Introduction
ENERMAX Technology Corporation is a world-renowned PC Power Supply Unit manufacturer incorporated in 1990. They are known for their quality products ranging from the power supply, coolers, chassis, fans, and keyboard and have won recognitions of consumers around the world. ENERMAX products are recommended by worldwide reviewers, and certain were granted by iF, Red Dot, Good Design, and Taiwan Excellence Awards.
We recently did a round-up content on the high-end air coolers. It was quite a success and based on the community’s feedback we are planning another round-up content. This time the round-up content is on the best 240mm AIO coolers. We have chosen this size of the liquid cooler as it is still the most commonly used size in the liquid cooler category out of other available sizes which are 120mm, 280mm, and 360mm. We have reached out the over 30 brands and set ourselves a minimum of 15 coolers for the test. We are nearing our mark as the deliveries have started.
In this article, we are taking a spin on the 240mm liquid cooler (CLC) from Enermax named AQUAFUSION 240. This cooler is available in two colors; white and black. We are spinning the beautiful white edition of the cooler. The cooler is compatible with the Intel sockets LGA 775/1366/115x/1200/20xx and AMD’s AM4/AM3+/AM3/AM2+AM2/FM2+/FM2/FM1 sockets. The cooler comes with 2x white color 120mm ARB fans with a square fan frame. The tube is also in white. The radiator is white color spray painted. Even the first look at the components alone will make you fall in love with it! Here are the features of the cooler:
- ‧ Glossy acrylic and Aurabelt™ water block for vivid lighting effects
- ‧ Patented Dual Chamber water block design
- ‧ Patented Shunt Channel Technology
- ‧ ENERMAX SquA RGB fans included
- ‧ Supports addressable RGB M/B sync
Item: AQUAFUSION 240 WHITE
Manufacturer: ENERMAX
Price: $109.99 [Newegg pricing at the time of the review]
Specifications
Dimension
Packaging and Unboxing
The cooler is shipped inside a black color cardboard packing box.
AQUFUSION 240 is an All-In-One CPU cooler with stunning A-RGB lighting compatible with:
- ASUS AURA SYNC
- RGB FUSION 2.0
- ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC
- MSI MYSTIC LIGHT SYNC
- RAZER CHROMA
There is a picture of the unit along with the model number.
The specifications are printed in a tabular format. The cooler is rated to handle a TDP of up to 360W. The block features a dual-chamber design for efficient coolant flow. The block has a stepped-shape design with a glossy acrylic cover for some vivid visuals. ENERMAX has bundled two performance edition fans.
The cooler features high-performance PWM fans with a ceramic bearing pump.
The block diagrams are showing the dimensions of the units. I appreciate the detailed data provided for the overall dimension.
Opening the box will show the nicely packed contents in the egged carton. There is a white color Styrofoam pad on the top. Everything about this cooler is White.
Contents
Let’s take a look at what ENERMAX has provided in the accessory box.
ENERMAX has provided a detailed user manual for the installation of the cooler on multiple sockets. In addition, they have a video on the product’s page to give the users a visual demo on the installation of the cooler on three sockets. Here is the link to that video:
We have:
- 1x Metallic Backplate
- 2x Intel Mounting Brackets
- 2x AMD Mounting Brackets
We have:
- 4x Spring-Loaded Thumb caps/nuts
- 4x Intel LGA20xx standoffs
- 4x Other sockets standoffs
- 5x washers
- 4x black spacers
We have:
- 8x small screws for the radiator
- 8x screws for the fans
- Dow Corning TC-5121C Thermal Paste
- Square Spacer for AMD
- 5x Screws for Mounting Brackets
- 1x PWM Y splitter cable is included which allows the users to connect both fans to a single fan header.
- 1x SATA adapter with 2-pin fan connector. The user can connect the 3-pin power cable of the pump to this adapter and power it directly from the PSU. This would be helpful where enough fan headers are not available.
ENERMAX was thoughtful enough to provide the A-RGB controller with the cooler. This would allow the users who don’t have light headers on the motherboard to still benefit from the A-RGB lighting on the unit and be able to control the lighting effect.
We have a slim controller much like what we have seen on many other offerings. It has three buttons on it to cycle among the 10 preset lighting modes and increasing/decreasing the brightness/speed of the dynamic modes.
One end of the controller has a 3-pin A-RGB connector. This is where the A-RGB cable is connected.
There is a 2-pin header on the other end of the controller. The controller is SATA powered and the SATA cable is connected on this header.
The above picture shows the SATA power cable for the controller.
Connect this cable to the block’s 4-pin header.
There is an A-RGB cable for the older GIGABYTE motherboards.
There is a Y splitter cable which allows connecting two A-RGB devices to a single cable.
Closer Look
It is time to take a closer look at the components. The cooler is compatible with Intel LGA20xx/1366/1200/115x/775 sockets and AMD AM4/AM3+/AM3/AM2+AM2/FM2+/FM2/FM1 sockets.
RADIATOR
The ENERMAX AQUAFUSION AIO 240 is a 240mm CLC cooling solution. It has a 240mm radiator with 2x high static pressure ARGB fans.
The dimension of the radiator is 274 x 120 x 27mm. The thickness of the radiator is 27mm. With 25mm fans, the overall thickness would be roughly 54mm with the heads of the screws. The radiator has a 20 fins per inch one (FPI). There is a gap of 105mm between any two fan mounting holes on the radiator. Similarly, there is a gap of 22mm from the outermost mounting holes toward the radiator’s far end/block. This gap is 27mm for the near end or the end with the tubing. The thickness of the radiator with the barb fittings is 40mm approximately. The whole assembly is sprayed painted with white color.
Radiator is made of aluminum hence it is lightweight. The blocks on both ends of the radiator are rounded. The fin stack is dense and taking into account the left and right side channels, it has a total of 12 aluminum-made channels for the coolant flow.
There is no protective plating under the mounting holes on the radiator assembly much like what we have seen on the majority of AIO solutions in the market with a few exceptions. But, ENERMAX was wise enough to increase the gap between the mounting holes and the fins stack to give some protection.
The sides of the housing are removable. They have an inset on the sides with the raised center having an ENERMAX branding making the whole layout nice and clean in look.
The far head has a rounded design with a neat finishing. There is no sticker pasted on this end.
ENERMAX is using straight barb fittings on the radiator. The fittings and the connected tubes are covered in a stylish cap. These caps are also in the white color finish. There is a sticker pasted here showing the serial no of the cooler and the manufacturing date which is June 2020. There is what seems to be a refill port on the radiator. Though there is no warranty void sticker pasted on it, it is likely to be reserved only for factory use. Don’t attempt to open the port as you may lose the vacuumed pressure of the loop.
The AQUAFUSION AIO 240 is using reinforced 400mm tubes with enhanced flexibility without kinking. These tubes are in nylon braided sleeves finished in the white color.
PUMP/BLOCK
Let’s take a look at the block of the cooler which is a marvelous design.
The block has a dimension of 69.5×68.5×57.5mm (LxWxH). The top of the block has a majestic finish to it. We have a glossy acrylic plate on the top with the 3D layer design using Aurabelt™ providing unique rainbow effects with 16.8 million colors. The top plate is in black. The only section of the entire unit is not white but it has a reason for that. Let it light up and see for yourself!
We have 6 backlit layers of A-RGB lining on the border of the acrylic plate with an ENERMAX logo in the center. There is a thick diffuser under the top faceplate which also lights up to give an immensely pleasurable look off the block.
The front side of the block has a simple and plain layout without any branding at all. The white color finish is top-notch.
The right side of the block also has no branding. The lower section has an inset area where the mounting bracket is installed using two screws.
The left side of the block is identical to the right side except that there is a 3-pin power cable coming out of the block and there is a 4-pin header with a cover.
Removing the cover will show the 4-pin header. This is where a designated cable provided in the accessory box is to be connected for the A-RGB lighting of the block. Strange as they simply could have installed this cable on the block and routed it out!
Looking at the rear or backside of the block, we can spot two black color rotary fittings with tubes installed at 90° angle to make them rotatable for easy installation.
The 3-pin cable has a white color connector as well. It has a length of approximately 270mm.
The AQUAFUSION AIOs feature a dual-chamber pump design isolating the pump from the heat to prolong the cooler’s lifetime.
Patented Dual Chamber Design water block has a Central Coolant Inlet (CCI) structure, combined with the Shunt-Channel Technology (SCT) on the cold plate, it is able to inject the coolant at the hottest spot to prevent heat surges and shorten the coolant flow path, resulting in faster heat transfer. Following are the specifications of the pump:
| Speed | Upto 3300 RPM |
| MTTF | 50,000 hours |
| Rated Voltage | 12 VDC |
| Connector | 3-pin |
| Rated Current | 0.7A |
| RGB LED Rated Current | 0.42A @ 5V |
We have a copper base measuring 56x55mm. The copper base is almost covering the entire ABS housing. There is a protective sheet on the base. Don’t forget to peel it off before the installation.
FAN
ENERMAX has provided 2x high-performance ARGB fans with the cooler. Each fan is in a white color finish. Even the cables and the connectors are in white color. These are ENERMAX SquA RGB fans featuring a square-shaped vortex frame design. It can generate centered, stronger air pressure, especially perfect for radiators.
Each fan has 9 white color blades with an inset on the top end of each blade. These are not frosted or translucent in design which means they don’t contribute to the A-RGB lighting and the RGB LEDs not located in the center either. The center has a black color sticker on it with ENERMAX branding.
There is an A-RGB LED ring (not exactly a circular ring!) running across the entire length of the frame sitting between the inner wall of the frame and other wall making one heck of a cool look on the fan itself. Each mounting corner has a cut-to-size white color anti-vibration pad.
Each fan has a rigid white color frame surrounding the assembly. The frame is a square design. There are no arrow symbols on any side of the frame that could visually help the user identifying the direction of the airflow and the blades’ spin.
The backside of the fan shows 13 stature style arms in a blade design making contact with the frame of the fan. This reminds me of the Noctua design! The power rating of the fan is printed on the sticker in the center of the fan. One of the arms has a wider depth as the cables are routed through it.
Each fan has 2 cables on it. Both are flat in design and they are in the white color from head to toe.
We have a 4-pin PWM white color connector cable to power the fan’s motor. It has an approximate length of 490mm. The other cable has 490+90mm length and has 3-pin addressable connectors (white color) for the ARGB LEDs.
The specification of the fans are:
| Dimension | 120x120x26mm |
| Type | 4-pin PWM and 3-pin RGB Connectors |
| Speed | 500 ~ 2000 RPM |
| Airflow | 39 ~ 79.8 CFM |
| Air Pressure | 0.67 ~ 3.6 mmH₂O |
| Noise | 17 ~ 36.2 dB(A) |
| MTTF | ≥100,000 hours |
| Rated Voltage | 12V |
| Rated Current | 0.38A |
| Rated Current RGB LED | 0.68A (5V) |
RGB Lighting
A-RGB lighting on the fans and the block are one heck of an AURA show. The colors are vibrant, vivid with cool effects. The diffusion is evenly spread on the spectrum. The looks on the block are dope. The user can connect the synced fans and the block either to the motherboard 5V header or to the bundled controller. Here are some pictures:
Installation
We have tested the cooler on the X99 platform using the Intel LGA 2011-3 socket. Installation is simple and as under:
Install the mounting brackets on the block as shown in the picture.
Install the Intel LGA20xx standoffs.
Install the fans on the radiators.
Apply the thermal paste on the CPU. Peel off the protective cover on the block. Place the block on the CPU by aligning the holes on the mounting bracket with the threaded sides of the standoffs. Use the spring-loaded thumb nuts to secure the installation.
Connect the 4-pin A-RGB cable to the 4-pin header on the block.
You can use the Y cable to connect both fans to the single fan header on the motherboard. Another fan header would be needed for the 3-pin cable coming from the block to power the pump or you can connect it to the SATA powered fan header provided with the cooler. Similarly, daisy chain the A-RGB cables on the block and the fans to connect them to a single controller for synchronized lighting control.
There is no clearance issue with respect to the DIMM slots and first PCIe slot. Make sure your chassis has clearance for a 240mm radiator.
The above picture shows the cooler installed on an open-air test bench.
Testing Methodology
Following test bench has been used: –
- Asus Rampage V Edition 10
- Intel i7 6850k
- CORSAIR VENGEANCE RED 16GB @ 2666MHz
- Colorful GeForce GTX 1050Ti Vulkan
- Samsung 840 EVO 250GB SSD
- CORSAIR AX1200i PSU
- Open-air test bench
The software used for testing and monitoring include:
- Asus Real Bench v 2.56 (Intel)
- Real Temp GT v 3.70 (Intel)
Here is the settings table for testing:
| OC Clock (MHz) | 4000 |
| OC Voltage (V) | 1.21 |
| Turbo Boost | Disabled |
| C-States | Disabled |
| Speed Step | Disabled |
| Thermal Paste | Noctua NT-H1 |
| Test Run Time | 60 minutes |
| Idling Time | 15 minutes |
| Fan Speed | Tested using Integrated Hub on the radiator at Auto/PWM
Manually set to run at 100% speed. Auto PWM using CPU Fan Header |
| Pump Speed | Connected to the AIO Pump header to run at 100% speed |
We are using Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste for coolers testing. Using the same thermal paste for all coolers would ensure standardization. Delta temperatures are reported on the graphs. The testing is done on an open-air bench system. Once inside the chassis, the temperatures are expected to rise and would largely depend upon the optimal airflow inside the chassis.
Not every run of the stress test may yield the same result. This could well be due to many factors like mounting pressure, thermal paste application, varying ambient temperature, the temperature sensor of the die. Not to mention the silicon differences even among the same category of the chips. Hence, it is pertinent to mention the testing methodology along with the specifics.
Let’s take a look at the results.
100% PWM Cycle
Auto PWM
We have a decent performance from the cooler.
Acoustic
The fans are a bit loud at full speed and we measured them to making 55 dBA with an ambient sound level of 32 dB(A).
Conclusion
ENERMAX released their AQUAFUSION series back in March 2019 with the black color variants. The company went on to release the white color version in September 2019. The AQUAFUSION series coolers are available in 120mm, 240mm, and 360mm version. Each option is available in black color and white color. ENERMAX has provided two high-performance A-RGB fans in the white color as well. The AQUAFUSION 240 White is compatible with – Intel Sockets LGA: 775, 1366, 1200, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 2011, 2011-3, 2066 and AMD Socket: AM4/AM3+/AM3/AM2+AM2/FM2+/FM2/FM1 sockets.
The unit has an aluminum radiator measuring 274 x 120 x 27mm. The thickness of the radiator is 27mm. The overall thickness would be roughly 54mm after installing the fans. The radiator has 20 FPI. The radiator has a white color spray-coated housing. The ENERMAX is using high flexible rubber tubes with nylon braided sleeves running to approximately 400mm in length. The tubes are installed on straight fittings on the radiator with clamps/covers which are in a white finish as well. The sides of the radiator housing are removable and have ENERMAX branding in the center.
The most killer element on the entire unit is definitely the block itself. We have a step-shaped design housing in plastic and ABS material. The dimension of the block is 69.5×68.5×57.5mm (LxWxH). The top of the block has a majestic finish to it. We have a glossy acrylic plate on the top with the 3D layer design using Aurabelt™ providing unique rainbow effects with 16.8 million colors. There is a thick backlit diffuser under the top faceplate adding more AURA to the lighting. Patented Dual Chamber Design water block has a Central Coolant Inlet (CCI) structure, combined with the Shunt-Channel Technology (SCT) on the cold plate, it is able to inject the coolant at the hottest spot to prevent heat surges and shorten the coolant flow path, resulting in faster heat transfer. We have a copper base on the block. There is a 3-pin connector cable to power the pump motor. A 4-pin header is there on the housing to which the A-RGB cable is connected to light up the block. Somewhat strange implementation as the A-RGB cable should have been pre-installed.
The AQUAFUSION 240 comes with two high-performance SquA RGB fans featuring a square-shaped vortex frame design. It can generate centered, stronger air pressure, especially perfect for radiators. These fans are rated for up to 2000 RPM with a maximum airflow rating of 79.8 CFM at an air pressure rating of 3.6 mmH₂O. These fans feature white color 9 blades to ensure high pressure. Both fans have A-RGB LEDs housed inside the diffuser running between the outer and inner walls of the frame. ENERMAX has provided a plethora of cables with a dedicated controller to control the lighting of the fans and the block with 10 preset modes. The user can connect the cables to the supported motherboard digital headers (5V) as well. The lighting solution is compatible with ASUS AURA SYNC, MSI MYSTIC LIGHT SYNC, GIGABYTE RGB FUSION 2.0, ASRock POLYCHROME SYNC, and RAZER CHROMA. The installation is easier as well with a few steps you will get going in no time.
The ENERMAX AQUAFUSION 240 white is listed at $109.99 at the time of the review. ENERMAX is offering 2 years warranty. The ENERMAX AQUAFUSION 240 has performed decently with up to 3°C difference from the top of the chart cooler and with 1~1.5°C or less difference from the other contenders which makes it a nice value offer compared to some premium tagged coolers in the graph. The black version is listed at an even lower price! This performance is coming at an elevated noise output so I would suggest setting a custom fan curve to address that. Overall, we have a visually pleasing outlook on the cooler augmented by stunning A-RGB lighting on the white color with enough cooling potential to drive your daily need.
We’ve reached out to most major brands in effort to compare the best AIO coolers of 2020 against each other and let you know which ones come out on top. Please make sure to check out our 2021 AIO COOLER ROUNDUP and again, thanks to all the companies taking part. Below is the listing of the coolers confirmed so far.
| Brand Website | Cooler Review |
| AZZA | Blizzard 240 |
| SilverStone | IceGem 240 |
| Fractal Design | Celcius+ S24 PRISMA |
| CORSAIR | H100i RGB Platinum |
| Antec | Neptune 240 |
| XPG | Levante 240 |
| ARTIC | Liquid Freezer-II |
| EK Water Blocks | EK-AIO 240 |
| ID-Cooling | Aura Flow X 240 |
| Cooler Master | Master Liquid ML240L ARGB V2 |
| ASUS | ROG RYUO 240 |
| Enermax | Aquafusion 240 |
| DeepCool | Castle 240EX White |
| AeroCool | P7 L240 or Mirage 240 |
| Reeven | Naia 240 |
| Lian Li | Galahad |
| be quiet! | Pure Loop 240 |
