If you are looking for an attractively priced CPU cooler with chic design and RGB lighting, you should take a closer look at the “Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced RGB Black Edition CPU Cooler”. Already with the normal Ben Nevis Advanced CPU cooler Alpenföhn presented a more powerful version of the classic Ben Nevis cooler in all areas, which in the version presented here, with the addition of “RGB Black Edition”, again provides for improvements. In addition to a now black colour scheme for the entire cooling tower, the included 130 mm fan offers LED lighting with RGB functionality and various effect modes. You can find out in our test what performance the Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced RGB delivers and how the RGB lighting performs.
Technical Details
| Dimensions (with fan) | 130 x 159 x 74 mm (w x h x d) |
| Weight (with fan) | 630 g |
| Material | Copper (Heatpipes), Aluminium (fins, base plate) |
| Heatpipes | 4x Ø 6 mm |
| Fan | 130 mm PWM (8 – 25.8 dB(A), 500 – 1,500 rpm, max. 95.4 m³/h) |
| Cooling capacity | 150 W TDP |
| Connection | 4-pin PWM |
| Compatibility AMD | AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, AM4, FM1 |
| Compatibility Intel | 115x, 2011, 2011-v3, 2066 |
| Price | Price not available * |
Packaging & Scope of Delivery
The Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced CPU cooler is delivered in the RGB Black Edition in a high-quality packaging whose external design already suggests the new main function, namely RGB lighting. The package contains the cooling tower with pre-installed 130 mm fan, two smaller packages with accessories and installation instructions.
In the two additional packages there is a backplate, an Intel and an AMD retention module, a bag with heat conducting paste, a splitter cable for further LED strips or fans and of course the control module for the lighting of the fan. What is striking here is that the backplate has two small adhesive strips, with which it holds absolutely securely on the back of the mainboard. This makes it much easier to assemble the complete cooler, as the backplate does not necessarily have to be held in place with one hand.
Workmanship & Design
As the name suggests, the radiator comes completely in black. Many systems follow a certain colour scheme, which means that nickel-plated or silver-coloured coolers cannot be integrated very well optically. The black of the Ben Nevis Advanced RGB Black, on the other hand, offers ideal conditions for optically harmonious PC systems. For a price of Price not available * the finish leaves nothing to be desired and makes a good impression. Sharp edges or unclean corners are not found. Only the connections of the cables could be a little easier to connect.
The cooler basically comes in the classic tower format, which measures 130 x 159 x 74 mm (W x H x D) together with the standard fan. Thanks to the so-called Heatpipe Direct Touch technology (H.D.T.), the heatpipes are in direct contact with the CPU’s heatspreader, which significantly improves heat transfer. Supported by four 6 mm thick double heatpipes, optimum heat distribution is ensured, which dissipates heat from a total of 49 aluminium fins. A centrally placed “Shock Killer Pole” should also provide more stability against bending of the aluminium slats and also absorb shocks during transport.
Assembly & Power
Mounting the CPU cooler is very easy with a simple screw system. Depending on whether the installation is to be carried out on an Intel socket (1150 / 1151 / 1155 / 1156 / 1366 / 2011 / 2011-v3) or an AMD socket (AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / AM3+ / AM4 / FM1 / FM2 / FM2+), the corresponding mounting system is used. Installation takes less than 30 minutes and is child’s play thanks to the four screws. The enclosed heat conducting paste is sufficient for one application and should be applied according to the instructions in the manual.
The cooling capacity is specified with a TDP of 150 watts, which is achieved by the cooling tower and the 130 mm fan with hydraulic bearing. Depending on the CPU temperature, the speed of the fan connected via the 4-pin PWM connector varies between 500 – 1,500 rpm. A maximum airflow of 95.4 m³/h is achieved, while the maximum volume is 26 dB.
Illumination
Without a doubt, a special feature of this new version is the now integrated RGB LED illumination of the fan, which can be used either with the RGB header of the mainboard or with the included controller (requires Molex power plug). When using the RGB header, ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and ASRock RGB LED are supported.
Once set up and connected, the fan offers numerous lighting modes. In addition to brightness and speed, effects such as “blinking” and “smooth transition” with static colors or color changes can also be selected. A completely static lighting in the colour of your choice is of course also possible. When installing the RGB cable, however, you should urgently follow the instructions to avoid incorrect installation. If errors occur here, the motherboard can actually suffer damage.
Fulness
The Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced Black RGB CPU Cooler could convince in our test. For a low price you get a compact cooler with clean workmanship, good cooling performance and a quiet RGB LED fan. The latter should be particularly interesting for case modders and RGB fanatics, as components with RGB functionality usually require a much deeper pocket. In addition, the cooler is easy to install and can be used flexibly on the most common AMD and Intel sockets. We can therefore recommend the Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced Black RGB with a clear conscience.
Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced RGB Black Edition
Design
Performance
Features
Workmanship
Usability
Value for Money
Solid!
The Alpenföhn Ben Nevis Advanced Black RGB CPU Cooler could convince in our test. For a low price you get a compact cooler with clean workmanship, good cooling performance and a quiet RGB LED fan.
