# Aquatempest Max



## Yukikaze (Aug 31, 2010)

I got bitten by the "I gotta build something" bug, yet again. So I was browsing the local 2nd hand boards for stuff to grab and saw a Cooler Master Aquagate Max for sale for the price of a new air cooler. I decided to grab it and splice it together with the BigWater 745 I currently have on my Q9650 setup. The idea is to throw out the rather crappy single rad the 745 came with (It has smaller diameter tubing compared to the dual rad, which is annoying), and keep its dual rad, then add the Aquagate dual rad to the loop. I will use both pumps (both are rated at 400L/H), so the layout will be like this:

Aquagate Res & Pump -> CPU -> Top Rad -> 745 Pump -> Front Rad -> Aquagate Res & Pump

I'll put up some pics tomorrow or towards the weekend when I get to the disassembly of the loop itself. Currently I am cleaning the Aquagate system.


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 2, 2010)

i wanna see where this is going 

subbed


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## Yukikaze (Sep 4, 2010)

And so it begins:






Here's the whole mess. For some reason, Cooler Master created a pair of weird metal brackets on the fan shroud of the rad (you can see them in the bottom right of the pic). This means that I can't use it for a push-pull config.

But....thankfully, as you can see on the left side of the pic, I have a dremel. Time to fire it up.

Expect frequent updates. I am going to finish this up today.


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 4, 2010)

chop chop


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## Yukikaze (Sep 4, 2010)

Chop, Chop


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 4, 2010)

Dr.Frankenstein i presume


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## grunt_408 (Sep 4, 2010)

Subbed. Got to see this when it is finished.


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## Yukikaze (Sep 4, 2010)

Yanked the old loop out of the case....here it is, in one piece, now to drain it.


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## Nickzy (Sep 4, 2010)

Subbed 

Really want to see it when its finished


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## Yukikaze (Sep 4, 2010)

If anyone is wondering where I vanished to, here are the two reasons. First, I had to re-plan the layout due to the Aquagate bay unit interfering with my original rad mounting. Still figuring that one out. Second, that Aquagate has the shittiest build quality EVER (Fans don't fit on it because the mounting holes for them won't line up.....aaahhhhhhh). It makes the Bigwater 745 look awesome by comparison.

Grah.

Still working...pics to follow.


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 4, 2010)

dont give up haha


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## Loosenut (Sep 4, 2010)

Interesting to say the least, can't wait to see more


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## Yukikaze (Sep 4, 2010)

Okay. I made the fans fit the rad. Jeez that was annoying.

Camera is charging, so no pics yet.....back to putting it together!


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## Yukikaze (Sep 4, 2010)

Okay. Here is a fit-together test. The hose to the CPU block is too long, going to shorten it. I also had to dremel off some parts from the Tempest to make everything fit without kinking the tubing to heck.

Here's how it looks now:





And here's my left hand after an unfortunate encounter with a sharp corner in the case:





Blood, Sweat and Computers - Ouch!

EDIT:
Well, whoever sold me this thing did a number on me. The Res from the Aquagate is leaking like a sieve. Need to take it apart and see where the damned thing is leaking from and what are the odds of fixing it. Comp is in a mess, and I've developed a heck of a headache, and I got a flight to Germany to catch tomorrow.

SHIT.

EDIT 2:
Some molten plastic later, and the leak from the corner of the res is gone. Leak testing now. Long day...


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## Yukikaze (Sep 5, 2010)

Okay, she is leak tested, up and running!

Here's a few quick pics of the finished product. I apologize for the not-so-perfect camera and about the fact there are no more pics. I have a flight to catch in six hours and I am yet to have started packing yet!

Here's how it looks from the side when powered down. You can see the tubing arrangement. It is actually pretty neat considering I've packed both res and both pumps at the bottom of the case.





Here's how the very Cooler-Master-ish front panel looks now. I decided to get rid of the blue lighting and used green fans where I could. It also goes well with the rad/res/flow-meter of the Aquagate. As you see, I had to move the rad to the top and the Aquagate unit to the bottom to make all of this fit the Tempest.





And here's how this thing looks in its usual spot:


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## (FIH) The Don (Sep 5, 2010)

not bad 

but it deserves a black coat


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## Yukikaze (Sep 5, 2010)

(FIH) The Don said:


> not bad
> 
> but it deserves a black coat



Got my ass to Germany! Been a long day.

Yeah, that case needs to be painted black on the inside, but spray paint sucks and there's nowhere near me to powder coat it black, unfortunately. I'd also replace the window with a glass panel....maybe I need to get to that one.


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## MohawkAngel (Sep 5, 2010)

CompuCat is watching you masterbate  and BTW you have girly hands lol


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