Details
The Alphacool NexXxoS HPE-45 Full Copper 280mm Radiator is a 280 mm radiator for two 140 mm fans on one side, or four with fans on both sides, and it is 45 mm thick. The next thickness down in the same size is the HPE-30 Full Copper 280mm radiator.
Properties
- Fans
- 2x 140 mm one-sided / 4x both-sided
- Size (L x W x H)
- 314.5 x 144 x 45 mm (+/- 3%)
- Thickness
- 45 mm
- Ports
- 4x G1/4 IN/OUT, 1x fill and drain port G1/4
- Material
- copper fins, pre-chambers and channels, brass threads, stainless steel outer housing
- Fin density
- 16 FPI
NexXxoS Full Copper
Alphacool says it has dominated the market with the NexXxoS Full Copper radiator series for more than a decade, and calls "our extensive portfolio of radiator variants" unique in the world. It says the same of its manufacturing process, which in its words "allows us to produce all water-carrying parts and the cooling fins out of pure copper". Just like the rest of the series, this radiator is built that way. As a result, Alphacool says, the NexXxoS series offers the highest thermal conductivity of any radiator on the market. Thanks to what it calls their exceptional performance, the radiators can easily dissipate even extremely high waste heat. By its account they have become essential in many areas of the cooling industry.
The next step in evolution: HPE
Alphacool calls the HPE radiator the next step in evolution. It uses the same materials as previous NexXxoS models but takes it a step further technically. Due to the condensed internal structure, the number of water channels and copper fins could be increased, and this radiator has 32 cooling channels. Thus a larger volume of water is in direct contact with the cooling fins, and Alphacool says the heat transfer is enormously improved. The higher number of fin rows and their shortening also makes much more efficient use of the cooling surface, Alphacool adds. Against the standard NexXxoS, the data sheet claims 1.2x increased water throughput and 20% more efficient heat transfer, with 100% of the internal structure made of copper.
Comparison tests with the conventional NexXxoS radiator have shown, according to Alphacool, that a performance increase of 4.5K is possible when using the HPE radiator. At higher ambient temperatures and higher fan speeds, Alphacool says the performance gap with the normal NexXxoS radiators even increases progressively, reaching a possible performance increase of up to 6K. The test setup was a NexXxoS ST30 360mm radiator vs. a NexXxoS HPE-30 360mm radiator, each with an Eisbaer cooler and 3x 120mm Rise Aurora fans. It ran on an Asus Prime x299 motherboard with an Intel i9 10900x CPU and 350W of waste heat.
What the loop needs
Under "Connection options & mounting" Alphacool describes two IN or OUT connections with G1/4 threads in the pre-chamber area, while its table lists 4x G1/4 IN/OUT. A loop uses two of them, so the radiator takes two fittings. On the opposite side is a fill or drain port, which can be used for filling and draining the water circuit. Thread length in every port is 5 mm at most.
The radiator takes 140 mm fans on M3 threads, two on one side or four on both. All screws for mounting in the case and for mounting the fans are included with the radiator: eight M3x5 case mounting screws and eight M3x30 fan screws. Alphacool says additional screws are not usually required.
Safety first
Special protective plates are placed under all mounting holes to prevent the screws from being screwed in too deeply. This protects the cooling fins and water channels underneath from damage.
Patented screw plugs
Like all NexXxoS HPE radiators, this one uses Alphacool's patented screw plugs. Protruding screw plugs often mean that a radiator cannot be laid flush. These are fully recessed into the radiator and flush with its surface, which Alphacool says is meant to allow easy installation in the case. A plug tool is in the box.
Technical data radiator
| L x W x H | 314.5 x 144 x 45 mm (+/- 3%) |
| Quantity of cooling channels | 32 |
| Material cooling fins, pre-chambers & channels | copper |
| Material threads | brass |
| Material outer housing | stainless steel |
| Threads | 4x G1/4 IN/OUT & 1x Fill-/Drainport G1/4 (max. 5 mm thread length) |
| Possible fan size | 140 mm |
| Possible fan assembly | 2x one-sided / 4x both-sided |
| Thread size fan mounting | M3 |
| Pressure tested | 0.8 Bar |
| Maximum working temperature | 60 °C |
| Fin density | 16 FPI |
| Weight | 1131 g |
| Color | black |
Notes
- Use only clear, transparent water cooling fluids. Alphacool warns that the particles and additives in pastel liquids can clog and permanently damage radiators, pumps, coolers and hoses, which can void the manufacturer's warranty.
In the box
- 1x NexXxoS HPE-45 Full Copper 280mm Radiator, black
- 8x M3x5 case mounting screws
- 8x M3x30 fan screws
- 1x Allen key
- 1x plug tool
Alphacool's data sheet is a PDF. Its 3D model of the radiator is an STP file, and the 3D viewer shows it from every side.
