Alphacool is one of the pioneers when it comes to water cooling and remains affordable. And of course, the range includes a wide variety of sizes of water cooling radiators. So too exotic formats, like the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU-AIO in this review, which is extremely compact at the eponymous 92mm. This format also fits into older cases or compact computers in ‘Small Form Factor’ (SFF) dimensions. What does this small water cooler perform? And how does it perform compared to simple 92mm air coolers? That’s what we’ll put under the microscope in this Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 review!
Specifications
| Compatible sockets | Intel 775 / 1056 / 1155 / 1150 / 1151 / 1200 / 1700 / 2011 / 2011-3 / 2066 AMD AM2 / AM2+ / AM3 / AM3+ / FM1 / FM2 / FM2+ / AM4 / AM5 |
| Radiator size (L x W x H) | 134 x 92 x 30 mm |
| Radiator material | copper |
| Thread material and connectors | brass |
| Cooler bottom | Copper, nickel-plated |
| Connections | G1/4″ (+ fillport G1/4″) |
| Pump | DC-LT 2 (2600 RPM) |
| Fan compatibility | 2 x 92 mm |
| Fan included | none |
| hose | 25 cm TPV, black |
| Liquid | Distilled water with glysantine |
| Price | € 99.90 * |
Packaging and scope of delivery
- Securely packaged
- Neutral packaging design
- No fans included
The packaging of the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO is quite simple and universal in design. So there is no specific print on the packaging that indicates what can be found in the box. Except for a sticker in the corner.
The AIO is in a long foil and is protected by foam. In the middle there is a bag with accessories and mounting material. This consists of mounting materials for AMD and Intel as well as high-end Subzero thermal paste and screws, which are enough for mounting or even two fans. There is also a fan splitter for this. And that brings us right to this:
Because what is not included in the scope of delivery are matching fans, which should already be clear when buying by “(without fan)”. If not already available, you still have to factor in their purchase. Alphacool itself offers, for example, the black, cheap Yate Loon D90SH-12B. But also RGB fans, like the Alphacool Eiszyklon Aurora LUX Digital RGB (€ 10.49 *) in the matching 92mm format. Otherwise, there are mainly fans without RGB from other manufacturers, like Noiseblocker with the NB-BlacksilentFan XE2 (€ 10.09 *). Suitable models can also be found from other well-known manufacturers. Possible solutions from other well-known manufacturers are thus also the Arctic F9 (€ 8.99 *), the be quiet! Pure Wings 92mm (€ 15.59 *), the Noctua NF-A9 (€ 19.90 *) and NF- B9 redux (€ 13.90 *) or even the Cooler Master SickleFlow 92 (€ 6.93 *).
Design
- Mainly kept in black
- No lighting
The Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO is kept in black – the logo is found in textured metal look on the flat pump unit and in blue on the radiator. According to the space-saving use, the hoses are also attached to the side. This should not cause height problems in any case.
There is no RGB lighting natively. The only way to add something here would be RGB fans. Other than that, black is predominant. What really impresses is the small size of the radiator. Compared to common formats, like this 280mm radiator, you can see how extremely compact the Alphacool Eisbaer LR92 CPU AIO is:
Construction and workmanship
- Copper radiator
- Components that are also suitable for custom loops
- Wide clean processing
What particularly stands out is that the Alphacool Eisbar LT92 CPU AIO is made entirely of custom water cooling parts. This includes a high-quality copper radiator, which in combination with the copper radiator base can be operated completely worry-free without special additives – completely without problems with corrosion. Apart from the fact that you can thus also reuse the parts in later systems for custom water cooling, which gives the not quite cheap purchase a certain added value. For example, thanks to the standard components, you could easily change the radiator later – or install an additional one. The pump is powerful enough for several (and even larger) radiators. Last but not least, in case of a defect, the defective individual parts can still be replaced outside of the warranty period, without having to buy a completely new cooler.
But let’s get to the review of the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO’s workmanship.
Around the edge of the radiator, unlike larger Alphacool radiators, you won’t find a screw stop, but screws that are possibly too long would turn into the soft fins. This is not a huge issue as the fluid lines themselves would not be affected. The radiator bottom is very smooth and cleanly finished, and the 3-pin cable with jacket also looks high quality. The only point that struck me a bit negatively is the edge of the front cover on the pump unit. Here, the edge shines metallically, but that is a bit irregular. However, this does not affect the performance.
Compatibility
- Helpful for small form factor cases
- Compatible even with old cases
- Problematic when used by system integrators with proprietary parts
A current trend is to buy old workstations cheap and then upgrade them. Here’s a little note: While many of these workstations from Dell, HP and other brands only have a 92mm fan in the back and so you might get the idea to use the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO here, you may well run into problems with proprietary components here. This is not a problem for Alphacool, but rather the exclusion of standardized products by complete system providers. For example, Dell relies on its own fan connector and HP does not screw the coolers into a backplate, but directly into the case – and of course not with common screws.
Apart from that, you have to realistically say: There are parts that you do not necessarily have to change when switching to a newer system. This includes housings, for example. Thanks to standardized formats, you can still install current ATX mainboards in 20 year old ATX cases. This may cause airflow problems with current top hardware, but in the entry-level to mid-range segment this is rather negligible due to the lower heat development. With older cases, as they are often used for sleeper PCs, you will quickly come across models that only allow 92 mm fans. Otherwise, there are also modern SFF cases that are definitely limited to 92 mm fan slots, such as the Raijintek Ophion 7L or the Kolink Rocket V2. In such cases, the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO can be one of the very few options for water cooling.
For the test, I’m building a “sleeper PC.” That means: an inconspicuous, old case is combined with modern hardware and the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO as water cooling.
Installation
- Different mechanisms for different sockets
- Many small individual parts
In this test, the cooler is used on an AM4 system. For this, the frame is first put on the pump unit and this clips into each other with a firm pressure. Then the screws are prepared. For this, first a spring is put on the screw, over it comes a washer, then the 2 mm thick spacer washer. Now this screw is put through the holes in the frame and then tightened properly with the nut. Repeat this until all four corners are covered. Then you remove the protective foil from the contact surface, apply thermal paste to the processor and then the cooler is screwed directly into the AMD backplate. Relatively simple.
For Intel systems things are a bit different; here a very massive metal backplate is included. This can be used for different Intel sockets. In principle, however, screws and plug-in frames similar to those on AM4 are also used here.
The comparison calculator
- Modern system in an old case
- Some older fans in use
Since the old case doesn’t offer any particular airflow, I went with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, which is a mid-range processor that can heat well, but produces quite manageable waste heat. The front fan in the case is an Arctic P12 PWM PST ARGB. In the side sits another old blue 80mm fan to draw in some more air. Old in this case means that I found pictures of my 2006 computer that this was sitting in – and accordingly, it will be older. For the comparison, I’m pulling up the 3600X’s stock cooler, the AMD Wraith Spire with a 92mm fan. The fan in the back is an Enermax A129225MM-A with 92 mm. For the test, I run both 92mm fans at around 2000 RPM, and the front fan at 1200 RPM. The 80mm fan runs unbraked, but with a Noctua low-noise adapter.
Hui, such volumes were normal back then? In this form, the computer runs at 41.5 dB(A). The idle temperature of the processor is 20 Kelvin above room temperature.
In Cinebench R23, the temperature rose to 61 Kelvin above the room temperature after 5 minutes. At a summery 27°C in the room, that means a good 88°C processor temperature in this case.
Performance
- More powerful than AMD Wraith Spire
- With a fan, quite high speeds are necessary
As for the volume measurement of the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 in this review, I must say that not much has changed, but this is not surprising, since – except for the fan of the AMD cooler – all fans are identical. The Enermax fan is also just a bit louder in pull configuration than without resistance. The idle temperature also barely changes – but at least in the good direction. This is now 19K above room temperature after a settling phase.
Things look a bit better under load, because only 55 Kelvin above room temperature are reached here. And that’s after a longer period of 8 minutes to ensure saturation of the liquid temperature.
In the form with a fan, one is thus only minimally above the performance of the box cooler, whereby one can definitely still pull out some performance and smoothness here with the right fan. Is that it for the performance potential? No, there’s still room for improvement! So far there is only one fan sitting on the cooler, but there are enough screws included for a push-pull configuration!
Push-pull on the Alphcool Eisbaer LT92?
- Noticeably increased performance
- Similar performance to 1-fan version possible at significantly lower RPM
Well, the 80 mm fan in the side has to give way for this, but with an additional 92 mm fan from AVC, the idle temperature already drops to 17 Kelvin above room temperature. Once again, nothing really changes in terms of volume.
Under load, I was able to reach a temperature of 51 Kelvin above room temperature, which means 78°C processor temperature at 27°C room temperature. That is already a significant improvement and in contrast to many larger coolers, it can be said here that equipping it with a second fan is definitely noticeable. This brings a decent performance increase compared to the AMD Wraith Spire, especially in summer temperatures.
Let’s go all in. I fire up all the fans once. Now this may turn out louder with the fans in the test than using models from Noctua, but here you are free to choose. The Enermax fan hits its limit at 2400 RPM; the AVC fan spins up to 3650 RPM. The Arctic P12 in the front can be accelerated to around 1920 RPM. Thus, the volume sits at a less pleasant 55 dB(A). This has surprisingly little effect on the idle temperature – barely one degree cooler.
Under load, the performance is also rather irrelevant compared to the increased volume. 49 Kelvin above room temperature was the result.
And how does it look quietly? When I set the fans to 1500 RPM, the volume measurement only lands at a tolerable 34 dB(A). At idle, the result lands back at the 19 K above room temperature, as with the one faster spinning fan. It looks similar under load. With 54 K above room temperature, the faster, louder 1-fan variant is only just beaten, but this definitely benefits the noise.
Conclusion
Clearly – 120mm AIOs already offer little performance advantage over tower coolers. And so it’s not surprising that a 92-mm AIO doesn’t snatch a performance crown either. But still, this cooler is a cool and sustainable solution when it comes to water cooling in a small space. And the standard included coolers from processors are definitely beaten as well. At most, the price might be a bit itchy, especially since you should factor in the investment in fans. But if you want to build an SFF system or a sleeper PC, the Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 definitely offers the possibility to keep a mid-range processor cool without any problems. Whether the investment is worth it is ultimately up to each person to decide for themselves, but technically I have to say that the result is quite convincing!
Alphacool Eisbaer LT92
Design
Workmanship
Mounting
Performance
Value for money
82/100
The Alphacool Eisbaer LT92 CPU AIO shows itself to be a flexible part for mounting in old or small cases, and it definitely outperforms factory coolers, especially with the right fans.
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