The AlphaCool Core Storm XT45 & Core Hurrican XT45 Liquid Cooling Kits Review

Conclusion

The Core Storm XT45 240 mm and Core Hurrican XT45 360 mm provided us with a wealth of information on AlphaCool’s liquid cooling kits and how these would compare against typical AIO coolers. Even for users that would prefer to choose each of their cooling system parts individually, the sheer number of parts included with each set allows us to take a close look at several of AlphaCool’s individual liquid cooling products in a single go.

As expected, the performance of these two kits is significantly better than typical AIO liquid cooling solutions. Though that is an undeserved comparison for everybody – the price, complexity, and target market of these liquid cooling kits are diametrically different than that of relatively low-cost AIO coolers. The “cheaper” Core Storm XT45 240 mm set currently sells for $365, and the more premium Core Hurrican XT45 360 mm set brings the cost up by another $100 to $465, which is nearly three times the price of popular AIO coolers. Still, that makes for a niche that AlphaCool's kits fit well into, being aimed at users whose systems typically cost many times more than the cooling loop and/or require extreme cooling performance for their needs.

Although there were several differences between the parts of the two kits, it can be concluded that the most meaningful difference is the tubing; the Core Storm XT45 240 mm utilizes flexible tubing, while the Core Hurrican XT45 360 mm comes with rigid tubing. Both types of tubing have their advantages and disadvantages, with the flexible tubing being much more forgiving and easier to work with, while the rigid tubing offers a more visually appealing look.

In terms of practicality and risk, the scale tips greatly toward flexible tubing. Rigid tubing requires fairly good hand tool skills and very careful assembly, and even then just an imperfectly deburred tube can cut into the seal and produce a slow but devastating leak. That said, users that are confident with the skills required to assemble a hard tube liquid cooling kit should not face any issues if they approach their build calmly and unhurriedly.

Most of the other differences between the Core Storm XT45 and Core Hurrican XT45 kits are largely superficial and should not measurably affect the cooling system’s performance. Only the radiator’s size does play a significant role, and both kits are offered with a plethora of radiator options. It's important to keep in mind that the larger 360 mm radiator did not provide a significant performance advantage under typical thermal loads. However, it could be slightly advantageous for multi-GPU systems where extra cooling capacity is needed.

Meanwhile, we do recommend going for the larger Aurora D5 reservoir if the space and budget permit it. It is greatly more convenient to work with than the small Core 100, and it could potentially offer a small real-world performance benefit as the extra thermal capacity of the additional liquid can absorb temperature spikes due to short-term spikes in CPU usage.

Overall, the AlphaCool Core Storm XT45 and Core Hurrican XT45 liquid cooling kits consist of top-quality products and deliver excellent cooling performance. For those seeking a ready-to-install liquid cooling kit, the choice between the two sets will largely come down to personal preference, with tubing probably being the major decisive factor. Those that wish to combine the more premium parts of the Hurrican set with the advantages of flexible tubing, or simply want to mix and match their own liquid cooling kit, will have to hand-pick the individual parts of their liking instead.