Whats up with the Aquaduct?

I know I have been interested in seeing the new AC Aquaduct so I suppose perhaps others might as well. It took a while to get the moula up as these go for about $550 here in the states (colonies for you brits), but I have one now. Now most people want to stick it into their rig to see how well it works. Since I take the road less traveled my first thought is to take it apart and do some modding. More on that later. So for now let's see what we get. This monster hunk of German engineering is really quite heavy even without water. I didn't weigh it (scales are bad to have in the house ;)) but it appears to be about 25-30 lbs for the main unit.



http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_1.jpg





http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_17.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_18.jpg




The rest of the stuff comes in the other box and seems to be well packaged for transport around the world. From what I understand the units shipped from Germany for local use come pre-filled with H20 and AC Fluid. The USA distributor (Sharka) asked that they not be shipped filled due to worries about leaks and adding substantially to the freight costs.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_2.jpg





The first item here is the CD that comes in the box. You might not be able to see from the pic, but it has been tested on XP Sp 2; Vista x32, and Vista x64. If you happen to be a penguin fan they also have software for the Linux OS as well. In addition the CD also has Samurize and some videos showing the making of various AC components. One thing to keep in mind is that the software requires version 2 of the .NET framework. If you need software that will run on version 1 there are several back versions of the software you may find usable here at the Aqua Computer site. You can also find version 1 & 2 on the CD as well. One thing I forgot to mention is that the Aquasuite software is open source and the SDK is included on the CD as well.

You used to have to run the Aquasuite in the background if you wanted to use Samurize, but now someone has made a hack that allows you to print operating conditions directly to your screen without the Aquasuite being on. :D




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_3.jpg




Next you see the rest of the stuff in the box.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_4.jpg




A bottle of AC Fluid. My math calculates about 343 ML of distilled water + 7 cc AC Fluid in my Feeding Frenzy Interlude project. So I figure you can make about 2.5 liters of coolant with this 50 cc bottle. From what I have been told the whole Aquaduct system (including blocks) holds about 2 liters of coolant.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_5.jpg





Here the slot device through which the hoses can go through your case into the computer. The serial is not really a serial port, but only to carry power to the Aquaduct and for some assorted accessory use in case you want to add standby power or a relay output to your ATX break line.





http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_6.jpg




Some more closeup views of the circuit board.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_7.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_8.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...Aquaduct_9.jpg




Here is something that always comes in AC kits and pumps. I know the paper clip routine is more ghetto, but this works well too. Don't let your friends see it or it will disappear. :D




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_10.jpg




These are the handles that go on the bottom of the Aquaduct to turn off and on the ball valves.





http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_11.jpg





The next little bag is for the G 1/8 6mm x 8mm push-fit connectors. Don't lose the black pin connector! If your not using the standby power the Aquaduct fans will not work unless you have this! The hex key is to open the top so you can fill the unit. If your not into 6 x 8 tubing you can get up to 3/8" barbs here.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_12.jpg





About six feet of USB and serial cables.





http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_13.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_14.jpg




About 9 feet of what looks suspiciously like Legris PUR double tubing.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_15.jpg




In case your wondering why the dual colors it has to do with making the install as painless as possible. See the screen shot below as it helps you make sure you get the intake and output right. Hooking it up ass backwards will probably result in you having to drain the system and refilling it to get all the air out. :(




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...60xt_5_500.jpg




And of course what manufacturer doesn't include a nice full color manual with their products? ;) One bow wow here as the box was supposed to have an Aquaero manual as well. I already have a couple of the manual's laying around but someone new to AC would have a fit trying to figure out how the electronics work. Fortunately the CD has all current manuals on it in both German and English.




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...quaduct_16.jpg




Getting back to the Aquaduct here are some more pics. The first one is a stock AC pic that shows the system lit up when it's running. I'm using the AC pic because it might be a while before I get this modded to my own liking. :cool: BTW, the reason they call it an Aquaduct is because the water comes up on the right and flows over the top bridge before falling down on the left side.



http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...60xt_2_500.jpg




Here are the pics I shot a couple of months ago when Sharka put my Aquaduct on the lay-a-way plan.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...abox-360-2.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...abox-360-3.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ox-360-6-1.jpg



Another bow wow here as I hate it when I'm not supposed to open little black boxes up. :eek: :down: However, I guess when it's difficult to put together the manufacturer just wants it understood that they ain't paying to fix your inability to put it back together. :up:




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...box-360-10.jpg



So here is where we get off till I get a chance to do some reverse engineering later this week. The three Aquaduct units (that I know of here in the states) that were taken apart were never successfully put back together and to a one they all leaked. So I took it up on the AC English Forum and got some straight answers to my questions of how to disassemble it correctly from the CEO of AC.

Once you get it up and running, I want to see the "duct" at the top in action, since I've never been able to find a pic of it.

$560 for a proprietary external pump/radiator the size of a small statue? :eek:

Why not get newls Waterkeg instead for something smaller, cheaper, and performance oriented without the proprietary parts? :eek:

I'm not gonna get into the flame war that's gonna erupt from this. I just wana see some temps please. Thanks.

I'd like to see that on a couple of 8800GTX's.

same here, I just wanna see some results.

It kinda looks like the koolance kits, except this one stands up.

The tubes look awfully small... but I won't jump to any conclusions
before you show us some temps~

+1 waterkeg whips it's A$$

OOOooo.. I have to keep this thread hidden from my wife !! She's been pestering me to buy this Aquaduct and get rid of all my ugly stuff !!

You guys have to admit its good looking. They look like electrostatic speakers. One on each side of the case would look real good.

I think it looks "OK". Guess I just like the look of a custom MM case w/ 3 internal PA's lol.

Well it will be a while before I get into the temps part as the modding part I'm looking to do involves the electronics and the flow meter. However, I do know someone who is using it to cool a pair of 8800 GTX's IIRC. I will send him a post and ask him to drop by. R1ckCa1n also uses one with a D-Tek Fuzion.

Some have thought that the price is kind of high. I even fell over until I realized the scope of the unit.

• It has a LCD Aquaero $130
• An Eheim Compact 600 pump ~$40
• An AC Airplex Extreme III radiator $65
• Electronic flow sensor $45
• Electronic water level sensor $43
• Pair of ball valves $20
• Serial and USB cables ~$20-30
• Aquasuite software FREE :D
• Electronic temp sensor $14
• Pair of fittings $8
• Bottle of AC Fluid $9
• Three 120mm AC Airstream fans ~$30
• Unseen fittings ~$50

That comes up to about $475 - $485 + air shipping from Germany. And that doesn't even include the cost of the unit itself. Looks cheap to me at $550 USD. :D

I ran this for over a month and find about a 1c difference between my old loop. Overclocking of my e6600 remained the same so I would say it works just fine. The test will be when I get my second 8800 and plan to use it on that loop. Since it has a 120.3 radiator I would say it will do a pretty good job of cooling. I have already seen loops with six blocks with this device and it maintained good operating temps.

Old loop (well now current)

DDC1 w/ Alphacool top
6mm id / 8mm compression fittings
Dtek Fuzion block

The Aquaduct was running plug n cool connectors with the same Fuzion block and 6mm id / 8mm tubing. All I can say is it clearly is the sexiest peice of external hardware available today.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by IanY

OOOooo.. I have to keep this thread hidden from my wife !! She's been pestering me to buy this Aquaduct and get rid of all my ugly stuff !!

You guys have to admit its good looking. They look like electrostatic speakers. One on each side of the case would look real good.

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Send me her email address. :yepp: Or better yet give her one for her birthday. She will be so happy she won't bug you about your clod hoppers. :D

I didn't show you the other side did I? Well the other side has another set of three grills that look identical to the front. The air comes in from the outside and exhausts out the other side. No problem here with using heated case air for cooling. Place this in front of your air conditioner and then you get a real cooling off experience. :D

For the price, I can't really say it's worth it. Anyone agree/disagree?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ranker

Why not get newls Waterkeg instead for something smaller, cheaper, and performance oriented without the proprietary parts? :eek:

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Oh no!!! A thread crap and a hijack all in one. http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...con_risota.gif

guys... no flaming... no trolling... NO COMMENTS about how this is crap! until he has released his results.

Top Nurse, ive been defending you lately, so dont pour butane on the fire. I'll bust out the CO2 to help you keep it under control.

However, we would like REAL and TRUE results. Thats all we ask.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NaeKuh

guys... no flaming... no trolling... NO COMMENTS about how this is crap! until he has released his results.

Top Nurse, ive been defending you lately, so dont pour butane on the fire. I'll bust out the CO2 to help you keep it under control.

However, we would like REAL and TRUE results. Thats all we ask.

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TN isn't a "he," TN is a "she."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NaeKuh

Top Nurse, ive been defending you lately, so dont pour butane on the fire. I'll bust out the CO2 to help you keep it under control.

However, we would like REAL and TRUE results. Thats all we ask.

---

I always post real results whether they are favorable or not. Anything less is a waste of time.

I have heard that the pump only puts out about 80 LPH and now that I know they put in an AC flow meter I know why. The AC flow meter has a very tiny hole in it as seen below on the left side on the bottom pic. I took these pics several years ago and published on the [H] with advice on how to fix it.

When I get inside the Aquaduct I will have a better idea about what to do about this. If it has room to put in the Innovatek flow meter that is what I intend to do as it gives an automatic boost in flow to about 160 LPM. If that isn't possible I will bore it out and do enough testing to accurately gauge the impulses per liter (IPL) so I can correctly set the Aquaero flow settings. The Aquaero allows for 0-2500 IPL setting so I think it will be possible to do this. I also have, hopefully, a Swissflow SF 800 coming soon. Then I go visit an engineering friend up at Cal State LA and see what kind of electrical circuit she can hookup for me so I can interface it to the Aquaero.

I'm also planning on putting in 8mm x 10mm tubing if it is anyway possible.


http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...rAssembly1.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...rAssembly2.jpg




http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a2...rAssembly4.jpg

i am with Neakuh on this, temps pls.

bling wise it does look nice...

IanY, better keep wife off XS thread, with the influx of new people from [H] you dont know what she might see next...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by shapeless1

For the price, I can't really say it's worth it. Anyone agree/disagree?

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I agree it's not worth it. For $560, I can build an entire loop that won't require an external housing with the best parts, heck I could build two loops. But hey, if someone wants to throw their money around, so be it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by septim

IanY, better keep wife off XS thread, with the influx of new people from [H] you dont know what she might see next...

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Seriously. Cage them off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ranker

I agree it's not worth it. For $560, I can build an entire loop that won't require an external housing with the best parts, heck I could build two loops. But hey, if someone wants to throw their money around, so be it.

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ranker, i consider you my buddy so i'll say this nicely to you, but can we please drop it, until she busts out the results.

And i dont know if it means anything to you, but a SHE that watercools is always :up:


If i can only get my best friend now to accept watercooling. :shrug:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by septim

i am with Neakuh on this, temps pls.

bling wise it does look nice...

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Like I said in my OP this Aquaduct won't be seeing water for a while. However, R1ckCa1n posted his observations a few posts back. When the [H] comes back up I will PM my other friend who has one and see if he will post here as well. Whoa hold the phone! It seems my friend has an account here so I will PM from here. :D

Edit: Went looking and there is already info on this forum about Aquaduct temps => right here.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by topaimz

It kinda looks like the koolance kits, except this one stands up.

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The Koolance ones are made out of sheet metal (I know because I have one). The Aquaduct is mostly aircraft quality aluminum blocks machined on a CNC mill. The side extrusions are part of the passive water cooling and the radiator and fans are the active cooling part.

Even if you didn't have the Aquaero to measure water levels and flow the sides have flow and fluid level indicators that can be checked visually.

I thought I'd have a look at prices, since AquaComputer stuff tends to be cheaper in the UK/Europe.

The short answer is it's not in this case. It's almost exactly the same price to buy direct from Germany as the price TN paid.

It's quite an expensive piece of kit, but they do a cut down version.

The 240 version (2 x 120mm radiator) doesn't come with the Aqaero, and the price for that in dollars is rougly 360. There's also a 240V pump rather than the 12V pump one and that's about 40 dollars cheaper again.

Considering the unit has pump, res, fans, rad built in, it's only going to be bought (generally) by people without an existing watercooling system.

Someone new to watercooling is going to find it a bit of a push to go and buy the full version of this - not that I'm saying it's a bad purchase, just that it's one step from no watercooling to the full monitored bhuna.

I really think AC should have done an Aquaduct without the Aqaero. By all means put a blanking plate so one can be later installed, or make sure it can be installed in the main PC box to the external unit. But having the Aqaero built in puts the price up very high.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ranker

$560 for a proprietary external pump/radiator the size of a small statue? :eek:

Why not get newls Waterkeg instead for something smaller, cheaper, and performance oriented without the proprietary parts? :eek:

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This man is a GENIUS! :shocked:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Top Nurse

The Koolance ones are made out of sheet metal (I know because I have one). The Aquaduct is mostly aircraft quality aluminum blocks machined on a CNC mill. The side extrusions are part of the passive water cooling and the radiator and fans are the active cooling part.

Even if you didn't have the Aquaero to measure water levels and flow the sides have flow and fluid level indicators that can be checked visually.

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oh wait... your telling me the side alu has contact with the coolant? :down:

So its mixing metals then?

Blah this might change everything then. I was hopping it was just a bling. But if its touching the alu and your going to mix metals. :shakes:


Honestly my intentions in this product was exactly like iany says. Dual it up with 2 aquaducts. Make them look like speakers on a HTPC. Have one do the CPU/BOARD, The other GFX cards. It would look dayam professional and hella nice, but if its mixing metals.