

Connections on the back?

The water input and output have been moved to the back of the cooling block in order to save space in the width and height during installation. Alphacool says this positioning makes the hosing much easier, and that it is significantly simplified in a rack. It also enables easy integration of the GPU cooler into the water circuit, even in the tightest server housings.

More performance!

Alphacool manages to position the cooler as close as possible to the components to be cooled. For this purpose the heat conducting pads used were reduced to 1 mm, and the copper block got the maximum possible reduction in thickness. Together with the optimization of the water flow inside, these steps allow all important components such as GPU, voltage converters and VRAMs to be cooled by water much better and more effectively, Alphacool says. In its words, all of this provides a significant increase in cooling performance.

Copper or aluminum?

All water-bearing parts are copper, the only material Alphacool uses for them. Its reason is that copper has almost twice the thermal conductivity of aluminum and is therefore, for Alphacool, clearly the better choice of material for water cooling. The copper base of this block is nickel-plated. Alphacool says the plating is highly resistant to acid, which means, in its words, that chipping of the nickel can be ruled out.

Thermal paste & thermal pads

The included thermal paste is Alphacool's Subzero, with a thermal conductivity of 16 W/mk. It is electrically non-conductive and particularly well suited for high contact pressures, but Alphacool says it can still be perfectly applied due to its viscosity of 850000 TF. The thermal pads are soft, so they fit perfectly to the components, and Alphacool calls them very durable. Its text gives 3 W/mk for the 2mm and 3mm thick pads, and says the 1mm thick pads can dissipate 7 W/mk of heat.

Discreet appearance

Alphacool says the matte carbon finish gives the cooler a noble appearance. For Alphacool that makes it additionally interesting for private users who want to do without aRGB lighting.

What the loop needs

The block has two G1/4 threads, both on the back. Each takes one of the compression fittings for your tube size, which are not in the box. Thermal pads in 1 mm and 3 mm, the thermal grease, and the screws and washers for the card and the backplate come with the block.

Technical data cooler

Technical data backplate

Notes

• Alphacool asks that the block be used 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, and that this can void the manufacturer's warranty.
• Remove the original cooler on an antistatic mat, taking extreme care if it is held with thermal glue. Clean the card of thermal paste and pad residues with a solvent such as isopropanol alcohol before fitting the block.

In the box

• 3x 8x8x1mm thermal pad (7 W/mk)
• 1x 8x66x1mm thermal pad (7 W/mk)
• 2x 15x51x1mm thermal pad (7 W/mk)
• 2x 15x15x1mm thermal pad (7 W/mk)
• 1x 8x84x1mm thermal pad (7 W/mk)
• 1x 8x74x3mm thermal pad (3 W/mk)
• 2x 15x51x3mm thermal pad (3 W/mk)
• 2x 30x30x3mm thermal pad (3 W/mk)
• 2x 15x15x3mm thermal pad (3 W/mk)
• 1x 8x84x3mm thermal pad (3 W/mk)
• 6x M2x5 screws
• 6x M2x5 washers
• 1x Thermal grease (Subzero 16 W/mk)
• 7x M2x11 screws
• 1x backplate

Alphacool's manual and data sheet are both PDF files. Its 3D model of the block is an STP file, and the 3D viewer shows it from every side.