Coolermaster Aquagate

Electronic Punk

willalwaysbewithyou
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Randomly picked up one of these in PCWorld (no really!) today while having a quick look at the OEM section for something that I could maybe replace my stock Athlon64 fan with.

Don't get me wrong the stock fan has been amazing often keeping my system at 40 degrees while idle - amazing to someone who has just come down from an AthlonXP system, which run around 10 degrees hotter (maybe more sometimes). Definition of idle not being a few minutes after bootup, but a couple of hours.

Took me and my dad about 2 hours to fit this as we really wanted to take our time, I was paranoid about leaks as I have the odd expensive componant in there. Looking at it now, this just isn't going to happen.

The manual said that keeping the Aerogate LCU inside the case would increase the case temperature, but compared to the old fan that I removed, it has actually reduced the system temp by a few degrees and at the lowest fan speed my system, at idle, now sits at around 33.

The various fan speeds increase the fan speed on the LCU which cools a radiator which cools liquid which then flows around the cpu and back, rather like blood being pumped around the heart (in the same similie how cool would it be if the liquid got darker the hotter it got, kinda oxygenated/deoxygenated kinda look.. oh and it would be red :p) The coolant tank obviously sits a little cooler at around 30 on this low setting.

Increasing the fan setting cools the resevoir to around 25, but the noise it makes is stunning, system cools down nicely, but setting 1 will do me fine - pretty much silent!

This kinda stuff is definatly bringing the taboo of putting something wet next to expensive gear and although the price doesn't quite justify what I have just said, but I am pretty sure it will keep the temperature lower under stress and then bring it back to lower levels faster than an air cooling solution. So thats what I did.

Folding is a pretty intensive process and keeps the CPU level well up at 100% (unless you tell it not to, its also a very passive process so if something else attempts to run, it will have no issues getting out of the way!), this got the temp of the CPU up to 41 on the lowest setting, I have it turned off now.

Pretty happy with how it all works and it looks a lot more gucci than a big black fan, as you can see. I still need to do a little wire tidying - also gonna see if I can reduce the speed of the case fans without dimming the LEDS (that X-istence said was possible?)
 

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is there a block for the gpu u plan on installing later?
 
I did think about that earlier and might look into it in the future, problem is that it is made messy by the fact that block would have to go below the GPU as the current heatsyn sits on the bottom, makes things a little complicated, and potentially messy for a "show" case.
 
you could always get longer tubes... it should not affect the aesthetics of your setup I don't think...

i was just not sure how it would be handled since the gpu would dump more heat into the water setup and perhaps warm things up all around...

I am not aware if there is a water block that sells with the aerogate...

I have been considering water cooling as well but I am going to wait for my next incemental changes before implementing anything...
 
HMMMmmmmm now if they would just make something like this for people like me who HIDE their cases and have NO windows in there (Doh! I mean ON there, yeah I do sometimes have the windoze OS! hehe)

Seriously though, yes it looks a "cool" solution .... but like Heny says, how much? That Zalman I mentioned is damn near silent and standard, no liquid kudos, and only sets you back less than £30! Then again it does depend what you have to cool (GPU and all that, but you are against that "messy" stuff)...

Oh and I do believe you did fold - but I looked at team stats and you haven't made another work unit yet! C'mon EP - I'll give you reps when you do! (you know you wanna!).... :p
 
Sazar - have you thought of peltier? Way cooler in theory if you have the £/$/€!
 
well with a pelly setup I am a little less comfortable due to the inherent liklihood of failure of the cooler :)

plus the powerdraw... I'd rather have a 12v pump pushing water and cooling my cpu/gpu/southbridge than a pelly on my cpu...

the idea has crossed my mind and I was sooooo close to buying one for my 3.0c... @ the end of the day i veto'd it though...
 
good call (IMHO) - what I like to call "immature" technology - but one day.... if noise remains an issue and power draw is not, seems natural enough to me (never for a small form case though!)
 
www.over-clock.com specialise in it (uk site)
this setup is very dumbed down tho, so ideal for a sceptic like me.

Cost £170 Henyman... about £150 online so, PCWorld aren't too far off, gotta love their OEM componant range... alot of it can be tacky, but you do see the odd gem.
 
I have been thinking of modding my entire case out (ie cutting the side panel into 2 portions and replacing it with mesh instead of the current metal side panel and adding a bar running down the length to stiffen the side...

plus cutting the top and the other side as well and converting that to mesh as well... depending on how easy it turns out the side panel is

thinking of spending a weekend or two making the changes... when I do I will post my pics...

once that is done (will significantly cool down the interior of the case and if I use extra fine mesh it will reduce the dust build-up) I can work on the inside of the baby :)
going...

:cool:

its all EP's fault... he is driving me towards making this idea work with his purchases lol...
 
I think this system is complete.
If I upgrade any more I think I will be starting from scratch.
 
I'm going to keep the system I have for a long time with maybe only a switch to sata drives and move from my 3000+ to the 3700+ in like a year and half. Hopefully a year.

I'm also going to completely redo my case...going to keep the shell for the standard support but use the tightest woven metal mesh I can like sazar said. I also would like to figure a way to make a sliding door for my side panel instead of having to unscrew the door with thumbscrews...there are so many things I want to do that I'll have to draw up blueprints :)

I would really like liquid cooling but the cost is too much to dive in without having a case with enough room for it...
 
pcworld do have their gems in their :D
 
Re: Coolermaster Aerogate

PCWorld componant section was mentioned in this months Gigahrz -- as a very feasible upgrade centre :)

Did some more work this w/e... Will try and get pics from teh angle I see it at a little later :)
 

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Re: Coolermaster Aerogate

Need better padding in between the HDDs, perhaps eggbox and to hide those screwholes, then I might finally be happy.

Until CM release the GPU block for the Aquagate :eek:
 
Re: Coolermaster Aerogate

By the way, was that post above the bluest ever post ever?
 
Re: Coolermaster Aerogate

I have this Watercooler Myself, I am loving it to death it keeps my overclocked Athlon 2400 at about 100 degrees (38C) idle and about 110 under heavy load. I could take some pics or something, but I dont see it nessary.
 

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Also Hi EP and people. I found this place again while looking through a oooollllllldddd backup. I have filled over 10TB and was looking at my collection of antiques. Any bids on the 500Mhz Win 95 fix?
Any of the SP crew still out there?
Xie wrote on Electronic Punk's profile.
Impressed you have kept this alive this long EP! So many sites have come and gone. :(

Just did some crude math and I apparently joined almost 18yrs ago, how is that possible???
hello peeps... is been some time since i last came here.
Electronic Punk wrote on Sazar's profile.
Rest in peace my friend, been trying to find you and finally did in the worst way imaginable.

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