Alphacool NexXxos GPX GTX 980 M02 with Backplate Review

Core Cooling Performance – 5/5

Alphacool makes a strong statement here beating their nearest competition by nearly 2C

VRM Cooling Performance – 2.5/5

While the VRM performance is acceptable, Alphacool are significantly behind.

Restriction – 1/5

The amount of restriction is so high that flow rates will be significantly impacted by this block and a 2nd pump may be necessary to run at more optimal flow rates for system level cooling efficiency.

Supplied TIM – 2/5

The supplied TIM performed the worst out of any tested.  However there was at least some included.

Mounting Hardware – 2.5/5

One screw head was so full of paint that we could not use it.  The two types of screws were of different colors and required different sized allen keys to tighten.  The metal was soft and easily stripped.

Backplate – 3.5/5

Compatability has been vastly improved on the backplate however it’s still massively thick.  I do wonder whether it’s really doing anything given the thickness of the thermal pads.

Aesthetics – 3.5/5

The heatsink style look of the aluminum plates is industrial and functional.  But the real let down is the core block itself.  The plastic is almost a dirty grey rather than black, and the plastic top with logo still looks a bit cheap.

Quality – 3.5/5

Nothing screamed high quality, but the only real let down was the mounting hardware itself.

Summary

Exceptional core cooling performance but at the cost of extremely high restriction and poor VRM cooling.  In addition the cost savings of an upgradable block may be wiped out by the need to add a 2nd pump.  The mounting hardware was disappointing but the big plus this time around was the massively improved compatability.  While this version still isn’t perfect Alphacool are on the right path to improving it.  Hopefully the next generation will fix the remaining problems!

Where to buy: AquaTuning – Upgrade kit with Core Cooler – $48, Full Product including core cooler and backplate – $94