Details
The Aquacomputer Airplex Modularity 840 mm | Aluminum (33031) is an 840 mm water cooling radiator with aluminum fins on 21 copper tubes, stainless steel side panels and one coolant circuit. It is only 146 mm wide and 63.5 mm high, with G1/4 threads, and it comes without mounting hardware.
Properties
- Size
- 884 x 146 x 64 mm (L x W x H)
- Fins
- Aluminum fins on 21 copper tubes, no coating
- Ports
- G1/4 threads, recess 19 mm wide and 3.5 mm deep
- Circuits
- One
- Pressure
- Approved up to 0.8 bar
A fully modular radiator system
The airplex modularity system is a modular radiator series for PC water cooling. Aquacomputer says it shows the competence and know-how of Aqua Computer, a company with a history of building water cooling systems since the year 2001. Each radiator is built from exchangeable components, which makes it an absolute modular system rather than one sealed part.
Aquacomputer's main features at a glance:
- Extremely high cooling performance. The fins (slats) have an optimal structure, with spacing optimized for low fan speed and excellent passive cooling performance.
- Very compact: shorter than most other radiators for the same fan size, and only 146 mm wide.
- No solder joints and no welding, so there are no soldering residues in the coolant path.
- The radiator can be completely dismantled, for example to clean it if necessary.
- Optimal flow on parallel pipe routes, for optimized flow resistance.
- No paint on the fins: they are free of coating for optimal heat transfer.
- No base metals in contact with the coolant, only copper and stainless steel. The coolant never touches the aluminum, because the tubes are copper.
- CNC machined components made from Delrin, plus stainless steel parts.
- High precision production: Aquacomputer says the highest accuracy of the individual components will guarantee a perfect fit on installation.
- Riveted threads for fan mounting.
- Side panels in many colors (brushed stainless steel, black aluminum, blue, red); this radiator has stainless steel panels.
- Approved for pressures up to 0.8 bar. A special design for up to 5 bar pressure is possible on request.
How the radiator is built
Every airplex modularity radiator is based on a fin package: 21 copper tubes carrying the fins, with stainless steel flanges pressed on at the factory. On both sides of the fin package sits a terminal made from acetal (Delrin). Each terminal, facing a stainless steel flange, seals against it with a sealing gasket (o-ring seals) and is bolted to it with screws.
The connection threads are attached in the Delrin terminal, and a round pocket is deepened into the terminal over each threaded port. Small connection adapters plugged into these pockets join two radiators flush to each other, without bothersome hose connections. The orientation of the radiators toward each other determines the flow of coolant through them.
- Laterally interconnected radiators, mounted side by side next to each other, are connected in series.
- Horizontally stacked radiators, mounted on top of each other, are connected in parallel, and the coolant flows through them side by side.
One terminal for every size
Radiators in all lengths use the same Delrin terminals; only the side panels and fin packages are different. Accordingly, a radiator can be rebuilt into another size through the acquisition of the right components. The system is also expandable in all dimensions: Aquacomputer says it can grow indefinitely in length, toward unlimited size, with the fin packages connected via optional Delrin connection modules.
All sizes share the same width of 146 mm, so they fit perfectly into standard 5 1/4" drive bays. In the standard configuration, that is without a pump module, the height is 63.5 mm. The length is 44 mm longer than the respective fan dimension. For a 360 radiator (3x 120 mm) that is 360 + 44 = 404 mm; for this 840 mm radiator it is 884 mm.
The connectors are G1/4 as standard, and all G1/4 connections from our shop can be used, as long as they fit the recess. Each port pocket is 19 mm in diameter and 3.5 mm deep. Connectors with a larger outer diameter need suitable extensions, which are not supplied with the radiator.
Two cooling circuits in one radiator
The airplex modularity system was the first to make it possible to operate two separate cooling circuits with one radiator. In the corresponding radiators, about 70 % of the cooling surface is associated with the primary circuit and about 30 % with the secondary circuit. The two circuits are completely separated and sealed against each other, so mixing of the coolant is impossible.
Systems with multiple circuits thus fit extremely compact two-loop cooling into little space. One loop can cool both the CPU and the graphics card, for example, while a separate loop serves heat sensitive hard drives. This 33031 radiator is the version with one circuit.
Pump module versions
Pump modules with reservoir are available for the system as optional equipment, and with one an extremely compact, easy to install water cooling loop can be realized. Radiators offered with a pump module have the pump and expansion tank integrated directly into the Delrin terminal, which saves time and effort. Depending on the type, they also carry a USB fan controller with water temperature measuring.
Optionally, those versions add a flow meter, water filters or both. The installation of a flow sensor and filter is easily done and quickly finished. This radiator has no pump module.
Of particular note here is the Compact 600 pump module in the 12 V version. It runs on the proven ceramic bearing from Aqua Computer for whisper quiet operation, and its integrated pump controller with USB interface gives a variety of monitoring as well as control options.
The USB version of the D5 pump mechanics has integrated control and monitoring electronics, with a USB and aquabus interface, a programmable alarm output and an external temperature sensor input. The aquasuite software for monitoring and configuring is a free download. Through the four-pole aquabus interface the pump also allows a direct connection to an aquaero 5 controller (not included).
The alarm output can optionally be configured as an artificial speed signal, for connection to a fan output with speed signal evaluation, such as on the motherboard. It can also be configured as a switching output, for example to switch an LED in case of alarm. Alarm monitoring uses the speed signal of the pump and, in addition, the external temperature sensor input. That input is compatible with all temperature sensors offered by Aqua Computer.
What the loop needs
The radiator is not attached to anything out of the box, because it has no mounting hardware; see our radiator mounting hardware section. Its ports take G1/4 fittings that fit the 19 mm recess. Fans for the riveted threads are in our fans section.
Aquacomputer offers a wide range of accessories for the system (expansion tank, pump modules, feet, filters, sensors). Two airplex modularity radiators join through the side-by-side interconnection plates (33503) or the horizontally stacked set (33504). Copper fins are also available, for maximum performance in the smallest space, for example on the 360 mm copper radiator (33036).
Technical details
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 884 x 146 x 64 mm |
| Thread size | G1/4 |
| Recess around connection threads | Diameter 19 mm, depth 3.5 mm (connectors with a larger outer diameter can only be installed with suitable extensions, not included in delivery) |
In the box
- 1x radiator
- Attention: no mounting hardware is included with these radiators
