Alphacool has launched its first water block for non-reference models of the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090, and it has gone with the MSI Ventus 3X design as its first target.
The Alphacool Eisblock Aurora Plexi GPX-N RTX 3090/3080 Ventus with Backplate, to use its full name, is the second product from Alphacool to support any RTX 30 Series card; the first is designed for all cards using the reference PCB (which does not include the Founders Edition). This particular block with work with three cards from MSI’s portfolio:
• MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Ventus 3X OC
• MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Ventus 3X
• MSI GeForce RTX 3090 Ventus 3X OC
The new block has a nickel-plated copper contact block, and as the water flows through the channels, it is said to cool not only the GPU but also the memory chips, the VRMs, and ‘all known hotspots’. A black backplate is included with the card, and the Aurora part of the name indicates the presence of digital/addressable RGB as well. You can see an example of the lighting, a ‘beleuchtungsbeispiel’ in Alphacool’s native tongue, in the image below:
Alphacool also makes special reference to its 1mm Ultra Soft thermal pads, claiming that they act more like thermal paste than a pad when heated up, thanks to a change in consistency. The end result, supposedly, is that they are ‘thermally far superior’ to ‘standard’ thermal pads.
The Eisblock RTX 3090/3080 Ventus is available to pre-order now and is listed at the time of writing for €140.53 including VAT (~£128). Delivery is expected to commence at the end of October, so there’s a good chance it’ll arrive before you’re able to get a compatible card. More information is available on the official website.