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

Nouvolo

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Sep 8, 2018
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As you can see on the pic, the my backplate its not flat. So the problem is not from the screw from Aquanaut.

EK's classic AMD also using the same backplate, why it works well?

I think those washers play an important role here.


Since the height would be controlled by the washer, so it will be even.
Hmm... I can’t quite figure why. You may want to find a flatter back plate to try. For me, I just turned the thumbscrews slowly until it just stops, and not try over do it.
 

Nouvolo

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@RZEX maybe you want to double check the water block and cold plate are in the correct orientation. The fins should align in one particular direction only.
 

RZEX

Caliper Novice
Mar 30, 2019
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makes total sense, the Heatkiller by watercool also has got studs and washers that somewhat guarantee a pretty level initial mounting.
But if you screw in the mounting screws crosswise, it should come out pretty even, no?

I hope it is.


But it's not ?.
 

RZEX

Caliper Novice
Mar 30, 2019
29
48
@RZEX maybe you want to double check the water block and cold plate are in the correct orientation. The fins should align in one particular direction only.

I'm pretty sure that the water block and cold plate are in the correct orientation.

I'll get another backplate and test it again.
 

RZEX

Caliper Novice
Mar 30, 2019
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I don't get it... but anyways... lets get a few more results and see

After trying with another backplate, the performance was nearly same as the taobao one.

Sorry for my misleading information, the screws are fine.
 

Nouvolo

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After trying with another backplate, the performance was nearly same as the taobao one.

Sorry for my misleading information, the screws are fine.
That's great!?

BTW just out of interest, did you use the jet plate? Understand it's a hassle to test with and without the jet plate. Just wonder if jet plate will make any difference at all. I do have worry that it will make temp worse coz the flow is in reverse.
 

rand

Minimal Tinkerer
New User
Oct 2, 2020
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0
Sorry if I'm asking a question that has been already asked.
Is Aquanaut compatible with EK Supremacy Mount Kit? I'm not sure which platform I'll choose and there is no option to order only kit. And also what is it mean "Taobao customized"?
 

August

SFF Lingo Aficionado
SFFn Staff
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Jun 19, 2019
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gusmiller.com
Ok, I was finally able to get my loop back together with the Aquanaut.

Here's a write-up of the data (and the raw data for all you nerds) but the TL;DR is: There is no significant difference in performance between the Aquanaut and Apogee Drive II. I'd consider this to be awesome news for the SFF world, granted that to-date, the ADII was the only viable option for space-constrained loops with any amount of flow restriction.

However, the main reason I wasn't able to perform these tests earlier is because I had to rebuild the loop and disassemble the block a number of times to figure out how best to clear air from the impeller. For whatever reason, I was plagued with a captive bubble in the impeller or cold-plate throughout three nights of fiddling. Ultimately, orienting the entire machine with the outlet port of the Aquanaut "up" ended up being the most reliable means to clear the air.

The ADII did not exhibit this problem, likely due to the simpler cold-plate/chamber design.

Thanks to @Nouvolo for the opportunity to try this out! Very happy to see this come to market, but sorry I couldn't get this comparison ready, sooner! ?

Edit: Fixed Google document permissions. Sigh.
 
Last edited:

Nouvolo

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...
However, the main reason I wasn't able to perform these tests earlier is because I had to rebuild the loop and disassemble the block a number of times to figure out how best to clear air from the impeller. For whatever reason, I was plagued with a captive bubble in the impeller or cold-plate throughout three nights of fiddling. Ultimately, orienting the entire machine with the outlet port of the Aquanaut "up" ended up being the most reliable means to clear the air.
...
I use these methods to try get bubbles out quicker:
  • tilt the case about
  • adjust the speed of the pump (from slow to fast)
Upping the power of the pump seems to work better in pushing the bigger bubbles out of their position, but then need to slow it down so they travel slower and don't slide past the fill port.

And yes, I find bleeding the loop is so important for flow rate. I can get 10-15% better flow rate with a proper bled loop.
 
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duynguyenle

Airflow Optimizer
Aug 20, 2019
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I use these methods to try get bubbles out quicker:
  • tilt the case about
  • adjust the speed of the pump (from slow to fast)
Upping the power of the pump seems to work better in pushing the bigger bubbles out of their position, but then need to slow it down so they travel slower and don't slide past the fill port.

And yes, I find bleeding the loop is so important for flow rate. I can get 10-15% better flow rate with a proper bled loop.

In addition to these tips, what I've also found useful is that once every few minutes while filling the loop, I'll power down the pump, wait about a minute or two for the bubbles to settle, and then power on the pump again. A lot of the time, the stubborn bubbles that tends to get stuck in low-pressure turbulent flow zones are difficlt to dislodge by changing the pump speed up/down, but the jolt from the pump being turned on may help get things moving