The Alphacool NexXxoS Cool Answer 360 DDC/XT Liquid Cooling Kit Review
by E. Fylladitakis on October 24, 2016 9:30 AM ESTTesting Results, Low Fan Speed (7 Volts)
The performance of the NexXxoS Cool Answer 360 DDC/XT changes significantly when its fans have their speed reduced down to 740 RPM. Note that the pump cannot be controlled, at least not without modifications, therefore it is constantly operating at maximum speed during our testing. The NexXxoS Cool Answer 360 DDC/XT appears to be still leading most of the charts, with an average thermal resistance of 0.0826 °C/W. This figure however brings it very close to significantly smaller AIO coolers. Cooler Master’s Nepton 280L actually manages to surpass the NexXxoS Cool Answer 360 DDC/XT at higher thermal loads, but it makes use of much more powerful (and louder) fans.
Considering that the pump’s flow remains exactly as powerful as before and is much superior than that of the small pumps that AIO solutions are using, it is clear that the significant loss of performance is due to the low pressure of the fans. High flow fans such as those that Alphacool supplies have their pressure dropping dramatically as their speed decreases. With a radiator as thick as the XT45, it is a miracle that the NexXxoS Cool Answer 360 DDC/XT can perform this well with these fans rotating at just 740 RPM each.
| Core Temperature, Constant Thermal Load (Low Fan Speed) |
The Coolmove 2 fans are completely silent at this speed. Assuming that they will be connected on motherboard fan header(s) and depending on the user’s preferences and needs, a more aggressive thermal profile can be selected to enhance the performance of the kit. Our reading of 36.1 dB(A) however clearly indicates that the kit was not entirely silent during our testing, even though the fans were. The obvious answer is the only other moving part of the system, the pump. The Laing DDC-1T is a very powerful pump and makes a very distinct humming noise that is clearly audible from a meter away, even if other noise sources are present. In order to make the NexXxoS Cool Answer 360 DDC/XT run silently, an advanced user has no other option than to modify the pump’s wiring and create a custom control profile that would ensure the correct operation of the pump.
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saratoga4 - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
>copper block and a latheCopper block and mill. Lathe is the spinning one that works on pipes, mills are the drill type devices that cut blocks.
And yes, milling my first gpu cooling was pretty annoying. So much nicer these day :)
DanNeely - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
Having used open loop coolers for the better part of a decade, I'll second that the DDC pump is going to be the loudest part if running at full speed unless you go crazy with fans. (I really wish someone would design a more suitable pump from the ground up instead of just slapping a modified top on the stock model.) However while it's picky about it's operating voltage you can slow and quiet them using PWM control. My current loop has a CPU, Mobo Mosfets, GPU, and a 560 radiator. Using an 4yo Swiftech DDC pump (not sure exact model they've got several of them) I've found that PWMing it to about 70% drops the high pitched pump noise below the noise floor of my low speed fans while only raising core temps by about 1-2C.Oxford Guy - Tuesday, November 8, 2016 - link
The pump in the EK L 2.0 kits is pretty quiet when suspended.Andrew LB - Wednesday, February 8, 2017 - link
I'm surprised they didn't use a pump like the DDC-1T PWM which is a 10w version that does 420l/h and is pretty much silent. I have one in my PC and even with an XSPC Raystorm V3 CPU block, Aquacomputer Krygraphics GTX 780ti full block, XSPC ex360 and ex280 radiators, and quite a few 90' and 45' XSPC rotary fittings, my DDC-1T PWM has a flow rate of 0.91gpm according to my Aquacomputer Aquaero with high-flow meter.Aerodrifting - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
The part which the pump connects to the reservoir really concerns me. From the looks of it, It's just the barbs that come with DDC stock top (which we usually replace with custom ones to fit standard fittings plus better flow) go straight into the opening of the reservoir without any tightening measures. Are you sure that is not going to leak?BrokenCrayons - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
The benchmark results are pretty impressive, but hardly worth the risk of mixing liquid with electricity or the added cost over just using the manufactuerer certified heatsink and fan that comes in the box with the CPU. So the processor runs at 40 degrees instead of 70. That's utterly meaningless to me when the max temp for a chip is typically +90 degrees and certainly not worth any additional cost at all much less a cost that includes the problem of pumping fluids around a system that works perfectly well with circulating air.Death666Angel - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
It's a hobby. It can have some benefits, but it's a hobby first and foremost in my opinion. Yes, I could overclock my CPU and GPU some more while under water, it has a bit less noise and it can be more versatile. But modern aircooling is also pretty good, usually cheaper and not that much louder if you select good components. Though I will always spend a bit more to get a better cooler compared to the boxed offerings (headroom in the summer, dust buildup, better overclocking, quieter operations). But it depends on your setup and taste. :)BrokenCrayons - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
That I can understand. Everyone has something they waste time and money on just for fun, but I don't think there's a practical reason behind it. I leave my desktop computer with it's 95W 860K CPU sitting in the mud room (no AC...basically my front porch) and run it headlessly to stream games. It spent the summer in ambient temps of around 80-85 degrees streaming games via Steam and the entire time it was and still is on the pre-Wraith HSF that came in the box with the CPU.Sure, I thought about replacing the cooler with something non-OEM or even getting a Wraith second hand from ebay or something, but there's absolutely no reason to do so. I can't rationalize spending even a minimal amount of money on it and then going through the trouble of opening the case up to replace the HSF. I might clean the dust bunnies out next spring, but at this point any additional cooling would serve no practical purpose.
letmepicyou - Monday, October 24, 2016 - link
There is a VERY practical purpose to water cooling which you're missing. If you've ever used a high end air cooler (and I have a cupboard full of them, up to the top shelf Thermalright Silver Arrow) then you know that they're HEAVY. This isn't a problem if your computer sits at your desk until cleaning time or your next upgrade cycle. I can promise you that having a huge cooler on your motherboard can be precarious if you tend to lug your PC around at all. You have to be pretty ginger with your movements.The reason I went to water cooling is now when I lug my PC around, I don't have to worry about component stresses. Given that I have a nice AIO loop on my CPU and run all SSDs, I could boot kick my tower and not worry about data loss or yanking the mounting post for my air cooler through the fiberglass of my motherboard.
BrokenCrayons - Tuesday, October 25, 2016 - link
Actually, my argument is in favor of OEM-boxed coolers that ship in retail packaging with the CPU. Those have never been too heavy for the mounting mechanisms that support them. The situation of an overweight air cooler is a self-inflicted wound that wouldn't have required the proverbial medical attention of liquid cooling had the person in question never picked up the overweight air cooler knife to begin with.