INTRODUCTION

   Although the very first commercial AIO liquid CPU cooler was released roughly 12 years ago manufacturers are still tweaking the concept not only by using improved components (such as pumps, waterblocks, radiators and of course fans) but also by changing their design. Now granted the main concept has always been the same so we have a radiator (regardless of size and number of fans) connected to a CPU waterblock via two tubes and that's pretty much it. There are two crucial differences between models however, whether they are expandable or not (you can add GPU waterblocks or more radiators into the loop) and the location of the pump and although almost all of the AIO models out there feature pump/CPU waterblock combos there are some that have the pump placed right next to the radiator. EK Waterblocks was the very first manufacturer to do something like that (first with their EK-XLC Predator line followed by their EK-MLC Phoenix line) so it was only a matter of time before others did the same and our friends over at Alphacool just did with their brand new Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition AIO Liquid CPU Cooler.

   Alphacool was founded in 2003 in Braunschweig, Germany. The aim was to develop and market high-quality water cooling products. In the same year Alphacool actually released the best CPU cooler to date called Alpha 1, which led to the breakthrough of the company. Since 2010, the manufacturer has been trading under the name Alphacool International GmbH, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aquatuning GmbH. Product development continues to take place from Braunschweig with a total of over 80 employees. Alphacool now offers the world's largest portfolio of water cooling products - not only for the end consumer, but also on a large scale for the industry. Alphacool's products always combine maximum efficiency, highest quality and exemplary performance in a first-class design.

   The Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition (280mm version currently available with 240/360mm versions scheduled for release further down the road) is currently available in two versions, the complete AIO which also includes two tubes and a CPU waterblock and the standalone Core model which lacks those two components (aimed at custom water cooling builds). Both models house a 30mm thick NexXxoS ST30 Full Copper 280mm dual fan radiator, Eispump VPP755 V.3 pump/reservoir combo (the ceramic axis pump can spin up to 4350RPM to push up to 340l/h with up to 4.25m pressure) and two be quiet! 140mm Silent Wings 3 fans (1300RPM/64.81CFM/1.84mmH2O/31dbA) in a thick aluminum enclosure. The full AIO model also features two 450mm long flexible PVC tubes with quick-release couplings and the Eisblock XPX CPU waterblock (nickel plated copper plate). Having reviewed the Eisbaer 420 AIO again by Alphacool recently we're very interested to see just how the Eisbaer Extreme 280 does so let's move forward with today’s review.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

A product picture along with the main product features is located on both the front and rear of the box.

At the top and bottom we see yet another partial product picture alongside the main product features.

Although the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition is placed inside several foam spacers packaging could be better (instead of a single piece of formed spacer the box had numerous small ones inside).

Contained inside the box is the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition AIO, user manual, thermal paste tube, 4 screw caps/covers, installation instructions for AMD and Intel mainboards and several mounting hardware allowing you to install the cooler onto Intel LGA 775/1150/1151/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD G34/939/940/AM2/AM2+/AM3/AM3+/FM1/FM2/FM2+/AM4/TR4 compatible mainboards.

THE EISBAER EXTREME 280 BLACK EDITION

Just by looking at the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition we are reminded of the Predator and Phoenix models by EKWB (although this looks better).

The main body of the cooler is roughly 65mm thick so it's not much thicker compared to regular AIO models (roughly 10mm thicker compared to most).

The NexXxos ST30 Full Copper radiator has a fin count of 16 (closer to 17 if we're being accurate).

Alphacool has placed in/out markings right next to where the tubes exit the aluminum enclosure (makes it easier to expand the loop).

The quick-release couplings are made out of plastic and are not that different compared to what Alphacool has been using with the rest of the Eisbaer line.

Since the Eisblock XPX is a "regular" CPU waterblock it's much thinner compared to the pump/waterblock combos we usually see with AIO models (the three pin connector is used to power the LED beneath the Alphacool logo).

The tubes don't rotate from the waterblock but installation is actually very easy thanks to their length.

As mentioned earlier the waterblock features a nickel plated base (mirror like finish).

Both 140mm Silent Wings 3 fans are located at the top of the aluminum enclosure and they suck air outwards (which means the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition has to be mounted at the top of a case).

These fans are manufactured by be quiet! and can hit speeds of up to 1300RPM to produce up to 64.81CFM of airflow with just 31dBA of noise.

A fill port is located right next to the fans.

The fans and the VPP755 V.3 pump are both powered by a Molex power plug and are regulated via two 4pin connectors.

It's not easy to notice while turned off but the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition also has two small illuminated acrylic windows on its sides from where you can check the liquid levels.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since we want all of you to be able to compare similar products we created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. When testing complete water cooling kits we use the Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste. Finally much like when testing CPU Coolers it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with our test rig (when we test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   Having recently tested the improved Eisbaer 420 AIO with the Silent Wings 3 fans by be quiet! we didn’t think the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition would be able to top it and honestly we have no problem admitting that we were wrong. As a matter of fact the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition is the best AIO to pass from our lab to date, yes even better (alas just slightly) compared to the EK-MLC Phoenix model by EK Waterblocks. What’s really impressive however is not just its cooling efficiency levels but also the amount of noise by the two Silent Wings 3 fans which is far less than those of similar products (although the Eisbaer 420 did prepare us for those results). Honestly the only downsides we can find about the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition is its lack of RGB lighting and thickness (case compatibility) two things which may disappoint some potential buyers.

   Alphacool current sells the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition AIO 265Euros in the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price which although high does correspond to the best AIO currently in the market (unfortunately at the time of this review only the core version is available in the USA). Sure, it’s thickness and lack of RGB illumination may matter to some people but at the end of the day performance is what counts (even more so when noise levels are at a minimum) and since the Eisbaer Extreme 280 Black Edition by Alphacool sits on top of our charts it certainly deserves our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Top of The Charts Cooling Efficiency
- Expandable (Can Add Extra Radiators, GPU waterblocks, CPU waterblocks, Pumps)
- Quick Release Couplings
- 450mm Long PVC Tubes (Easy Installation)
- Low Noise Levels (be quiet! Silent Wings 3 Fans)
- Liquid Level Check Windows
- CPU Compatibility

CONS

- 65mm Thick (Compatibility)
- No RGB Illumination
- Price (For Some)