INTRODUCTION

   Whether it's for their cooling efficiency, looks, installation ease, zero clearance issues or even their very little case airflow requirements (or all of these) AIO liquid CPU coolers are what most gamers, enthusiasts and even professionals trust nowadays. Still as I’ve already pointed out numerous times in past reviews when there's such a large number of models in the global market currently although it's very easy to pick an AIO based on looks it's nowhere near as easy to pick the right one in regards to performance, noise levels and yes, even quality. The Aquafusion ADV ARGB is one of the latest lines of AIO coolers to hit the market by Enermax (released in early 2023) and today I’ll be testing the tri-fan 360mm model.

   ENERMAX was founded in Taiwan in 1990 and is a world-renowned PC Power Supply manufacturer and maker of award-winning PC components such as chassis, coolers, fans, and peripherals, with recognition from consumers around the world. Our farsighted R&D capability is our key strength and we stick to our spirit of “Technical Innovation” and “Quality First” to create products that unleash the full potential of the system for every PC enthusiast. For more information, please visit us at www.ENERMAX.com

   The Aquafusion ADV ARGB line of AIO CPU Liquid Coolers by Enermax currently includes 120/240/360mm models available in both black and white color. As always, the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360 which i have here with me today consists by 4 parts, an 394mm long, 120mm wide and 27mm thick aluminum radiator, two 400mm long nylon braided rubber tubes, high-performance ceramic-bearing pump (with a speed of up to 2800RPM -+10%) complete with top Infinity mirror ARGB LEDs and an all-copper base (cold-plate) and three 120mm SquA ADVA ARGB PWM fluid dynamic bearing fans (2000RPM/79.8CFM/32.6dBA/3.6mmH2O). Needless to say, both the three bundled 120mm ARGB PWM fans and the top of the pump are fully compatible with 3-pin (5V) ARGB sync technologies (ASUS Aura Sync, Razer Chroma RGB, ASRock Polychrome Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion and MSI Mystic Light) but if your motherboard doesn't support any of those worry not cause Enermax bundles a compact RGB control box (10 lighting effects) with their Aquafusion ADV ARGB AIO series. As for warranty Enermax covers their Aquafusion ADV ARGB AIO series with a rather generous 5-year limited one.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Enermax uses a black box the front of which is taken by a large product picture, their logo and all the compatible RGB sync technologies.

Product dimensions are showcased on the right side of the box.

A quick product description is printed at the top in 12 languages.

Both the specifications table and features of the Aquafusion ADV ARGB line are located at the rear of the box.

As expected, the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360 and its bundle are placed inside a formed piece of cardboard.

Aside the main unit of the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360 and its 3 SquA ADV 120mm fans inside the box you'll also find a small thermal paste tube, fan noise reduction cable, fan y-splitter, 3pin fan to SATA power adapter, three ARGB adapters, RGB control box, backplate, noise reduction cable how to use instructions, user manual and all the necessary bits to install the AIO on Intel LGA 1150/1151/1155/1156/1200/1366/1700/2011/2011-3/2066 and AMD AM3/AM3+/AM4/AM5/FM1/FM2+ motherboards.

THE AQUAFUSION ADV ARGB 360

Just like with most AIO models featuring an pump with infinity mirror ARGB LEDs on it that's also what stands out with the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360.

With a thickness of 27mm the aluminum radiator should fit in any case.

FPI (fins per inch) count this time over is 20.

A small fill/empty port is located on the far end of the radiator and just like with most models it's not to be used.

The 400mm long rubber braided tubes should be more than plenty for most PC cases.

The top of the pump/waterblock combo features the infinity mirror ARGB effect which has become quite popular lately.

To control the effects of the pump you will need to connect the ARGB cable on the left side as seen above.

As usual both tubes rotate at their base to simplify installing the AIO.

The coldplate is larger than what's used with many other similar models and has no machine marks on it.

Enermax is using 3 SquA fans with the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360 (2000RPM/79.8CFM/32.6dBA/3.6mmH2O) which as their strong point have their vortex frame technology (focused airflow) and rubber pads on all corners.

Typically, with the 120mm fans mounted onto the aluminum radiator thickness jumps to around 55mm.

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

   Even though the Aquafusion ADV line of AIO liquid CPU cooler by Enermax was a clear improvement compared to its predecessor it wasn’t made to be their flagship series. Instead, their goal was to design and manufacture a mid-end AIO liquid CPU cooler with good cooling efficiency and relatively low noise levels and well, they did just that. Yes, noise levels are not quite on the low side but at the same time there are many far noisier models in my charts (still for some people even this could be much). Leaving out performance and noise levels the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360 model features good build quality and is one of the best looking ones to ever reach the lab (largely thanks to the SquA ADV fans and of course the large infinity mirror effect of the pump – also let’s not forget the bundled RGB controller) and that could be more than enough for consumers to look its way.

   Currently retailing for USD119.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 106.69Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the Aquafusion ADV ARGB 360 by Enermax is priced very well. Granted it may not offer the best cooling efficiency and its fans are not inaudible at full speed but it features good build quality, it looks great, is available in both black and white colors and well, it’s an Enermax product which is why I strongly recommend giving it a chance if you’re out in the market for a brand new AIO.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Overall Cooling Efficiency
- Infinity Mirror Effect ARGB Base & ARGB Illuminated Fans
- Available In Black & White Colors
- 400mm Long Sleeved Tubes
- Easy Installation
- 5 Year Limited Warranty
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Noise Levels