Alphacool NexXxos Monsta 280mm Radiator Review
Welcome to another Extreme Rigs 280mm radiator review. Today we’ll be looking at the NexXxos Monsta 280mm from Alphacool. This behemoth measures in at a whopping 84.5mm thick and is by far the thickest 280mm radiator of our test group. We saw some interesting and unexpected results when we reviewed the Monsta 360 last year. The 280mm version only has ~10% less surface are than the 360, so might come up with some good performance comparisons between the two models.
There are currently 11 different “Monsta” sized radiators released by Alphacool which encompass every possible variant in the 120mm and 140mm fan size, as well as 3 different 180mm fan versions. They range from the Monsta 120 right up to the 2 versions of the Monsta 560 (4 x 140 and 3 x 180). The 280mm version we’re looking at today is almost certainly the most popular of the 140.x sized radiator.
In this review of the Monsta 280 we’ll take a close look at it’s construction & quality, analyze the performance data by comparing it’s results against other 280mm radiators and then conclude with a summary.
Firstly a big thanks to Aqua Tuning for providing the review sample of the Alphacool Monsta 280. Since we commenced our radiator testing, Aqua Tuning’s commitment to our independent tests has been second to none. Extreme Rigs couldn’t publish the reviews we do without the continued support offered by our sponsors, so a big thanks to all the crew at Aqua Tuning and Alphacool.
Before we start we would again like to say thanks to Noctua for providing the NF-A14 Industrial PPC-2000 IP67 PWM 140mm fans. We use these fans for all our 140mm based radiator thermal performance testing because they have great static pressure which is required to get the best performance from even the densest of radiator cores and of course, their proven reliability.
What’s in the Box?
The Monsta 280 sample arrived in full retail packaging. The front and back are identical and feature an image of the radiator along with the model and company logo.
Of interest below the model number Alphacool have stated the radiator is 80mm thick. We’ll see our measurements and the stated specifications shortly, but the Monsta 280 is definitely a bit thicker than what is being advised on the packaging.
Opening the box, we see the usual packing layout for Alphacool radiators. Alphacool really have done a great job in ensuring that their radiators have every possible chance of arriving to the purchaser in the best possible condition.
As always, we are happy to see a bubble wrap sleeve to protect the paint finish from scuffing during transport and the foam pieces at each end keep the radiator from sliding about.
Placing the accessories in a separate box at one end of the package tops off what is a simple yet effective packaging layout.
Extent of delivery as listed by Alphacool:
“1x Radiator
8x M3x30mm hexagon socket screw
8x M3x35mm hexagon socket screw”
It’s interesting that Alphacool don’t list the 5 stop fittings as supplied accessories which are also included in the accessory box.
Aqua Tuning do mention the stop fittings on their Monsta 280 product page, and list the following as included in the package:
“1x Radiator
8x M3x30mm hexagon socket screw
8x M3x35mm hexagon socket screw
5x lock screw”
In the previous photo we saw the brown box tucked away at one end of the packaging. This contains the accessories which are supplied with the Monsta 280.
Inside there are 5 small bags in total, four of which contain a set of 4 screws and the last contains the stop plugs and an unmentioned Allen Key.
The shorter screws measure in at 30mm, while the longer ones are 35mm. Each screw has ~5mm of thread before a solid and thicker shank up to the button head, hex key heads. The supplied 2.5mm Allen Key in used to tighten the hex head screws during installation.
8 screws of each length are provided, so there are enough to fit the radiator with either a Push Only, Pull Only OR Push/Pull fan assembly.
It is unusual that no warning about using correct screw length was on or in the packaging. however the following image is on the Alphacool website.
So we have been warned!
However, the Monsta 280 has four built in features that make it impossible to puncture a tube with the supplied screw sets. It has great puncture protection plates (PPPs) and the super deep internal shrouds of 11mm mean that even a 35mm screw length do not even reach the PPPs when passed through a 25mm fan. The key features however are that the tubes are NOT under the fan attachment holes and the screws themselves only have 5mm of thread. So the screws can not physically screw down far enough to get anywhere near the core (or protection plates). Excellent!
For Push/Pull fan assemblies without grills/gaskets, it is likely that you will need to source another set of 8 30mm length screws, or use the supplied 35mm screws with the less desirable and more ugly option of using washers to pack out behind the screw heads.
The supplied low profile stop plugs are finished in a rather industrial looking black nickel finish. They don’t look sensational, but at least they are supplied so all unused ports on the radiator can be capped off with out the end user required to purchase anything else.
We would prefer the port plugs to have a black finish and we suspect most people who purchase Alphacool radiators would prefer this also, so we hope that in the future this small change can be accommodated.
Onwards to technical specifications!
