Aqua Computer Aquaero Owners thread

Cenedd · 5 Jan 2017 at 11:02

One I built for a friend is like that. Can't quote you temps but he's not had problems. Running a bank of 3 Corsair SP120s, a bank of 2 Corsair 120s and IIRC a single or two. Pump running off a PowerAdjust standard (30W single channel, no PWM, controlled by Aquaero via Aquabus).

Corsair SP120s are good. 140s not so much. Worth looking at their new ML140s though. Dual pack currently at £28 or single packs with LED (various colours available) at £25

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 11:12

Bone9 said:
Hmm mine will have zero airflow and will be behind the mb and panel somewhere. Unsure of fans yet as I need some new 140mm rad fans but not sure what to get. Was thinking of the industrial noctuas. Any suggestions?

My 5LT was in a 5.25 bay under a top rad so getting more air than yours will get. My 6 is behind the MB.

5 of the fans I am using are the Noctua NF-A14 PPC 2000PWM with 4 connected to one fan connector so that gives you an idea how they affect VRM heat.

I'd recommend if you get a 5LT you make sure it's returnable in case you get the same issue I had.

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 11:51

Cenedd said:
One I built for a friend is like that. Can't quote you temps but he's not had problems. Running a bank of 3 Corsair SP120s, a bank of 2 Corsair 120s and IIRC a single or two. Pump running off a PowerAdjust standard (30W single channel, no PWM, controlled by Aquaero via Aquabus).

Corsair SP120s are good. 140s not so much. Worth looking at their new ML140s though. Dual pack currently at £28 or single packs with LED (various colours available) at £25

Will check them out thanks. Not sure I'd like something in such a tight space getting so hot.

Mikey C said:
My 5LT was in a 5.25 bay under a top rad so getting more air than yours will get. My 6 is behind the MB.

5 of the fans I am using are the Noctua NF-A14 PPC 2000PWM with 4 connected to one fan connector so that gives you an idea how they affect VRM heat.

I'd recommend if you get a 5LT you make sure it's returnable in case you get the same issue I had.

Not sure if want the hassle of setting it all up to find out it gets too hot.

How do you rate the Noctuas?

Cenedd · 5 Jan 2017 at 12:14

I don't think Noctua have ever made a bad fan. There may be fans that are quieter - it's so subjective it's difficult to tell. There are certainly fans that are sexier - the colour scheme is literally Marmite...but you won't go far wrong with a Noctua and speed control.

Your pump is wired with a 4-pin molex and a 4-pin fan plug. You should be able to control it from the Aquaero but power it from the molex. That should give you very little load. You can re-wire it to put the power on the fan plug. The advantage is that in losing the molex, you simplify your wiring for a cleaner build. If we were talking a 6, I'd recommend you do that - I'm running two EK PWM 18W DDCs off my 6 at reduced speed - but on the 5 I'd try without first. It can do it (with the heatsink) according to that build log I referenced but it will get hotter.

This is a build I did for a friend. Excuse the spaghetti, it was 2am by this time and we'd more than run out of time. You can see a 5LT with heatsink mounted behind the motherboard tray with a PowerAdjust above for his [non-PWM] pump. I've asked what his temps are but not sure I'll get an answer before tonight at the earliest.

Cenedd · 5 Jan 2017 at 12:21

Spoke too soon. His temps are about 50°C +/-2. That's with (3x120), (2x120), (1x120) SP120 fans at 5.2V so a worst-case temp. He tested full-speed and the temp started dropping.

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 13:46

So a 5lt will be OK them with 3 x 2.16w fans on 1, 2 x 2.16w fans on 2, 1 x 2.16w fan on 3 and the pump speed signal on the pwm channel? Will pwm fans be OK on the voltage controlled channels?

Cenedd · 5 Jan 2017 at 13:59

I'd have thought that'd be fine. I'd order the heatsink for it as a matter of course though.

Normally PWM fans should be fine on voltage control. Apparently you may not get as wide a control range as with PWM but I've never found that to be a problem....there'll always be one brand of fan though I'm sure!

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:27

Bone9 said:
How do you rate the Noctuas?

Great, I sit 2 foot from my PC and they are almost silent.

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:30

Mikey C said:
Great, I sit 2 foot from my PC and they are almost silent.

At what rpm is that and if they are the pwm versions can you control them via volts OK?

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:32

Cenedd said:
Spoke too soon. His temps are about 50°C +/-2. That's with (3x120), (2x120), (1x120) SP120 fans at 5.2V so a worst-case temp. He tested full-speed and the temp started dropping.

SP120's are the other fans I was using running like the Noctuas at around 5v.

For complete visibility I had the Aquaeros fan channels connected as follows and both VRM's were hitting over 90c in normal use.

Channel 1 - 4 x Noctua NF-A14
Channel 2 - 6 x Corsair SP120
Channel 3 - 3 x Corsair SP120
Channel 4 - 1 x Noctua NF-A14

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:35

Bone9 said:
At what rpm is that and if they are the pwm versions can you control them via volts OK?

I had them running on the 5LT via DC not PWM although they are the PWM variant and they were around 5v - 5.5v (I think I had to ramp them a bit to make sure they spun up properly)

I think those volts had them running about 800-900RPM.

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:38

Mikey C said:
SP120's are the other fans I was using running like the Noctuas at around 5v.

For complete visibility I had the Aquaeros fan channels connected as follows and both VRM's were hitting over 90c in normal use.

Channel 1 - 4 x Noctua NF-A14
Channel 2 - 6 x Corsair SP120
Channel 3 - 3 x Corsair SP120
Channel 4 - 1 x Noctua NF-A14

So do you think I'll be OK?

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:43

Mikey C said:
I had them running on the 5LT via DC not PWM although they are the PWM variant and they were around 5v - 5.5v (I think I had to ramp them a bit to make sure they spun up properly)

I think those volts had them running about 800-900RPM.

I'd like them to run at 500rpm on idle really. Should I get the 3 pin version instead then?

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:56

Bone9 said:
I'd like them to run at 500rpm on idle really. Should I get the 3 pin version instead then?

Running either the 3 pin DC or 4 pin PWM version of the Noctua fan via DC/Volts on a 3 pin fan header the fan won't spin up with less than about 5v which is around 800-900RPM so 500RPM isn't going to happen.

The PWM version connected to a 4 pin header in PWM mode should work at around 500RPM but according to Noctua's own specs there's a 20% variance so it might not spin up until 600RPM.

Mcthommo · 5 Jan 2017 at 14:57

is it possible to connect 2 D5 pumps to an Aquaero 6 Pro to control the speed? If so, do I need any cables or anything aprt from the 4 pin ones from each pump

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 15:21

Mikey C said:
Running either the 3 pin DC or 4 pin PWM version of the Noctua fan via DC/Volts on a 3 pin fan header the fan won't spin up with less than about 5v which is around 800-900RPM so 500RPM isn't going to happen.

The PWM version connected to a 4 pin header in PWM mode should work at around 500RPM but according to Noctua's own specs there's a 20% variance so it might not spin up until 600RPM.

Bugger, how loud are they at 800-900 rpm?

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 15:26

Bone9 said:
Bugger, how loud are they at 800-900 rpm?

Quiet enough that I can barely hear them in a quiet room.

Cenedd · 5 Jan 2017 at 15:29

MikeyC/Bone9: One thing the Aquaeros have is Start Boost. You can give them the full 12V for x seconds to let them start and then drop it down to 5V. Have you tried that on them to see if they'll coast at 5V but just not start?

Mcthommo: Yes, not a problem. The 6 has four fan headers that will provide 30W each and do either voltage control or PWM. Personally I'd invest in a cheap pin crimper and some fan pins so that you can (once tested) take the molex plug off, cut to same length as fan wires and crimp fan pins on. Then you can have just one wire from the pump to the Aquaero providing power, reporting (speed reading) and control (PWM). Add a bit of sleeving and it's much neater than two sets of unsleeved wires per pump. My Aquaero 6 has two 18W PWM DDCs running off channels 1 & 2 and it's not phased.

Bone9 · 5 Jan 2017 at 15:46

That's good to know as I just read that they only start to spin at 8.7ish volts and for the test he had to get them running then lower the volts to 5. But they were still spinning at about 930rpm minimum. My current fans idle at 440rpm. I want it as quiet as possible when idle.

Aberfala · 5 Jan 2017 at 15:53

Cenedd said:
MikeyC/Bone9: One thing the Aquaeros have is Start Boost. You can give them the full 12V for x seconds to let them start and then drop it down to 5V. Have you tried that on them to see if they'll coast at 5V but just not start?

I have used it but I can't remember if I tried it in this situation as the fans start OK at 5.1v so for me it wasn't necessary and tbh I hate the sound of a 2000RPM at full pelt even if only for a second or two.

The problem here is that to run a 2000RPM fan at 500RPM is going to require it to run with a lot less than 5v which I'm not sure is possible although I'd love to know if someone has managed it.