Introduction

Alphacool is a mainstay in the PC DIY watercooling hobby thanks to it offering something for everyone when it comes to water blocks, pumps, radiators, reservoirs, and a vast plethora of fittings. We've covered the brand extensively over the years, including with reviews of two CPU blocks last year as part of a roundup. Alphacool had mentioned at the time that those were the last hurrah of that generation of water blocks and there were new product lineups coming soon which includes a new design language for its CPU blocks. As it turns out, Alphacool was talking about its Core line of water blocks, CPU coolers, radiators, and reservoirs. Today we take a look at the new Core 1 CPU blocks and thanks to Alphacool for providing review samples to TechPowerUp!


There are five different versions of the Alphacool Core 1 CPU block as of the time I write this review. These differ only in aesthetics with different colors and options of LEDs or not. The company was kind enough to send two blocks—the Core 1 Black seen in the thumbnail and the Core 1 Aurora Silver seen above—so I could show off two of them. The Aurora versions have LEDs shining through a diffuser strip built into the top whereas the standard blocks are solid there. There's also a white non-Aurora version for those wanting to color match their all-white PC build. Functionally they are identical otherwise, with the same cooling engine that Alphacool promises is both innovative and performs better than anything else on the market. Bold claims need to be tested and we'll do just that in our review today that begins with a look at the product specifications in the table below.

Specifications

Packaging and Accessories

Packaging for the Alphacool Core 1 CPU blocks is simpler than usual in the absence of a banderole that goes over the base cardboard box. Instead, we see a simplified render of the block with listed dimensions on the front directly on the cardboard along with the product name. On the back is contact information for the company and a sticker that helps identify the exact SKU inside. This allows Alphacool to use the same box for all the Core 1 blocks and have a single sticker confirm the item inside, as seen with the two blocks provided. Inside the box is thick foam that is shaped to snugly fit the provided items in two compartments, with the Aurora versions having a further cutout underneath the block to accommodate the LED cable.


Alphacool packs a lot inside when it comes to accessories including a color-printed multi-language user manual (online copy here) that goes over the contents and the various installation procedures. The manual is the same across the different blocks and does a good job explaining everything. We then notice that the Core 1 has reduced CPU socket compatibility compared to the previous gen Alphacool blocks and so things get simpler here when it comes to the various installation hardware. There's a tube of Alphacool thermal paste and a spreader provided, which is always nice to see, and the Intel and AMD hardware come separately packaged for easier identification. We get mounting brackets and posts for both platforms as well as a CPU socket backplate for Intel LGA 1700 and locking nuts/foam spacers too. Note the absence of any springs here—it caught me by surprise too.


The Aurora versions of the Core 1 blocks come with an additional adapter cable going from a female JST connector to a female 3-pin, 5 V ARGB connector allowing the option to power and control the LEDs on the block via your motherboard or dedicated LED controller using a standard 3-pin header on board.