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For starters, the box is huge which provides a bit of an indication as to what you can expect inside. The front of the cooler's box features a large image of the Alphacool Eisbaer Extreme, along with some of its key features. The rear of the packaging just features another image of the cooler.
Opening the box up, we find a pretty comprehensive instruction booklet, and a large set of mounting hardware and accessories.
As accessories like the fans and power cables are all connected to the cooler, the only separate parts you receive with the Alphacool Eisbaer Extreme are for the CPU block's installation and mounting.
Taking the cooler out of the box, my first thought was ‘it’s absolutely huge'. The radiator's dimensions come in at 385.5 x 156 x 64mm, and when compared to a more standard 280mm radiator at 297 x 144 x 30mm, it's clear there’s quite a bit more to this cooler than just a radiator.
The main bulk of the cooler does include the radiator, but also the Eisbaer Extreme fans, pump, and reservoir – so unlike most AIOs, the CPU block is just a block and does not have an integrated pump unit.
As the Eisbaer Extreme is intended to be upgradable, a couple of quick release fittings have been included midway down the tubing so you could easily add, say, a graphics card block if you wanted.
If you do intend to open and close the quick disconnects a few times, though, it's likely you will lose a bit of coolant, so Alphacool has included a handy fill port allowing you to top up the reservoir and prevent any air pockets or bubbles forming.
You can also get a gauge of how much coolant is in the system using the two viewports, one on either side of the cooler.
With the cooler's external housing opened up, you get a better idea of how the components have been put together. Breaking down what's included you get a standalone pump – the Alphacool Eispump VPP755 V.3.
For fans, two be quiet! Silent Wings 3 140mm 4-pin PWM fans are supplied, and lastly there is an Alphacool Eisblock XPX CPU block. All of the connections are also g¼ inch fittings, so theoretically you could swap out things like tubing, or even integrate the pump, reservoir or radiator into an existing loop.
