Radiator Block

Radiator and fans will be the next components we are going to discuss.

Despite our expectations that originate from the experience we had with mainstream liquid-cooling solutions so far, Cooler Master didn’t try to save a buck on their Aquagate Max radiator: they made it big enough for two120-mm fans instead of a typical single fan. The unit measures 300 x 142 x 71mm and weighs 708g when empty (without the coolant).

Unfortunately, Cooler Master’s generosity ended there: the radiator is made of aluminum:

There are threaded retention holes at the back of the radiator for two additional exhaust fans. The retention stands for the radiator itself are screwed on to the sides:

Two fittings 9.5mm in diameter with shaped chromium-plated nuts are inserted into one side of the radiator:

The radiator is topped with a pair of 12-mm 9-blade fans. They are marked as Cooler Master A12025-24-RB-4BP-F1 fans:

We didn’t find a fan with this marking among Cooler Master products. It must be made exclusively for the Aquagate Max system. This fans use rifle bearings that guarantee up to 40,000h MTBF (over 4.5 years of non-stop operation). If you take another look at Aquagate Max specifications, you will see that the fan rotation speed should be adjusted automatically by the main block. It should vary in the interval from ~850RPM to ~2400RPM creating a joint airflow of 143.62CFM and generating 22dBA of noise. The latter is claimed to be lower as it actually is, which has already become Cooler Master’s habit.

There are green decorative LEDs in the corners of these fans:

As you can see from the same photo, these fans support PWM control thanks to the four-pin cables. The fans are attached to the radiator with eight long screws. As for another eight screws for the additional two fans on the back of the radiator, you will have to find them on your own, since they are not included into the retention sets bundled with the system. It is really a pity, as such a small thing could really make users’ life a lot easier.