X-bit labs

Cooler Master Aquagate S1 Liquid Cooling System Review

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 02/12/2008 | 12:45 PM ]

We continue checking out the efficiency of mainstream liquid-cooling systems. Today we will talk about a new solution from Cooler Master. It is inexpensive, simple to install, universal. Will it also be able to prove better than a traditional air-cooler? Let’s find out!

Table of contents:

• Package and Accessories
  
• Main Water Block and Radiator Design and Functionality
  
• Installation and Assembly Tips
  
• Specifications
  
• Testbed and Methods
  
• Cooling Efficiency and Acoustic Performance
  
• Conclusion
  

The Aquagate liquid-cooling systems lineup from Cooler Master is currently represented by 6 different models. Three of these systems have already been tested in our labs, and the reviews of two of them have been posted.

Today we are going to talk about one more liquid-cooling system for the CPU called Aquagate S1. Frankly speaking, mass-production liquid-cooling systems from this manufacturer have never been the quietest or the most efficient out there, however, they have always stood out against their competitors due to low price and simple installation procedure. So, how successful the current solution turned out? Our today’s article will get in all the details about it to answer this question for you.

Package and Accessories

Cooler Master Aquagate S1 liquid-cooling system comes in a pretty large vertical box with a plastic carry handle:

There is a small cut out window in the front panel of the box that is shaped up to match the main unit of the cooling system. You can see part of the cooling fan on Aquagate S1 heatsink and the heatsink itself through this window. The complete list of processors supported by Aquagate S1 is given on the sides of the box. The back side of the box tells about all the key features and peculiarities of this cooling system alongside with its detailed technical specifications:

The liquid-cooling system itself sits in transparent plastic casing with a small box with accessories right beneath it:

Among the bundled accessories we can find:

• Universal retention bracket for the water block;
• The bracket for the ran rotation speed controller to be installed on the case rear panel;
• A syringe with a special nozzle for system refill;
• Cooler Master thermal grease;
• A set of screws, washers, plastic pads, etc.
• Installation manual in nine languages.

This is a pretty modest set of accessories, but the reason for that is very simple: Aquagate S1 doesn’t need anything else.