Waterblock Test – Joe
SUMMARY: Good choice for CPU cooling with moderate power waterpumps.
AquaJoe was nice enough to send a AquaGold waterblock to test.
AquaJoe’s AquaGold features
- 1/2 inch plastic barb fittings (3/8″ and Quick Connect fittings also available)
- Anodized aluminum top
- 4 tapped holes for peltier mounting with coldplate
- Hole in base for temp probe
- Spring loaded mounting system
The interior features pin fins:
Note also the “wall” which channels water among the pins. The pins serve to increase surface area, although at the expense of increasing pressure drop.
The base could be better finished:
Ther were small nicks and scratches evident on the base – performance can be enhanced by a good lapping. In fact, the first block I received had a much better finish, although for these tests I used an off-the-shelf version.
The AquaJoe AquaGold was tested using the CPU Die Simulator and Waterblock Test Rig.
| Waterblock | C/W | Pressure Drop – psi | Pressure Drop – inches H2O |
| AquaGold | 0.15 | 0.80 | 22.1 |
Unrounded data: 0.150 C/W with 0.0015 std dev.
Test Results indicate that the AquaGold’s pressure drop (or head loss) across the waterblock is moderate; flow resistance such as this means that AquaGold requires a moderatley powerful waterpump (300 gph class) to perform well.
For a comparison of the AquaGold’s performance to other waterblocks tested to date, see Overclockers.com Waterblock Test Results.
AquaJoe’s AquaGold waterblock is a very good choice for CPU cooling with a moderately powered waterpump, as long as other components do not unduly restrict waterflow. The base could be finished better – a good lapping will increase performance somewhat.
Thanks again to AquaJoe for sending this our way.
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