Production Aquanaut Basic/Extreme - Ultra Low Profile CPU Block & Pump Mount Combo

Nouvolo

Creator
Original poster
Silver Supporter
Sep 8, 2018
759
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www.nouvolo.com
I am going to check with my shipping agent what is it all about the extra charges by FedEx. A fee for handling the VAT is not unexpected but the amount seems a bit steep... I will check whether other courier agent charges less (e.g. DHL).

Please note that I have chosen the best delivery service available, and probably apparent to you that you receive your Nouvolo products much faster than others (don't even try to compare ours to aliexpress...). Cheaper is not just slower but also higher risk of loss package, slow tracking update, etc, and overall it can be so much more hassle for all of us.
 

thelaughingman

SFF Guru
Jul 14, 2018
1,413
1,566
just want to chime in but the handling charges may vary by country. for example I'm in Vietnam and when I received my Aquanaut, FedEx did not charge me anything. all I had to pay was 4.7USD on import tax (10% of the bill) plus 86c on custom fee (processing fee by customs, not FedEX). Total 5.7USD, 0 went towards FedEx.

@Nouvolo glad that you're looking into this but I don't think it can or should be changed on your end
 
Last edited:

Fitchew

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 2, 2019
111
63
@Nouvolo please tell me what type of screws is used to install the pump on the block. It looks like it's an M3, but I'm not sure. Maybe M3.5? Should the screw length be 30mm?
I apologise if this information has already been indicated somewhere.
 

Nouvolo

Creator
Original poster
Silver Supporter
Sep 8, 2018
759
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www.nouvolo.com
@Nouvolo please tell me what type of screws is used to install the pump on the block. It looks like it's an M3, but I'm not sure. Maybe M3.5? Should the screw length be 30mm?
I apologise if this information has already been indicated somewhere.
M4 screws, and the length depends on your pump height. Better if you measure it having placed it on Aq. Length of screws approx. = pump height + 5mm. Best if you get the exact same type (screw head) of screw as original but in M4.
 
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Fitchew

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 2, 2019
111
63
M4 screws, and the length depends on your pump height. Better if you measure it having placed it on Aq. Length of screws approx. = pump height + 5mm. Best if you get the exact same type (screw head) of screw as original but in M4.
Thanks!

Will send out emails to SFFF early testers, after I have done some more testing with the screws first.
Next week, will contact directly those who were in the early testing phase.
What about the new screws for the mounting plate?
I'm already thinking about this option for screws, but I'm not sure if it will work.
 

Nouvolo

Creator
Original poster
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Sep 8, 2018
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www.nouvolo.com
Seen people posting about FedEx, had to pay 12€ VAT + 18€ FedEx "Advanced Fee" in France.
Needless to say I'm disgusted at FedEx, feels like paying twice for something. With Chronopost I only had to pay the VAT when I ordered the T1, no other extra fee.

Anyway, I recieved the Aquanaut and the EK DDC but I still need to find some 90° fittings that won't cause a bulge to the side panel, was planning to buy the Koolance low profiles but at checkout time, I threw up a little when I saw FedEx was asking for 53.63€ for 6 of them to be shipped while they cost me 53.35€...
Any advice on some other 90° to minimize the bulge on the side panel ?
Sorry, just had time to really dig into the numbers.

Product price: USD64, Shipping: USD29, Total: USD93
VAT: EUR12,
Advanced Fee: EUR18

If VAT is charged on product price = USD64 x 20% = approx. EUR12
If VAT is charged on product price + shipping = USD93 x 20% = approx. EUR18.

Question for @eedev : are you paying just EUR18 or EUR30(12+18)? Please double check and confirm that FedEx is charging EUR12 + EUR18 = EUR30, and not only EUR18. If that's the case, it would mean that FedEx is charging EUR12 (extra) over the VAT amount.
 

eedev

Cable-Tie Ninja
Apr 23, 2020
154
288
Sorry, just had time to really dig into the numbers.

Product price: USD64, Shipping: USD29, Total: USD93
VAT: EUR12,
Advanced Fee: EUR18

If VAT is charged on product price = USD64 x 20% = approx. EUR12
If VAT is charged on product price + shipping = USD93 x 20% = approx. EUR18.

Question for @eedev : are you paying just EUR18 or EUR30(12+18)? Please double check and confirm that FedEx is charging EUR12 + EUR18 = EUR30, and not only EUR18. If that's the case, it would mean that FedEx is charging EUR12 (extra) over the VAT amount.

Hey thanks from taking the time!
I paid the full 30€ via their online platform.

VAT was 12€ and was labelled as such when I paid them.
But the Advanced Fee has to do with FedEx doing the following :

Translated from https://www.fedex.com/fr-fr/billing/duty-tax.html
What are the administrative costs for customs clearance?

FedEx advances all customs duties and taxes on your behalf so that it can deliver your shipment as quickly as possible. This results in an administrative charge of either € 15.00 or 2.5% of the total amount of customs duties and taxes, whichever is greater.

Except it was 18€ of Advanced Fee instead of the 15€ specified in this text (I assume it is an old text and they charge more now).
People have tried to escape from this for a long time you can check this 2016 link out : http://blog.adamowen.co.uk/dont-pay-fedexs-customs-advancement-fees/

I've just asked FedEx to send me the invoice so that I could show it to you but I'm gonna try to discuss with them about the 15€ <> 18€ difference at the very least when I get their reply.

Anyway, I can't wait to install the Aquanaut in my build, it's on my desk while I wait for other parts :)
 

Fitchew

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Feb 2, 2019
111
63
SFFF early testers with 115X will be sent the updated thumbscrews. Since there is lots of room for old thumbscrews for AM4 mount, we decide that it is not as impactful to installation.
Ok, I see. What can you say about those screws that I showed? What screw size should be chosen for the am4 socket: m3.5, m4 or some kind of UNC 6-32? Or maybe I can buy somewhere the ones that you showed and they will be in new batches?
 

fabio

Shrink Ray Wielder
Apr 6, 2016
1,885
4,325
SFFF early testers with 115X will be sent the updated thumbscrews. Since there is lots of room for old thumbscrews for AM4 mount, we decide that it is not as impactful to installation.
Please! If you ship with thinner screws with the possibilities to use the screwdriver, I am pretty sure we can also use the AM4 with the block rotated of 90degrees!
 

Nouvolo

Creator
Original poster
Silver Supporter
Sep 8, 2018
759
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www.nouvolo.com
Ok, I see. What can you say about those screws that I showed? What screw size should be chosen for the am4 socket: m3.5, m4 or some kind of UNC 6-32? Or maybe I can buy somewhere the ones that you showed and they will be in new batches?
Thumbscrews for AM4 brackets connect to the backplate with #6-32 threads. The threads are determined by the backplate, the standard is not set by Aquanaut.
 

thelaughingman

SFF Guru
Jul 14, 2018
1,413
1,566
Please! If you ship with thinner screws with the possibilities to use the screwdriver, I am pretty sure we can also use the AM4 with the block rotated of 90degrees!
YOU GENIUS!!! ? I haven't even spent a second thinking about that possibility. Using the block rotated / in any orientation would be amazing!

Let me test again to see if it can be rotated 90deg first. ?
Yes pls! having the ports on 'top' would be more ideal for my eventual loop!
 

screwbox

Efficiency Noob
Oct 12, 2020
7
4
So,
got a Steck. Loved it and bought a stack unit because i was curious to try out AIO Watercooling. So now im Curious to try this genious Aquanaut since i'm unable to get my hands on a Apogee Drive II and to be honest the Aquanaut simply looks fantastic compared to the boring ADII. So went to the Nouvolo Shop and found that against my last shopping trips on the Nouvolo site i have to pay 29$ for shipping instead "nothing" what i was expecting.
Sorry but over 90$ just for this little watercooling Adventure is to much for me. It's a shame that things which are more complicated to ship like the big box my Steck arrived in is free and this little acryl and copper plates possibly fitting in an bubble envelope cost 29$ to ship...
Again it's a shame. Can somebody tell me why?
 

duynguyenle

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 20, 2019
328
330
So,
got a Steck. Loved it and bought a stack unit because i was curious to try out AIO Watercooling. So now im Curious to try this genious Aquanaut since i'm unable to get my hands on a Apogee Drive II and to be honest the Aquanaut simply looks fantastic compared to the boring ADII. So went to the Nouvolo Shop and found that against my last shopping trips on the Nouvolo site i have to pay 29$ for shipping instead "nothing" what i was expecting.
Sorry but over 90$ just for this little watercooling Adventure is to much for me. It's a shame that things which are more complicated to ship like the big box my Steck arrived in is free and this little acryl and copper plates possibly fitting in an bubble envelope cost 29$ to ship...
Again it's a shame. Can somebody tell me why?

Global logistics are pretty pricey right now due to Covid reducing passenger flights' spare freight capacity by major amounts. Just by personal experience, a parcel that a year ago would cost 25 quid to send from the UK to USA now costs 3 times that. I don't really know when you bought your Steck, but it's possible that also some shipping costs was built into the cost of the case itself, so while it was 'Free Shipping' to yourself, that cost still has to come out somewhere.

Not really making excuses for Nouvolo here, $29 does seem like a lot, but such is the world we live in at the moment.
 
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oOflyeyesOo

SFF Lingo Aficionado
Apr 25, 2020
120
55
So,
got a Steck. Loved it and bought a stack unit because i was curious to try out AIO Watercooling. So now im Curious to try this genious Aquanaut since i'm unable to get my hands on a Apogee Drive II and to be honest the Aquanaut simply looks fantastic compared to the boring ADII. So went to the Nouvolo Shop and found that against my last shopping trips on the Nouvolo site i have to pay 29$ for shipping instead "nothing" what i was expecting.
Sorry but over 90$ just for this little watercooling Adventure is to much for me. It's a shame that things which are more complicated to ship like the big box my Steck arrived in is free and this little acryl and copper plates possibly fitting in an bubble envelope cost 29$ to ship...
Again it's a shame. Can somebody tell me why?

You are getting something new and unique during a global pandemic. The cost overall is cheap as hell, just shipping can suck. This is for real sff builds that want a high quality loop.
Good luck finding a ADII for cheaper.
 

screwbox

Efficiency Noob
Oct 12, 2020
7
4
Guys, calm down. I don‘t say that the price for the Aquanaut is pricey and i know that a ADII will be more complicated and more expensive to get. But if ya all don‘t know: The Steck IS free shipping right now! So think about what i said and then ask yourself this tiny question. Why is the Steck free of charge and this tiny thing possibly shipping in an bubbe envelope so damn expensive to ship?! And as all people before me mention. This is not all, the most european countrys want their VAT and FedEx is outrageously charging for their service. So im not even talkin about ca. 90€ it is way more (ca. 110-130€) for sure. This is why im even thinking about going the not so powerful way of simply using an Eisbaer LT for 60€ all in.
But again, it‘s more my simple question of why the Steck is free and Aquanaut not than anything else. I can‘t get it. Nouvolo would double the sales i think if they would find a way to make shipping cheaper.
 
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