ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm Review

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Nauman Siddique

At Tech4Gamers, I take on the role of Hardware Reviewer with pride. My responsibilities involve a thorough examination of essential hardware components like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, and CPU coolers, among others, focusing on their complexities and functionalities.

 

 

 

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Today, we’re presenting you the ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm review. ENERMAX is a well-known brand engaged in manufacturing PC cooling components, PSUs, PC Cases, etc. We have received their AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm liquid cooler from ENERMAX for testing. which was certified by Intel to handle their top-tier i9-13900K CPU.

Key Takeaways

• The ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm is for those looking for a 360mm cooler that comes with an excellent price-to-performance ratio.
• The ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm is not for anyone looking to obtain a completely silent cooler.
• The ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm maintained a temperature of 56.8°C on a Ryzen 7 7700X at an ambient of 20°C

Specifications

Dimension

Packaging

Let’s begin the ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm review with the unboxing experience.

Packaging

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Contents

Let’s see what ENERMAX has provided in accessories.

Contents

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Design

Let’s start taking a closer look at the ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm.

Radiator

I’ve got a 360mm radiator with dimensions of 394x120x27mm. The radiator housing is 27mm high, and the bundled fans are 26mm thick, making the total height around 54mm with screws. It has a Fins Per Inch count of 20, so high static pressure fans are needed for airflow. The assembly and stacking are aluminum. Keep in mind that there’s a 105mm gap between the fan mounting holes on the radiator.

The radiator features stylish black frames on both sides, with ENERMAX branding in the center. However, these side frames can be removed. Upon removal, we can observe the fin stacking, which measures 25mm in thickness, providing a clearer view of the radiator’s design.

The tubing is about 400mm long, and it’s made of flexible, kink-resistant material. ENERMAX uses mesh sleeves on the hoses for a clean look. No protective sheets or plating cover the fins under the fan mounts, so be careful when mounting fans to avoid damaging the fins. It’s recommended to use the supplied long screws for fan installation. ENERMAX did a good job with fin stacking.

I’m not sure about the OEM, but I’ve seen this mounting hardware on PCCOOLER and SilverStone coolers. The radiator has non-rectangular end blocks with barbed fittings and metallic covers for reinforcement and aesthetics. There are two stickers, one with the serial number and the other with importer information.

There’s a cap over a port, probably for factory use only, so don’t attempt to open it to avoid affecting the vacuum pressure of the loop. No warranty void sticker is present here.

Pump/Block

Let’s take a look at the main element of this cooler. It is the pump and its housing.

The housing measures 69.5×68.5×54.5mm, with a height of 54.5mm, excluding the copper base. It’s finished in black and has a larger top compared to the base. Two screw holes on the side house the mounting brackets using Philips screws. ENERMAX specifies this unit’s dual-chamber design.

The picture shows the inner design with ENERMAX’s patented Dual-chamber Mechanism, isolating the pump from heat. ENERMAX anticipates this will enhance the cooler’s lifespan without sacrificing efficiency. Let’s hope this resolves previous pump issues and leads to an improvement.

ENERMAX is using patented CCI + SCT technology in this unit. Central Coolant Inlet (CCI) technology injects the coolant at the hottest spot to prevent heat surges. Shunt-channel Technology (SCT) design shortens the coolant flow path, resulting in faster heat transfer.

The other side has a similar layout, but it includes a power cable coming out and a rubber cover. At the top, there’s a thick diffuser with A-RGB LEDs for vibrant lighting effects. The tubing is mounted at a 90° angle on the base, allowing for rotation to the left or right side as needed. No cable connection is found here.

There is a proprietary 4-pin port under there. Users can connect bundled A-RGB cables with this header. I am not sure what is the reason for this particular implementation as ENERMAX could have made the A-RGB cable a permanent part of the housing like that pump’s power cable.

The pump housing has a 3-pin power cable to power the pump.

The top surface of the housing is highly reflective with an infinity mirror design that has ENERMAX branding, and you can’t change its direction. It must face the DIMM slots when installed. ENERMAX calls this Luminous Aurabelt™ technology for a visually stunning experience.

The pump uses a ceramic bearing and is rated for 50,000hrs MBTF, which is relatively low. Looking at the base, it’s about 55x55mm, which is quite large considering the CPU IHS size. The copper plate is 3mm thick, and there’s a protective cover that needs to be removed before installation.

Fans

ENERMAX includes three 120mm fans with a 26mm thickness, slightly above the standard size. The fans have blades with insets or line patterns and are translucent with an ENERMAX-branded sticker in the center. These are called SquA RGB ADV Fans, designed for optimal cooling with Vortex Frame Technology and a downsized hub. They also feature an A-RGB lighting ring on the top frame, adding to the aesthetics.

Each mounting corner of these fans has a black anti-vibration rubber pad. The frame is sturdy and black with ENERMAX branding in the center. Unfortunately, there are no arrow markings to help identify the airflow direction and blade spin.

There are 13 arms on the back to guide airflow in an alternate, focused pattern, and one of them has a base for wire management. These fans are made in China.

There is a 4-pin PWM connector with a flat cable along with 2x A-RGB connectors using a standard 3-pin interface at 5V.

The salient specifications of the fans are:

A-RGB Lighting

ENERMAX has provided an A-RGB controller with this cooler.

RGB

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The top cable is connected directly to the pump’s housing, the middle cable is for the previous generation of GIGABYTE motherboards, and the bottom is a SATA cable to be connected to the control box.

The A-RGB lighting is compatible with:

• ASUS AURA SYNC
• GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0
• MSI MYSTIC SYNC
• ASROCK POLYCHROME SYNC
• RAZER CHROMA RGB

Installation

We have tested the cooler on the AM5 platform using the GIGABYTE X670E AORUS MASTER Motherboard and AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU. The installation is simple and convenient. We need 10 components to set up the mounting hardware for the block.

Installation

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Installation on the AM5 platform goes as follows:

1. First, install AM5 screws on the AMD stock backplate after removing the stock mounting brackets.
2. Install AMD brackets on the pump’s housing as shown. It would be wise to connect the A-RGB cable to the header, as shown before installing the block.
3. Apply the thermal paste on the CPU and place the block on it by aligning the mounting holes of the bracket with threaded portions of screws.  Use thumb nuts to complete this part of the installation.

Clearance

The cooler has no clearance issue for the RAM and PCIe slot. However, make sure that your case supports 360mm AIO. The dimension of the radiator without fans is 394x120x27mm (LxWxH). With fans, the dimension is 394x120x54mm (height is increased).

Also Read: ALPHACOOL CORE OCEAN T38 CPU AIO 360mm Review

Testing

Now comes the important part of the ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm review, the testing. Here’s the test bench we used:

Here are some pictures:

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Here is the settings table for testing:

Results

Be sure to check out our similar, in-depth review of the GIGABYTE AORUS WATERFORCE X 280 Liquid Cooler and the DeepCool LT520 240mm AIO, as we will be comparing the three coolers.

This cooler has almost a similar performance as we saw on the GIGABYTE WATERFORCE X 280.

Noise

These fans were making roughly 51 dB(A) at 32~33 dB(A) ambient. As of August 2023, ENERMAX is also giving a free noise reducer adaptor along with the AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm. The result? Around 16% less noise. Refer to the table below for the complete breakdown of how the adaptor affects the overall performance and noise output:

Should You Buy It?

You Should Buy It If:

You want a budget-friendly 360m cooler: Despite providing users with exceptional cooling and stunning visuals, the ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV is reasonably priced.

You want stunning RGB: This cooler has a mirror infinity design on the pump’s housing, which is surrounded by a diffuser for more vivid ARGB lighting.

You Shouldn’t Buy It If:

You want a near-silent cooler: We noticed that the cooler’s noise levels are slightly higher.

Conclusion

I’ve reviewed the ENERMAX AQUAFUSION ADV 360mm cooler, which also comes in 120mm and 240mm versions. It features an aluminum radiator and housing measuring 394x120x27mm. With 26mm fans, it stands at 54mm. The actual fin stacking thickness is 25mm, and it has a dense radiator with a fin count of 20 and 11 coolant flow channels. This means high static pressure fans are needed, and ENERMAX acknowledges this.

The pump and housing use ENERMAX’s patented CCI + SCT technology, which injects coolant at the hottest spot and shortens the coolant flow path for better heat transfer. They’ve also employed the Dual-chamber Mechanism to isolate the pump from heat.

The design includes a thick diffuser and an infinity mirror top plate with ENERMAX text, but you can’t change its orientation easily. The copper base is 55x55mm and 3mm thick, with mesh-sleeved rubber tubing. Installation is straightforward but involves multiple components and cable connections, including A-RGB for lighting sync.

The cooler is priced at $119.99 with a 5-year warranty. Its performance is good, although fans at full speed can be a bit noisy. Adjusting the fan curve or using Auto settings is recommended.

We are thankful to ENERMAX for the provision of the testing unit.

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Nauman Siddique

[Hardware Reviewer & Editor]

Meet Nauman Siddique, a highly experienced computer science graduate with more than 15 years of knowledge in technology. Nauman is an expert in the field known for his deep understanding of computer hardware.

As a tech tester, insightful reviewer, and skilled hardware editor, Nauman carefully breaks down important parts like motherboards, graphics cards, processors, PC cases, CPU coolers, and more.

• 15+ years of PC Building Experience
• 10+ years of first-hand knowledge of technology
• 7+ years of doing in-depth testing of PC Hardware
• A motivated individual with a keen interest in tech testing from multiple angles.
• I majored in Computer Science with a Masters in Marketing
• Previously worked at eXputer, EnosTech, and Appuals.
• Completed Course in Computer Systems Specialization From Illinois Tech

Get In Touch: nauman@tech4gamers.com