Alphacool provided us with not only the Eisblock XPX Aurora Pro but also their well-established radiators for us to test. Specifically, we were given the 360mm and 240mm versions of the Alphacool NexXxoS XT45. This radiator series comes in various sizes, ranging from 40mm all the way up to 1260mm.
First Look
Packaging
The radiators come in two contrasting coloured boxes. The 360mm spots a white base complemented by black accents while the 240mm comes in an all black packaging. The description and Alphacool brand logo are visible clearly on the boxes. The boxes are quite rigid and houses the radiators along with their accessories.
Furthermore, to prevent any possible damage to the fins or the product, Alphacool ensures that the radiators are adequately wrapped in bubble wrap. I would compliment Alphacool for doing so as competitor brands tend to just wrap their products in a sheet of plastic or thin foam in general.
Looking at the bundled accessories that comes with the radiators, I have to say that Alphacool are perfectionists when it comes to the finished product. All radiators come with 5 stop plugs, a set of M3x6mm screws for radiator mounting, and two sets of M3 screws with lengths of 30mm and 35mm. One should only use the 35mm screws if a fan grill is going to be installed.
Design & Structure
In addition to the V1 model that we received, there is also a V2 version of the radiators available in black and white. The V2 version has undergone some minor design changes for better . The radiators we received are the latest version of the V1 model, which are black in color and have a thickness of 45mm, giving them the name XT45. Additionally, both radiators share the same width of 125mm. The 360mm version is 400mm long, while the 240mm version is 280mm long. Furthermore, the finishing and paint quality of the radiators are exceptional.
Each radiator has a total of 6 ports that can accommodate various fittings or angled adapters, along with a single port at the bottom for drainage. Moreover, the radiators are equipped with blue rubber sealants to prevent any contamination from occurring after they leave the production line.
As shown in the pictures above, both radiators have a fin per inch (FPI) density of 12. This low FPI count eliminates the need for high static atmospheric pressure fans. With a lower FPI value, there is more air movement and passing through the radiators, resulting in faster cooling of the coolant.
Performance
Both radiators will be tested using the Alphacool Aurora Rise RGB 120mm fans. Being that Alphacool states that these fans have a maximum rpm of 2500 and can exhaust 69CFM of air, I am excited to see what the setup is capable of when paired together.
Test System
| Processor | AMD Ryzen 9 7900X |
| Motherboard | ASUS ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme |
| RAM | Kingston Fury Renegade 16GB X2 CL32 7000MHZ |
| Storage | 1TB Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus |
| GPU | PNY GeForce RTX 4070ti Verto White 12GB |
| PSU | FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W |
| Case | Vector Bench Case |
| CPU Block | Alphacool XPX Aurora Pro |
| Radiator | Alphacool NexXxos XT45 240mm & 360mm |
Methodology
The system will be put through a couple of runs of Cinebench R23 to simulate the most stressful scenario for the processor. Additionally, the fans will be running at 4 interval rates mainly 25%,50%,75% and 100% at the ambient temperature of 32C.
At 100% speeed, we get a peak temperature of only 88.4C with the 240mm radiator and 85.4C with the 360mm radiator on our AMD Ryzen 9 7900X. Temperatures tend to increase at every substantial interval we have tested, yet the processor does not seem to face any throttling issues as the flow of coolant through the system ensures sufficient cooling regardless of the fan speeds.
Consequently, I must say that the cooling capacity of both radiators are far beyond what I would have expected. On the other hand, I also feel that if I had used genuine static pressure fans instead of the hybrid option that the Aurora Rise 120 are, we could have achieved an even lower temperature reading.
What I Liked About The Alphacool NexXos XT45 Radiators
- Surprisingly great performing radiators
- Mid range pricing for top range performance
What I Wished Was Better
- Nothing, the only flaw was the potruding stop plugs on the ports, but this have been addressed in the Alphacool NexXos XT45 V2 range.
Verdict
The Alphacool NexXos XT45 radiators are a great value option for those in the market for radiators. Priced at MYR 390 (80€) for the 240mm variant and MYR 485 (99€) for the 360mm variant, the Alphacool NexXos XT45 radiators offers a great price to performance advantage. Considering that radiator prices can range from MYR 180 to MYR 700, Alphacool has positioned these radiators in the mid-range of the market. Despite the mid-tier pricing, the Alphacool NexXos XT45 radiators even outperforms some of the more expensive radiators.
The design and structure of the radiators are also exceptional. The availability of six ports allows flexibility of fitting and tube placement in the overall liquid cooling design. The low fin per inch (FPI) density of 12 not only eliminates the need for high static atmospheric pressure fans it also contributes to the cooling capacity of both radiators. While the 45mm thickness may be a reason for worrying, most PC casings today have ample space to accommodate thick radiators for custom liquid cooling setups, as an example, the latest Phanteks NV7. The only flaw is the protruding stop plugs on the ports, but this has been addressed in the Alphacool NexXos XT45 V2 range.
In conclusion, these radiators offer a great price-to-performance advantage and are a great value option for anyone in the market for radiators.
Final Score : 10/10
Product Page
240MM : https://www.alphacool.com/shop/radiatoren/radiatoren-aktiv/240-mm/12348/alphacool-nexxxos-xt45-full-copper-240mm-radiator
360MM : https://www.alphacool.com/shop/radiatoren/radiatoren-aktiv/360-mm/12340/alphacool-nexxxos-xt45-full-copper-360mm-radiator
