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Product:
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Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 |
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Price:
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$110 (CAN) / $99 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Cooler Master
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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May 18th, 2005
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Rating:
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The Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 includes an 80mm aluminum based radiator that measures 80mm x 120mm
x 45mm. The unit incorporates a built-in metal shroud that has been drilled with four self tapping
screws enabling the installation of an 80mm cooling fan. The base of the radiator features two outlets
and a series of interconnected tubes which demonstrate the flow pattern. While examining the quality of
the radiator, I found it strange that Cooler Master would intermix a copper water block with an
aluminum based radiator. Both metals have issues with creating corrosion in a liquid cooling system
if not controlled with an addictive. Mounting the AquaGate Mini R80 Water Block is a
straightforward process that can be completed in less than 30 minutes. The first step is to install
your CPU into the CPU socket and select the proper retention plate. Consumers should note that this
process should be completed with the motherboard removed from the case
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The documentation included with the Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 advises that this product has been designed
for easy installation. This was not the case when attempting to install the water block on an ASUS PC4C800
Deluxe Motherboard. I ran into problems with a series are capacitors that were located a few inches from the
CPU socket. In order to correct this problem, I had to re-adjust the position of the P4 retention plate and
pre-install the retention plate mounting screws. There are a total of 8 screws that must be secured to the water
block prior to installation.
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With the water block assembly completed, 4 anti-vibration pads are placed around the mounting holes on the motherboard
to reduce pump noise. The next step is to align the water block on the CPU by centering the unit between the mounting
holes on the P4 motherboard. The motherboard is then turned upside down in order to install the back mounting plate.
For the P4 installation there are four bolts that have to be installed and tightened using the bundled Hexagon wrench.
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Due to the orientation of the water block, I opted to install the 80mm aluminum radiator towards the top of my
case. To start performance tests, I assembled the following pieces of hardware to complete the system:
- ASUS PC4C800 Deluxe Motherboard
- Pentium 4 2.8C CPU with a Thermalright SLK947U HSF
- ATI Radeon 9700 Pro Video Card
- 2 x Maxtor Diamond Max Plus 8 40 GB Hard drives
- 2 x OCZ PC3200 DDR400 256MBx2 CAS2.5
- LiteOn 52x32x52 CD-RW
- LG 52x32x52 CD-RW w/ SuperLink
- Sound Blaster Live 5.1 sound card
- PCMods 4 switch Baybus
- Aspire Aluminum ATX-AS500W PSU
- SilverStone Nimiz SST-TJ03 Aluminum Case
Testing:
The Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 was run at full fan speed through a series of benchmark applications to record
system temperatures and performance. The "Burn-In Wizard" from SiSoft Sandra Pro 2005 is used to put the CPU under
concentrated load for a pre-determined amount of time. The options selected in "Burn-In Wizard" run the CPU and CPU
Multimedia benchmarks for approximately 30 minutes. The system is left alone for approximate 30 minutes before the
burn-in test is performed. Maximum temperatures are measured in degree Celsius and recorded for idle, full load,
idle overclock and full load overclock confirmed by an independent thermal probe and Motherboard Monitor 5.3.7.0.
For comparison, I will be using the Thermalright SLK947U which is currently my top rated P4 cooling heatsink.
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The system was run in normal mode at 2.8 GHz and overclocked mode at 3.2 GHz. Ambient room temperature
was measured at 29 degrees Celsius. The performance results are a good indication that the Cooler Master
AquaGate Mini R80 is not suited as a high performance cooling solution in overclocked environments.
The Thermalright SLK947U HSF was able to best the R80 in just about every category by a margin of 3-5
degrees. Overall temperatures were very respectable on the P4 platform but the 80mm cooling fan attached
to the aluminum radiator is far from silent even when adjusted at its lowest RPM level.
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Conclusion:
Cooler Master has done a decent job at introducing a mid-range solution that uses the traditional approach
to water cooling. The Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 comes already primed with a water block and
reservoir combination that is large enough to accommodate both AMD and Intel platforms. Consumers will
appreciate that the R80 is perfect for case interiors tight on free space. The bundled aluminum radiator
includes a built-in metal shroud that has been drilled with four self tapping screws enabling the installation
of a 80mm cooling fan. The Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 does emphasize universal compatibility with
the inclusion of 5 different retention plates. While the Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 does have a few
positive features there are some recommendations that could be made to improve this package. One of the
first issues that should be addressed is a standardized list of compatible motherboards. As documented
in my review I had a few issues mounting this product on my existing motherboard without some minor
adjustment. The idea to self prime the system and pre-install tubing removes the headaches experienced
with rival kits but limits the true functionality of this product for those consumers who want to extend
cooling to their chipsets or video cards. Cooler Master advises that the coolant in this system is good
for 2 years but neither the documentation nor website have any recommendations on how to re-prime the
system once 2 years have passed. The AquaGate Mini R80 is being marketed as a kit for beginners who want
to transition from air based cooling. Cooler Master advises that this product is easy to install and I
tend to agree to a certain extent. The process is complicated since it requires that a motherboard be
completely removed first in order to proceed with the initial installation. Aside from a few minor issues,
I'm rating the Cooler Master AquaGate Mini R80 a final rating of
6.5 out of 10. If you have any questions
regarding this review be sure to visit the Cooler Master
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Universal clipping mechanisms
- Pre-assembled and primed with coolant
- Installation can be completed in 1 one hour
- No maintenance required for 2 years
- Price
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Cons:
- Not suited for overclocked environments
- Default configuration may not fit all cases
- No ability to add chipset and video card cooling
- Weak flow rates
- Average performance results
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