Cooler Master Mini Aquagate R80 Water-Cooling Kit Review

     With water cooling moving more into the mainstream over the last year, more manufacturers are responding with water-cooling kits designed to attract the PC enthusiast with little or know experience.  Cooler Master has responded with a wide range of water cooling options.  today we will be taking a look at the Mini Aquagate R80 Water Cooling Kit (RL-MUA-E8U1).  This may be the easiest kit we have ever worked with.  Take a closer look.

     Cooler Master makes the Mini Aquagate in two sizes; the R80 and the R120.  As you might guess, the R120 refers to the 120 mm size and the R80 uses a standard 80 mm fan mounting.  We will be working with the R80 for this review.

     Cooler Master has been a leader in aftermarket PC cooling for a long time and it shows.  The packaging is eye catching and informative without being overwhelming.  The R80 is clearly targeted at the beginner water-cooling crowd.  Based on the box, it really does sound easy!

     Opening the box reveals everything has its own space.  The radiator space is clearly designed to fit both sizes.  A quick inspection reveals the radiator is solid and in no danger of being damaged.  Don't panic, the instructions are inside the accessories box.

     The R80 comes with mounting brackets for every current Pentium and AMD processor.  The two cable adaptors allow the R80 to be used with any handy power source or fan controller.  There is even a package of thermal paste and a fan grill.

     The R80 is a self contained unit and requires no cutting or filling.  Cooler Master makes it clear, no modifications should be attempted.  It is ready to install right out of the box.

     As you can see, the pump is integrated right into the heatsink.  This unit looks bigger than it is.  At 70 x 85 x 23 mm it is pretty close to the size of my OEM cooler.   The radiator is made from an Aluminum alloy and is about the size of two standard 80 mm fans.

     A closer look at the unit shows the polished copper surface and sturdy construction.  Its a little hard to feel safe without checking the fluid but Cooler Master does not recommend opening the unit.  With no ongoing maintenance instructions in the manual, you may want to plan on an upgrade when this unit nears the end of its life.

Specifications: