INTRODUCTION

   If you happen to be building systems for friends and family members all year long as i do then you should be well aware that AIO liquid CPU coolers (and more specifically 240/360 models) is what most people choose to go with nowadays. Yes, there are a few CPU air coolers currently in the market capable of cooling efficiency levels similar to those of even the largest AIO models (Noctua I’m looking at you) but side aside (case and motherboard compatibility) they all require higher airflow levels to achieve those. That being said 360/420 AIO models feature long radiators which again are not compatible with every PC case out there (so you should obviously take all of these into account before making your choice). AQIRYS is one of the latest players to enter the PC peripherals market and after testing their surprisingly good T.G.A wireless gaming mouse today with me i have their AQUARIUS 360 AIO CPU Liquid Cooler.

   AQIRYS is about IT products and hardware dedicated to gaming. Our solutions are developed and perfected by a passionate team with over 15 years of expertise in the IT & gaming industry, heavily focused on variety, quality, and affordability. We all are avid gamers, some of us even reaching pro levels. Top that with the excitement for PC modding and overclocking that was well established through our parent company about 13 years ago (the first company in our country to receive the NVIDIA SLI certification). The whole experience we amassed from gaming and crafting super high-end PC’s is now put to work in developing the AQIRYS products. Our final goal is to deliver these products in a cool, dynamic way to people who are keen or enthusiastic about PC gaming and modding, making them feel more satisfied than before. Welcome to AQIRYS! The galaxy of gaming tools that will lead you to victory!

   The AQUARIUS line of AIO CPU Liquid Coolers by AQIRYS currently includes 120/240/360mm models available both in black and white colors. Typically, the AQUARIUS 360 Black which i have here with me today consists by 4 parts, an 395mm long, 120mm wide and 27mm thick aluminum radiator, two 450mm long nylon braided rubber tubes, high-performance ceramic-bearing pump (with a speed of up to 2600RPM -+10%) complete with top ARGB LEDs and a flow-optimised all-copper base (cold-plate) and three 120mm ARGB PWM hydraulic-bearing 120mm fans (1800RPM/75CFM/32dBA). Thanks to this combination the AQUARIUS 360 achieves a very high TDP (thermal design power) of 300W and as expected both the three bundled 120mm high static pressure fans and the top of the pump are fully compatible with 3-pin ARGB motherboards (ASUS Aura Sync, ASRock Polychrome Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light). Unlike most similar AIO models out there AQIRYS bundles a compact ARGB controller with their AQUARIUS series for people who don't own one such motherboard. As for warranty AQIRYS covers their AQUARIUS AIO series with a 2-year limited one.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

At the front of the large blue box, we find a product picture surrounded by the company logo, TDP and some of its features.

The product features are all listed on both sides of the box (in 12 languages on the left side).

The size of the radiator is showcased at the rear just next to the product specifications.

As usual with AIO models the entire bundle is placed in several plastic bags and inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Aside the main body of the AQUARIUS 360 (radiator/tubes/pump/waterblock) inside the box you will also find the three 120mm PWM fans with their mounting screws, thermal paste tube, thermal paste tool, ARGB controller, ARGB adapter cable, fan y-cable, two backplates (AMD and Intel), installation instructions in multiple languages, AQIRYS welcome note and all the necessary screws and mounts for installation on Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1700/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM4 compatible motherboards.

THE AQUARIUS 360

With the mirror like polished top of the pump as sole exception the AQUARIUS 360 is pretty much identical to most AIO models in the market today.

At 27.10mm thickness the radiator is as AQIRYS states.

The radiator used with the AQUARIUS 360 has an FPI (fins per inch) count of 20.

At the end of the radiator, we find a fill/empty port which however is not to be used.

The 450mm long sleeved rubber tubes should be quite enough for even the largest PC towers out there.

Aside its mirror like finish the top of the pump also has the company logo beneath it along with several ARGB LEDs.

Both tubes can rotate at the base of the waterblock/pump combo to simplify installation.

The all-copper coldplate does have some visible machine marks but that’s pretty much normal.

All three 120mm PWM hydraulic bearing fans have anti-vibration pads on all 4 corners, two 3-pin ARGB mainboard connectors and a 4-pin PWM connector.

With the fans mounted the AQUARIUS 360 measures almost 52.50mm in thickness.

Even though my test system (for coolers) doesn’t support RGB/ARGB thanks to the bundled controller I can quickly showcase some of the available colors and effects of the AQUARIUS 360.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   Testing complete water cooling kits or individual radiators is no different than testing CPU Coolers and since i want all of you to be able to compare similar products, i created new and separate charts (you can still cross-compare results however since we are using the same test rig). So once again single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of the test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests complete water cooling kits or radiators with bundled fans are measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside that said room. Finally, much like when testing CPU Coolers, it's very important to point out that just because a water cooling kit outperforms another when tested with my test rig (when i test complete water cooling kits) that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

   To successfully record the load temperatures, I’ll be using the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded, I’ll wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can i deliver real world results to all of you based on real CPUs but i can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests (when fans exist in the bundle) are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the radiator. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here, we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   AQIRYS may not still be a well-established manufacturer in the EU but so far, their products have lived up to my expectations, at least for the most part. Yes, the AQUARIUS 360 is not the best AIO I’ve ever used or reviewed in terms of cooling efficiency but it actually does quite well for a budget oriented 360mm AIO model (and better compared to other similar models). On top of that noise levels are actually quite good for 1800RPM fans and the same also applies for looks thanks to both its ARGB lighting and the mirror like top of the pump. The lack of AMD compatibility (aside AM4 that is) is somewhat strange and even though this is not the 1st time I've encountered this i do hope AQIRYS takes steps towards improving that end of their AIO models. Adding an ARGB controller in the package was also a nice move even though I’ve always been of the opinion that everyone should be doing that (not all people have RGB/ARGB compatible motherboards after all).

   Just like with the T.G.A wireless gaming mouse the AQUARIUS 360 AIO liquid CPU cooler by AQIRYS is currently only available in Romania for 113Euros (PC-Coolers) a price tag which is very attractive. Still at this time most people are clearly unable to gain access to AQIRYS products and that’s certainly a drawback, one which I hope they resolve soon. That being said the AQUARIUS 360 delivers on most things from cooling efficiency and relatively low noise levels to stunning looks and an affordable price tag and that’s why it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Good Cooling Efficiency
- 450mm Long Sleeved Rubber Tubes
- ARGB Pump / Fan Illumination
- Easy Installation
- Bundled ARGB Controller
- Available In Black And White Colors
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Current Availability (General)
- Compatibility (360mm AIO)
- AMD Socket Compatibility