AMD has said its partners are free to make custom coolers and models for the newly released Radeon VII, but none so far have stepped up to the plate, leaving consumers stuck with AMD's reference cooler. The reference cooler is fine, but it may not satisfy those chasing higher overclocks, lower temperatures, or lower noise levels. Thankfully, Alphacool has launched a custom waterblock for the Radeon VII at €126.95, or about $140.
Alphacool latest waterblock boasts several features, like transparent plexiglass so you can look at the coolant, the copper and nickel plated radiator, a "generous course of water" (translated by Google) that covers all heat producing components, and a backplate. It also, of course, has RGB lighting, the quintessential component for any high end cooler.
Perhaps more substantial to users is the transparent nylon that Alphacool uses where the tubing connects, which the company claims will prevent the cracks that plexiglass sometimes suffers from. Alphacool also offers an alternative orientation for the tubing connection which allows for a vertical mount.
At its current going price, it does increase the price of the Vega VII from $700 to almost $850, making it significantly more expensive, though custom liquid cooling isn't something people tend to pursue because it's a good value. The waterblock alone is priced similarly to 20-Series Nvidia waterblocks from Alphacool, which is nice since Alphacool is your only real option for putting a different cooler on your Radeon VII.
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