Why only 2 years warranty? Why aren't Germans be more confident with their product? There are competitors with 6 years warranty. Or is liquid cooling something that needs to replaced regularly? (the tradeoff for the piece of silence :))
If I had to guess, the warranty is shorter because the user is allowed more control over the coolant loop. If extra parts are added, that adds more complexity to the loop, and more room for user error. Things like: insufficient water causing the pump to run dry, adding in water that is not sterile, adding in water with too much mineral content, galvanic corrosion from mixing copper and aluminum parts, etc.
Yes, the liquid should be replaced, or topped off, every so often. Even in CLCs, the water does eventually permeate through the tubes, and results in more air being introduced into the loop. More air means the pump has a chance of running dry, and generally more noise generated. Gamer's Nexus did a whole video on proper CLC configuration to minimize premature failure of the pump, and it is worth a watch.
It would be great to see this system retested with fans that are optimized for high static pressure. Will it still perform as well? Will it be quieter?
I'm currently on a Gen 1 Corsair H150i which is very quiet. This cooler has had my eye for abit since I like that you can add on to it. So I was thinking going with
Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 CPU - Digital RGB + Alphacool Eiswolf 2 AIO - 360mm Radeon RX
However I'm considering upgrading my 6800XT to something from RDNA 3 this christmas so will hold out to see if they make an RDNA3 compatible AIO then bite the bullet.
I'm always happy to see cooler reviews pop up here because Anandtech still has my favorite methodology and is computer hardware agnostic.
This seems like a good upgrade from the prior though I do wish they'd opted for static pressure fans. I do also find the 2 year warranty period to be on the short side since the vast majority of AIOs have increased warranty period in the last few years. I'm assuming it is due to the custom nature as most custom loop components still are at 2 year, but it's still the lowest warranty in its price/perf range by a lot.
With PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs on the way maybe they'll be making a block for those which would easily slot into this and wouldn't have much impact on loop performance.
It really makes very little difference in day to day use after a certain point in the CPU performance curve and that point is a relatively low bar if we're being realistic with ourselves (typing this post, for example, from the keyboard of Dell Inspiron 1545 Core 2 Duo laptop running Linux and it's perfectly adequate even 12+ years after it rolled off the assembly line) so cooling solutions like this that are intended to wring a few percent in performance out of an edge case processor which land at high cost are bling toys sold to idiots intent on prodigiously throwing away electricity and generating more waste as they needlessly and mindlessly chase upgrades that external influences have imparted in them as important in seeking out some sort of meaning for themselves. The saddest part is that they're so incapable of self-awareness that they'll always have these simplistic, plant-like responses to being good little consumers of unnecessary products, capabilities, and services.
Because everyone has exactly your needs and you know what everyone should be using. Thank you for sharing your insight, oh benevolent master.
The small market for this kind of kit is reflected in the high price compared to competitors. Some of us do genuinely have a use for this kind of thing.
I also run a 12 year old laptop which does the day to day stuff just fine. But I also routinely hit up against the limits of my main PC. Coolers like this might just extract a few extra percent. But they also keep things quiet whilst recording audio and mine has been through several CPUs.
If you don't see a need for it, that's just fine. Those of us who have systems running at full pelt for days on end do actually appreciate an extra few percent when that few percent is time which is also money.
So neeeeeer, mr small willy. Bow before my humongous epeen.
Are you feeling better about yourself now that you've pontificated about how stupid and 'plant-like' the 'idiots' who 'prodigiously throw away' month on these 'bling toys'? Psst there are better ways to feel better about yourself than putting others down. Putting others down is a momentary boost; what you should be seeking is a long term solution to the root cause, which in your case I suspect would best come from seeking therapy.
Nah, you're just getting the response you know you deserve because you spouted arrogant and invalid nonsense and you're twisting it to "you're all so predictable" so you can feel superior and deny reality.
Cause->effect.
Whinging about the effect being so predictable does make you superior, it just means you knew the response you'd get and either were trying to provoke because you're bored and want attention, or you're just too unoriginal to accomplish anything more interesting / productive.
Either way, it's a little sad when you're resorting to petty abuse rather than defending your "case".
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and water myself.
Sooooo...are you going to actually discuss why a pointless product like this is supposed to have a point at this stage or will you continue to live up to your self-assigned UID?
Not a fan of how the cooler lines come out of the top. Its technically better for flow to not have an immediate 90 degree turn (like corsair and such have). But they are going to get bent anyway because the hoses are likely to hit the side panel depending on case depth.
I should start a gaming supply company. I, too, could come up with boneheaded decisions like using fans that aren't designed for radiators. Apparently, failure is the path to success.
I started off many years ago with a Corsair AIO then gravitated to an Alphacool kit very similar to this about 3 years back which I expanded and played with until the pump reached its limit, am now on a full blown twin pump hardline loop with 2x 480s a couple of 360s and a 280 cooling GPU and CPU so these kits have a place for those who want to start along the path of custom loops however the performance is not really any better than your average AIO of a similar size.
Yes indeed a 2-year warranty is simply not acceptable and especially for so-called German engineering. It having me think twice in even considering this type of Aurora model. There has always been the fear (warranted or not) that AIO’s have an eventual leak-ability, are harder to stay with, and thus many continue in favoring simpler to ‘install and forget’ air-cooling. Besides AIO OEMs have been know to increase their profits by supplying cheap fans. I would also suggest that generally any ;expandable; AIO products present a relatively small market segment almost to a degree where its manufacturing challenges profitability.
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Juraj_SK - Thursday, August 11, 2022 - link
Why only 2 years warranty? Why aren't Germans be more confident with their product?There are competitors with 6 years warranty.
Or is liquid cooling something that needs to replaced regularly? (the tradeoff for the piece of silence :))
dysnomia - Thursday, August 11, 2022 - link
Aurora pump is very low quality, mine died exactly after one year.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNKk2QInf_g
meacupla - Thursday, August 11, 2022 - link
If I had to guess, the warranty is shorter because the user is allowed more control over the coolant loop. If extra parts are added, that adds more complexity to the loop, and more room for user error.Things like: insufficient water causing the pump to run dry, adding in water that is not sterile, adding in water with too much mineral content, galvanic corrosion from mixing copper and aluminum parts, etc.
Yes, the liquid should be replaced, or topped off, every so often. Even in CLCs, the water does eventually permeate through the tubes, and results in more air being introduced into the loop. More air means the pump has a chance of running dry, and generally more noise generated.
Gamer's Nexus did a whole video on proper CLC configuration to minimize premature failure of the pump, and it is worth a watch.
Bedub1 - Thursday, August 11, 2022 - link
It would be great to see this system retested with fans that are optimized for high static pressure. Will it still perform as well? Will it be quieter?Makaveli - Thursday, August 11, 2022 - link
Thanks for the review.I'm currently on a Gen 1 Corsair H150i which is very quiet. This cooler has had my eye for abit since I like that you can add on to it. So I was thinking going with
Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 360 CPU - Digital RGB + Alphacool Eiswolf 2 AIO - 360mm Radeon RX
However I'm considering upgrading my 6800XT to something from RDNA 3 this christmas so will hold out to see if they make an RDNA3 compatible AIO then bite the bullet.
dysnomia - Thursday, August 11, 2022 - link
They have great radiators and not bad fans. That is about all.thestryker - Friday, August 12, 2022 - link
I'm always happy to see cooler reviews pop up here because Anandtech still has my favorite methodology and is computer hardware agnostic.This seems like a good upgrade from the prior though I do wish they'd opted for static pressure fans. I do also find the 2 year warranty period to be on the short side since the vast majority of AIOs have increased warranty period in the last few years. I'm assuming it is due to the custom nature as most custom loop components still are at 2 year, but it's still the lowest warranty in its price/perf range by a lot.
With PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSDs on the way maybe they'll be making a block for those which would easily slot into this and wouldn't have much impact on loop performance.
PeachNCream - Saturday, August 13, 2022 - link
It really makes very little difference in day to day use after a certain point in the CPU performance curve and that point is a relatively low bar if we're being realistic with ourselves (typing this post, for example, from the keyboard of Dell Inspiron 1545 Core 2 Duo laptop running Linux and it's perfectly adequate even 12+ years after it rolled off the assembly line) so cooling solutions like this that are intended to wring a few percent in performance out of an edge case processor which land at high cost are bling toys sold to idiots intent on prodigiously throwing away electricity and generating more waste as they needlessly and mindlessly chase upgrades that external influences have imparted in them as important in seeking out some sort of meaning for themselves. The saddest part is that they're so incapable of self-awareness that they'll always have these simplistic, plant-like responses to being good little consumers of unnecessary products, capabilities, and services.Makaveli - Saturday, August 13, 2022 - link
Wow dude!philehidiot - Monday, August 15, 2022 - link
Because everyone has exactly your needs and you know what everyone should be using. Thank you for sharing your insight, oh benevolent master.The small market for this kind of kit is reflected in the high price compared to competitors. Some of us do genuinely have a use for this kind of thing.
I also run a 12 year old laptop which does the day to day stuff just fine. But I also routinely hit up against the limits of my main PC. Coolers like this might just extract a few extra percent. But they also keep things quiet whilst recording audio and mine has been through several CPUs.
If you don't see a need for it, that's just fine. Those of us who have systems running at full pelt for days on end do actually appreciate an extra few percent when that few percent is time which is also money.
So neeeeeer, mr small willy. Bow before my humongous epeen.
PeachNCream - Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - link
Interesting overreaction you're having there.philehidiot - Wednesday, August 17, 2022 - link
Overreaction? Who me or him? Tell me damnit! I NEED TO KNOW!/hysterical screeching
Silvas - Friday, August 19, 2022 - link
Are you feeling better about yourself now that you've pontificated about how stupid and 'plant-like' the 'idiots' who 'prodigiously throw away' month on these 'bling toys'?Psst there are better ways to feel better about yourself than putting others down. Putting others down is a momentary boost; what you should be seeking is a long term solution to the root cause, which in your case I suspect would best come from seeking therapy.
PeachNCream - Friday, August 19, 2022 - link
This is pretty much exactly what I mean about simply responding to external stimulus in a predictable, face-toward-light manner. Plant identified.philehidiot - Monday, August 22, 2022 - link
Nah, you're just getting the response you know you deserve because you spouted arrogant and invalid nonsense and you're twisting it to "you're all so predictable" so you can feel superior and deny reality.Cause->effect.
Whinging about the effect being so predictable does make you superior, it just means you knew the response you'd get and either were trying to provoke because you're bored and want attention, or you're just too unoriginal to accomplish anything more interesting / productive.
Either way, it's a little sad when you're resorting to petty abuse rather than defending your "case".
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go and water myself.
PeachNCream - Monday, August 22, 2022 - link
It's been a few days and you're still upset enough to text wall over a hobbyist computer component.philehidiot - Wednesday, August 24, 2022 - link
I've just had some tricky dumps. But you're still replying because you *need* the last word. It's that ego problem again, isn't it?PeachNCream - Thursday, August 25, 2022 - link
A shorter comment this time! Excellent!Sooooo...are you going to actually discuss why a pointless product like this is supposed to have a point at this stage or will you continue to live up to your self-assigned UID?
Stuka87 - Tuesday, August 16, 2022 - link
Not a fan of how the cooler lines come out of the top. Its technically better for flow to not have an immediate 90 degree turn (like corsair and such have). But they are going to get bent anyway because the hoses are likely to hit the side panel depending on case depth.Oxford Guy - Sunday, August 21, 2022 - link
I should start a gaming supply company. I, too, could come up with boneheaded decisions like using fans that aren't designed for radiators. Apparently, failure is the path to success.alufan - Monday, August 22, 2022 - link
I started off many years ago with a Corsair AIO then gravitated to an Alphacool kit very similar to this about 3 years back which I expanded and played with until the pump reached its limit, am now on a full blown twin pump hardline loop with 2x 480s a couple of 360s and a 280 cooling GPU and CPU so these kits have a place for those who want to start along the path of custom loops however the performance is not really any better than your average AIO of a similar size.dizzynosed - Tuesday, August 23, 2022 - link
I stay with air cooling. Don't have the nerves to fiddle with more equipment and problems than necessary.Tom Sunday - Thursday, August 25, 2022 - link
Yes indeed a 2-year warranty is simply not acceptable and especially for so-called German engineering. It having me think twice in even considering this type of Aurora model. There has always been the fear (warranted or not) that AIO’s have an eventual leak-ability, are harder to stay with, and thus many continue in favoring simpler to ‘install and forget’ air-cooling. Besides AIO OEMs have been know to increase their profits by supplying cheap fans. I would also suggest that generally any ;expandable; AIO products present a relatively small market segment almost to a degree where its manufacturing challenges profitability.