Alphacool Core 1 White and Aurora Black CPU Water Block Review

Specifications

The Core 1 series coolers are compatible with all modern desktop sockets and should work great regardless of the number of cores that the processor has. The improved liquid flow and base design promise better results than on previous CPU blocks from Alphacool, and the mounting is designed to fit all motherboards easily. I see it as a big advantage that we can use the block on AMD and Intel, so if we change our mind, then we don’t have to buy another cooler and simply reuse the one we have.

The size is typical for CPU blocks, and it won’t interfere with capacitors or RAM and VRM heatsinks.

Below you can see a picture presenting the general design of the Core 1 cooler. From the outside, it looks quite simple, but the inside is pretty complicated.

Now let’s take a look at the package and its contents.

Package and its contents

As in the title of our review, we have received two different Core 1 coolers. One is White, and the other is Aurora Black. Besides the colors, the Aurora version also has RGB illumination. Packages of both coolers are about the same, with a little difference, as the Aurora cooler includes a short RGB adapter.

Inside the box, we will find all that we need for the installation, including all the mounting kits and manuals. This is an advantage over competitive brands that Alphacool includes mounting kits for more than only one socket. If we change our minds, then we can use the same CPU block on a different socket without the need to spend money.
Inside the package is also the Subzero 16 W/mk thermal grease. I recommend heating it up a bit before use, as when cold, it spreads significantly worse. Its thermal conductivity is about the best on the current market (if we exclude liquid metal TIMs).

The CPU block has a nickel-plated copper base with a micro-channel structure. The cold plate has a large surface, so it should be perfect for smaller and larger CPU dies. I like the fact that Alphacool blocks are compatible with all modern CPU sockets and optimal for all CPUs.

All the Core 1 coolers should offer the same performance. The only difference makes the finish of the top. We can pick a black or silver RGB or non-RGB version and a white one, which has no RGB option (so far). The options picked for our reviews are related to PC builds, which you can see in this review and also in future ones. Soon we will publish a SSUPD Meshroom-S PC case review where is presented an Alphacool custom loop with the Core 1 white cooler. Some of these photos are also in this review.

The cold plate is well-polished. It doesn’t have a perfect mirror finish because it’s slightly bent in the center to have better contact under pressure. It’s common that good CPU coolers are never perfectly flat. It also helps to spread the thermal grease better.

On the next page, we will show you our example PC build with the XPX Pro Aurora.