Aquabay M4 Cooler

Here we have the Thermaltake Aquabay M4 HDD water cooler. The cooler itself is a simple design and in some cases that can be good thing. The cooler is made in two parts, the aluminum chassis and the copper water block, which is nothing more than a thin copper plate attached to 1/4"(6.5mm) copper tubing. There are four screw holes in the top to provide access to screw the HDD down.


From the pictures above you can see that the copper water block is attached to the chassis by four screws and fits flush with the aluminum chassis. The copper plate is machined finished and smooth but is not at all what we would expect a water block to look like, it's not polished and looks rather dull.


The M4 has its threaded connections soldered on, with clips that hold the tubing in place. In the front the tubing protrudes outside the chassis and should not be an issue in a 5 1/4" bay.


The copper plate with its attached tubing is removed easily and from the above picture we can see what I mean by simple design. With five loops and four tubing runs across the top of the plate this is the heart of the cooler. Nothing like the chunks of copper we're used to seeing a water block made of. The Thermaltake Aquabay M4 is machined well and from its simple design isn't going to win any "Best in Show" awards. Having good looks and complex design doesn't necessarily equate to performance and from my point of view is what I'm looking for. So why use a water cooler for a HDD? Let’s install the M4 and see what benefits are to be gained.