Introduction
Eisbecher is the name of Alphacool reservoirs and reservoir/pump combo units. Alphacool Eisbecher D5 AURORA Acetal/Glass is a reservoir only unit which is available in 250ml and 150ml sizes. Alphacool has sent us a 250ml variant. Please note that these reservoirs don’t have a pump integrated. You would need to buy the pump separately. The main housing is made of Acetal material whereas the tube itself is made of glass. Glass is the main difference compared to the Eisbecher D5 which is using Plexi material which is more prone to cracks compared to glass. Another feature of the reservoir is the integrated digital RGB strip inside the reservoir and the filter port. Alphacool has maintained the light-tower water effect on this reservoir as well. The reservoir is compatible with the Alphacool VPP and Laing D5 pumps.
The reservoir was listed at €95.99 at the time of review.
Specifications
Packaging and Unboxing
The unit is shipped inside a black color cardboard box with minimal design.
The reservoir is tucked between two Styrofoam pads for safe shipping and handling. The accessories are placed in a separate container.
Contents
Let’s take a look at what is bundled with the reservoir.
There is a digital RGB cable adapter that can be used to connect the reservoir’s proprietary connector to the motherboard 5V 3-pin header.
The reservoir can be installed on the 120mm and 140mm radiators using the bundled brackets.
There is a ring bracket that is needed to install the pump to the reservoir. The pump is passed through this ring and the ring is mounted to the reservoir at its base.
There are 2x stand brackets that allow the reservoir to be installed on the base of the PC case. Alphacool has provided both options for the installation of the reservoir.
We have:
- 4x M4x12 Screws
- 4x M3x5 Screws
- 8x M4x8 Screws [We were short of 4x screws as manual mentions these to be in the count of 12]
- 4x M4 nuts
- 1x Allen Key
- 1x Screw Plug Tool
Alphacool has provided a 140mm riser pipe which is only available in the 250ml version. The user would need to open the reservoir from its base and take out the glass tube so that this pipe can be installed.
Closer Look
Let’s start taking a closer look at the block.
The dimension of the unit is 77x77x242mm. The housing of the unit is made of Acetal material whereas we have a glass tube in the center. There are 4x framing bars that are made of aluminum material. These are on the sides of the glass tube that are connecting the top section with the lower section of the unit. The glass tube itself has a diameter of 60mm.
The top of the reservoir has three G1/4” ports. The middle port is the dedicated inlet port if you want to achieve the light-tower waterfall effect. The right-most port is to be used for a refill. All three ports have pre-installed plastic-made plugs. There is an Alphacool branding on the lower right section.
The above picture highlights the glass tube in particular. Notice the pre-installed riser pipes on the top and at the base of the unit. These have shorter lengths. Alphacool has provided a 140mm riser tube or pipe for the base mount of the unit which would enhance the waterfall effect. The frame bars are adding a nice touch and feel in addition to the ruggedness of the unit.
The above picture shows the inner side of the top of the reservoir focusing on the shorter length riser pipe tube. There are cutouts on the top frame of the tube from which the coolant sprinkles give a waterfall impression.
Peeking at the inners of the glass tube towards the base, we spot a filter port which is located towards the upper left side of the base. Alphacool has emphasized that its location should not be changed. There is a riser pipe on the base as well but with a shorter length. In addition, we can also spot digital RGB LEDs [12x] on the inner side of the frame at the base of the unit.
There are two G1/4” threaded ports. One is labeled as IN and the other is labeled as OUT. They support the flush fittings as well. There is an Alphacool branding above them.
The above picture shows the backside of the unit. There is a flat cable coming out from its top which is for the digital RGB LEDs. There is no other port here which is another difference when we compare it with the Eisbecher D5.
The Alphacool is using the proprietary 3-pin connector and by-pass connector to power the LEDs. This allows the user to daisy-chain the RGB lighting with the other Alphacool elements in the loop. Alphacool has also provided an adapter cable that allows the user to connect and control the lighting from the motherboard.
The above picture shows the inner side of the base section. The outer frame has 4x holes having screws for the frame bars. We have a large size opening where the pump will be installed. Note that the O-Ring is already installed on the frame where the pump would be inserted. Next, we have 8x small size holes which are to be used to secure the pump mounting bracket to the reservoir.
Since this unit does not come with the pump, we took the Alphacool VPP755 pump from the Eisbecher D5 unit and installed it on the Eisbecher D5 AURORA. The bracket was secured using 8x screws.
The Alphacool VPP755 is a PWM-controlled pump that can also be powered directly using the MOLEX connector. It has a rotational speed of up to 4500 RPM. The user can set the speed from 1- 5 dials located on the base of the pump housing. By default, it is at 5 which means full speed.
The above picture shows the stand brackets installed on the reservoir. Since we have used the unit in a standing position mounted on the base of the case, these brackets were used.
The overall height of the unit increases to 269/288mm after installing the stand brackets.
The above picture shows the unit in a standing layout.
Digital RGB Lighting
The Alphacool Eisbecher D5 Aurora Acrylic/Glass 250ml comes with an integrated digital RGB LED strip. We have used the JRainbow header on the MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK motherboard to control the lighting. I am in love with the lighting. Here are a few pictures for your eye’s pleasure.
The unit was used for the testing of the Alphacool Eisblock XPX AURORA and Eisblock GPX 3080/3090 block in the loop designed for the testing.
Conclusion
The Alphacool Eisbecher D5 AURORA Acetal/Glass 250ml is a reservoir only solution from Alphacool. Unlike the Eisbecher D5, the AURORA version comes with a glass tube instead of a Plexi tube. The overall design has also been refined and the new outlook is quite elegant to speak of. The unit has a dimension of 77x77x242mm. The top and the base are made of the Acetal/POM material whereas the frame bars are made of aluminum material.
The frame bars add a subtle touch to the look and feel of the unit in addition to the ruggedness. We have a total of 5x G1/4” threaded ports. Three ports are on the top of the reservoir body whereas 2x ports are at the base of the unit. These 2x ports have a dedicated Inlet and Outlet function and they are clearly labeled for that. The top middle port is the main inlet port from the top. The right-most port on the top is dedicated for refill purposes. The glass tube is 60mm thick and it has two riser pipes inside. One riser pipe is on the top frame and the one is at the base. Alphacool has also provided a 140mm riser tube for the base (only for the 250ml variant). Alphacool is maintaining the water flow effect and this time we have digital RGB lighting as well to add to the light tower effect.
There is a filter port on the base of the unit. The reservoir is compatible with the Laing D5 and Alphacool VPP series pumps for which the O-Ring and pump mounting bracket are provided. In addition, we have fan mount brackets for 120mm and 140mm as well as the stand brackets included in the box. Alphacool has been paying attention to the details.
There is a 5V digital RGB LED strip on the frame of the reservoir consisting of 12x LEDs. They are powered by the 3-pin proprietary connectors but Alphacool has also provided an adapter cable to connect these with the motherboard. We have tested the lighting on the MSI MAG Z490 TOMAHAWK motherboard and found the LEDs responding to the change in modes seamlessly.
Since this reservoir does not come with the pump, we have used the VPP755 from the Eisbecher D5 unit and used this reservoir for the testing of the Alpahcool Eisblock XPX AURORA and GPX 3080/3090 blocks. The pump runs silently even at full speed and the digital RGB lighting is on the money.
Alphacool Eisbecher D5 AURORA Acetal/Glass 250ml is listed at €95.99 at the time of the review. The unit has a solid build quality with some key features as mentioned above. It comes recommended by us if you are looking for a stylish and sleek reservoir for your loop.
We are thankful to Alphacool for giving us the opportunity to review this reservoir.
