Overclockers

Preliminary review – Joe

SUMMARY: An excellent system if marketed as a kit – the waterblock could be a top performer.

Another new face on the watercooling scene, AquaJoe, sent me their system to check out. As this is not yet marketed as a kit, I am calling this a preliminary review (no kit pricing available yet). However, if the critical components (waterblock, radiator and waterpump) do not change and are incorporated into a kit, final results should not vary significantly from what you see here.

AquaJoe sent along a Black Ice Xtreme Rev.2 radiator to test with the waterblock and a Hydor L30 waterpump.

The waterblock features a pin fin base:

The base is milled from a copper block and is bolted to the aluminum top with four allen screws:

The base is well finished and appeared polished smooth; when I ran my nail over it, I could not feel or hear any ridges. Included in the base is a hole into which you can insert a temperature probe. Also note the four holes – these are drilled and tapped for an accessory copper coldplate for use with a TEC (no insulation gear included – just the coldplate).

AquaJoe sent three different fittings, but I opted for the largest, which are made of nylon:

I had minor difficulty in using these fittings as they are so large that, with one in place, screwing in the second rubbed against the first one’s hexagonal base:

The anchors for the waterblock mount to the holes in the motherboard:

As you screw down the small bolts into the rails, it expands the split collar in the holes for a secure fit. The mounts are made of aluminum with steel bolts – the springs press the waterblock to the CPU core.

The AquaJoe was tested on the CPU Die Simulator which gives results that are unaffected by motherboard influences. I tested the AquaJoe using a 120 mm Delta fan model# WFB1212M (120 x 25mm, 72.4 cfm 34 dBA) on the radiator. As no reservoir was included at this time, I use a simple “T” connector to fill and bleed the system (a method I much prefer anyway).