This article is about the external extension of an internal double AIO loop in the direction of a large custom loop, and if you’re going to build bigger, then build really big. At least, as far as the radiator is concerned. Over a few air-cooled stations and a BQ Silent Loop for the CPU, I ended up with the Alphacool Eiswolf 2 360 for my then Radeon RX 6800 XT last late summer and then added an Alphacool Eisbär 420 to it over the course of September – the mutually compatible quick-release couplings are just inviting.
My premise, valid then as now, was that a computer rarely puts a full load on CPU and GPU at the same time and the combination of Ice Wolf and Ice Bear is probably not a bad internal, but easy-to-use cooling solution – just All-in-One (AIO). With this combination, I had a quite good cooling for gaming, but the maximum performance in 3DMark Time Spy was also relevant for me. Not entirely unsuccessfully, I got through the Munich winter thanks to my balcony – my record from November 21 still stands at number 3 on the Time Spy 6800 XT Leaderboard.
I achieved the top score of over 24k graphics score by placing my computer on the balcony at an outdoor temperature of around 0 °C for benchmarking and starting with a water temperature of 3 °C. Slowly approaching the topic of water cooling, I soon developed a desire for more. The Rudi Carell question also arose: What will I do when summer really comes around again?
The way is the goal: my plan
When a Radeon RX 6900 XT Liquid Cooled, for the sake of simplicity referred to as LC, fell into my hands in the spring of 2022, it became clear that if I wanted to play with the big boys, my cooling system would have to be further upgraded. The rough idea was to include a large external radiator in my loop, where everyone mostly thinks of the MoRa (monster radiator). But now there are – to stay with Eiswolf and Eisbär sortenrein, also from Alphacool correspondingly large radiators, the Nova and what a miracle, the SuperNova. The original MoRas are actually beyond any doubt, the only question enthusiasts have is how many there should be. Regarding Alphacools radiators I read elsewhere again and again some forumgebashe, but what has aroused my curiosity rather. The performance of Eiswolf and Eisbär is not questioned in my opinion.
Price-wise, the Watercool MoRa 420 including brackets for 200mm fans, fan grill and stands at 384 euros, while an Alphacool SuperNova with stands and four “pie bottom” fan grills is 203 euros. Alphacool clearly wins here in terms of price, but Watercool would win the beauty contest – you have to be that fair. My main question was about the price-performance ratio.
My plan now was to build two loops to be able to continue to put my system on the balcony or elsewhere in the future: an internal loop with Polar Bear, Eiswolf and both associated Radis (360s and 420s) – exactly what I already had; and in addition an external loop with D5 pump including ABG attached and a 4-fold ventilated SuperNova. The pump necessary for this, a VPP755 with connected expansion tank, I had already included in the last bench sessions of the past winter in my loop so half-externally (that was nothing half and nothing whole).
For this, the large external Radi should be able to stand a good meter away from the PC. And I want to be able to separate the two loops for practicality without flooding outside and air bubbles inside. At the same time, I still wanted to get rid of my existing Alphacool quick disconnects as they tend to get in the way of flow. So then it came to the decision to connect the SuperNova via icicle HF quick release coupling.
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