[Bundymania User Review] Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox

[bundymania]

Hello guys,

The watercooling pumps of the Laing DDC 1T series are well known and popular candidates on the watercooling market since many years. I think this product is established, because of its great performance and its compact dimensions. The pump offers flow-rates, which guarantee enough power reserves for almost any kind of watercooling-solutions in your PC.

The customer can choose between a great variety of component parts, like tops from different producers with G ¼” threads, which reduces as well the noise-level of the pump to maximum silence. Silence is exactly the topic of the following product: The new Alphacool Silentbox for the Laing Pump. The box should absorb the operating noise. Therefore let us take a look, if it is possible to reduce the sound level of the pump with this box (I will show you as well the different assembly options of the box)

I used the Laing DDC-1T Plus version in my test, which is identical in construction to the Koolance PMP-400, in combination with the favorable Alphacool POM Laing Top.

The pump including the top fit in the silentbox:

Some impressions of the Alphacool Silentbox:

Technical Details:

Material: Steel, Cellular material

Color: black paintwork

Seize (LxBxH): 100x102x66mm

Standard assembly option: 2x 3,5” Bay

Additional mounting holes:

Bottom Side: 8x M4 Threads

Sideward: je 2x M3 Threads

Weight: 474g

Scope of supply:

Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox

8x mounting screws

Price: 15 EUR

Source of supply: Aquatuning - Der Wasserkhlung Vollsortimenter - Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox Alphacool Laing DDC-SilentBox 52191

The box has nice black paintwork and is filled with black foam material, in order to reduce the noise level of the pump. It has apertures on the top and foreside, which are big enough to connect fittings and tubes up to a size auf 19/13mm (1/2”) (you have to cut out the holes by yourself, for your preferred size). The Alphacool Silentbox comes in a decent black retail box and is well wrapped in bubble foil. The scope of supply contains 8 black assembly screws. In order to decouple the box itself, it has different threads at the bottom and on the sides, so you can choose between great varieties of assembly options for buffers. An additional idea is to install a “Phobya Noise Destructor” under the box. On the backside you will a find a small hole, which should be used for the electric-cable of the pump.

The Alphacool Silentbox has a nice decent design and the processing quality is in a good relation to its price of 15,00 Euro. Here and there, you might find some very small errors in the paintwork, but they are not disturbing the good appearance of this product.

I think the ambient temperature is another interesting point concerning this Silentbox.

I have installed a sensor in the Silentbox in order to give you a small impression of the inside-temperatures. Gauging temperatures after one hour results in a plus auf three degrees Celsius over room temperature (I think a good value with no dangers for longer usage).

On-road test:

I used the Laing DDC 1T Plus including the black Alphacool Acetal Top in the Silentbox and started to test the different noise level with my ears, because if have no expensive db test equipment. My first thought was a testing of the noise level by an Android Smartphone App, but I think those tool are not precise enough and I did not have as well enough money to buy an expensive checking device. Therefore I did a small videoclip, which shows the operating of the whole combination.

Because of the Silentbox, the noise level is a bit lower and less high-frequent, which sounds much more comfortable. I am sorry, but I think the microphone of my camera is not good enough the express the real sounding of the pump.

The Alphacool Silentbox gets the Price-Performance Award.

Conclusion:

Taking the used materials and the material-thickness into account, you should not expect wonders like total silence, especially if you use a pump-top (like I did), which is not the most quite candidate. Nevertheless you will hear a difference in using the Silentbox or not. In relation to its price, the reduced noise level is on an adequate level. Additionally the box offers a great variety of assembly and decoupling options.

Thanks: I would like to thank the following companies and producers for supporting this test: Alphacool, Aquatuning, Phobya and Koolance!