Aqua Computer LEAKSHIELD

[VSG]

Aqua Computer challenges conventional watercooling by throwing a vacuum pump into the loop! The all-new LEAKSHIELD not only detects leaks by using a sensitive pressure sensor, but also aims to stop them with a clever vacuum-pump implementation and negative pressure operation.

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[ZoneDymo]

insert frodo "witchcraft" gif here.

but more seriously, that is pretty damn amazing and impressive, makes one almost want to purposely make leaks like in the video/gif just to see the device in action.

also, maybe I missed it, but if not intergrated would it not be a smart idea to integrate a temperature and flowrate sensor in there as well? just get all of that info from one unit?

 

[Crackong]

If installed in a soft tube system, will a simple squeeze on the tubing trigger the alarm ?

 

[VSG]

insert frodo "witchcraft" gif here.

but more seriously, that is pretty damn amazing and impressive, makes one almost want to purposely make leaks like in the video/gif just to see the device in action.

also, maybe I missed it, but if not intergrated would it not be a smart idea to integrate a temperature and flowrate sensor in there as well? just get all of that info from one unit?

Ideally you want as few things between the pressure sensor and the air blanket above the coolant, so having these elsewhere is better.

If installed in a soft tube system, will a simple squeeze on the tubing trigger the alarm ?

No, you aren't changing the overall state of the system. But also you need to make sure that the alarm system settings aren't trigger happy anyway so it's not going to be a problem once that's done.

 

[SN2716057]

Overpriced and complicated. I'll stick with the bicycle pump and pressure gauge for leak testing. And in my experience leaks tend to happen before I add the coolant.

 

[Crackong]

Overpriced and complicated. I'll stick with the bicycle pump and pressure gauge for leak testing. And in my experience leaks tend to happen before I add the coolant.

It is not simple leak testing thingy.
It is a live monitoring system which will actively detecting the pressure of fluid
And when there is a crack / seal broken, it will try to avoid leakage of fluid by making the entire loop little bit negative pressurized.

 

[Chrispy_]

Neat, especially the leakshield/pump/res combo:

ULTITUBE D5 100 PRO LEAKSHIELD reservoir with D5 NEXT pump and leak prevention system

ULTITUBE D5 100 PRO LEAKSHIELD reservoir with D5 NEXT pump and leak prevention system: All reservoirs of the ULTITUBE series are equipped with a borosilicate glass tube. In contrast to acrylic glass, which is often used for tube reservoirs, borosilicate glass is extremely hard and...

shop.aquacomputer.de

€300 for a pump/res combo that can potentially save the death of a $3000 GPU is nothing to sniff at, in an attractive package. You're going to be paying more than half that just for a decent pump/res combo anyway so for anyone invested in a custom loop and the hardware worth using a custom loop on, this is pretty much a bargain.

 

[VSG]

Ah I didn't even know there are reservoir SKUs for sale too, but makes perfect sense.

 

[Valantar]

Looks like a really smart and impressive device, but man, that review ... parts of it read like pure advertising. Sorry to say this, but passages like this make me rather queasy.

See that beautiful build using Aqua Computer products? It does look nice with a watercooled CPU and GPU, and one of the company's fancy ULTITUBE D5 reservoirs. I am sure the company did leak testing using its own Dr. Drop kit, which is similar to many other DIY air-based solutions but not the most elegant. Somewhere along the lines, an Aqua Computer personnel must have thought they can do better. What if there were an easier way to monitor a DIY loop for leaks and have it be a permanent part of the loop with an integrated display for monitoring, say as a replacement lid for the reservoir as seen above? What if said way could integrate with the company's extensive aquasuite software to also trigger an alarm and shut down the PC automatically? Now imagine that same thing managing to go one step further by actually mitigating leaks too. This is a fantastic example of needing to see it to believe it as we cover the Aqua Computer LEAKSHIELD today, and thanks to the company for sending a review sample to TechPowerUp!

I mean, that is advertorial-level product salesmanship. I don't see any notice of this being paid content, which makes me seriously wonder why a review editor feels the need to gush about the ingenious nature of various other products from the same brand (including store links!) when these have zero direct relation to the review at hand, while conspicuously not mentioning competitors offering products similar to those mentioned (not the one reviewed, which seems quite unique). This is pretty disturbing.

The rest of the review mostly seems fine, but stuff like that has no place in a purportedly unbiased product review, even if the editor really likes the product and/or brand.

 

[VSG]

Looks like a really smart and impressive device, but man, that review ... parts of it read like pure advertising. Sorry to say this, but passages like this make me rather queasy.

I mean, that is advertorial-level product salesmanship. I don't see any notice of this being paid content, which makes me seriously wonder why a review editor feels the need to gush about the ingenious nature of various other products from the same brand (including store links!) when these have zero direct relation to the review at hand, while conspicuously not mentioning competitors offering products similar to those mentioned (not the one reviewed, which seems quite unique). This is pretty disturbing.

The rest of the review mostly seems fine, but stuff like that has no place in a purportedly unbiased product review, even if the editor really likes the product and/or brand.

The first page in my reviews is basically PR stuff with specs, it is from page 2 that I have my own critique of everything beginning with packaging. I don't see anything wrong with that para either, especially with the intention to add in some context to the brand since the last review was 4 years ago, but I get what you are talking about and will keep it in mind for the future.

 

[Mussels]

I love the concept, but paying for software after 12 months?

No.

 

[VSG]

I love the concept, but paying for software after 12 months?

No.

Yup, one of my pet peeves as well. To clarify- you dont have to pay for the software to use it, you just don't get any updates.

Update: Turns out it will actually be 18 months, not 12. My sample came in before the 18 months was finalized.

 

[Shoggy]

I love the concept, but paying for software after 12 months?

This is no subscription! You can use the software as long as you want without any limitations. You only pay for the updates and if you see what can be done with aquasuite (in general, not just this product) you will also understand why it is impossible to maintain this software for free.

 

[Haile Selassie]

You know what people do when they see leak to their system, right? Turn off the power.
Imagine what happens with the vacuum then

There is probably no product more German in the water cooling industry than this. So much overkill. So little use.

 

[VSG]

You know what people do when they see leak to their system, right? Turn off the power.
Imagine what happens with the vacuum then

There is probably no product more German in the water cooling industry than this. So much overkill. So little use.

That's why I mentioned it's best to connect it to a USB port that can provide power even if the system is turned off. But yes, it is one of the common sense things to be aware of.

 

[Valantar]

The first page in my reviews is basically PR stuff with specs, it is from page 2 that I have my own critique of everything beginning with packaging. I don't see anything wrong with that para either, especially with the intention to add in some context to the brand since the last review was 4 years ago, but I get what you are talking about and will keep it in mind for the future.

Yeah, I know those pages typically contain PR, but it tends to be framed as an introduction to the company and/or product line (e.g. "Company X was founded by H.R. Gieger and has been producing water cooling components since 1973. They are perhaps most known for their yaoi-themed tube fittings, but have in recent years been branching out into other markets such as soft robots.") in a reasonably neutral-positive, passive and impersonal tone. It's typically dry and boring but informative - exactly how it ought to be, really. This is the first time I've seen tone and use of language like what I quoted above in an introduction like that, which is a major departure from the norm. Overly positive adjectives? Yep. ("Beautiful", "sure looks nice".) Personalizing, humanizing, narratively framed language? Also that. ("I am sure the company did[...]", "Somewhere along the lines, an Aqua Computer personnel must have thought they can do better.") Enticing, mysterious turns of phrase like "needing to see it to believe it"? Check. Speculative, "trust me on this" wording? Check. ("I am sure[...]", "[they] must have thought".) Word choice, framing and tone do a lot to the content of what is conveyed, so it's great to hear that you'll keep this in mind going forward. I also agree it's crucial to a review to provide relevant context about the product and company behind it (and I also think this is a really cool and clever product, if a niche one), but that presentation just skews far too much towards pure advertising for my tastes.

 

[Haile Selassie]

That's why I mentioned it's best to connect it to a USB port that can provide power even if the system is turned off. But yes, it is one of the common sense things to be aware of.

Normally people pull the cord or flip the PSU switch in panic instead of holding down the power button for soft power off, don't you think?

 

[Mussels]

This is no subscription! You can use the software as long as you want without any limitations. You only pay for the updates and if you see what can be done with aquasuite (in general, not just this product) you will also understand why it is impossible to maintain this software for free.

No, i see issues because us tech people hoard products for years, and even decades.
Products like this are essentially disposable the moment you attach a timebomb like that, because what if you dont release any updates? What if i want to keep using it for a decade like my 4770k system i handed off to my dad with nothing more than a change of thermal paste?


I can see why people who would build a cool system every 2 years might not care, but those of us in it for the long haul see that as a massive red flag - i'm not buying any product that says ' software updates are optional DLC'


As to the two comments above mine, i would assume it goes into warning mode if it can contain the leak, and shuts down if it cannot

 

[Shoggy]

No, i see issues because us tech people hoard products for years, and even decades.
Products like this are essentially disposable the moment you attach a timebomb like that, because what if you dont release any updates? What if i want to keep using it for a decade like my 4770k system i handed off to my dad with nothing more than a change of thermal paste?

It is clear that you have not understand the concept of the paid update service. The way how we do it IS your insurance to receive updates for many years to come unlike 99% of the other consumer hardware that receives one or two updates after the release and then never ever again. Software development and maintaining is an expensive thing.

Let's take our aquaero 5 for example: this device was released 10 years ago and still receives updates. The evolution and added functionality that the software has gone through in these 10 years is insane. We have industrial customers who use the aquasuite software for just a few functions that other software developers wanted to charge them five-figure sums for.

I am pretty sure everyone who has an older mobile phone knows the problem that at some point you no longer receive updates. What if you could pay a small amount and receives update for many more years? This is how we work. Unlike other companies we do not cut the support after one or two years and force you to purchase a new product to receive the latest features.

You should be happy that we offer this option and there is also no one who forces you to have continuously updates. You could also wait and just do an update if in a few years the software receives a new feature that you are highly interested in.

The funny thing here is always: if we would do it like almost every other company and just offer support for a very limited time frame (which you pretty much never know before!), no one would care because we are used to this system. Now you can have updates for like forever but have to pay for it, everyone gets upset.

Let's say a new gaming mouse enters the market and comes with no information at all on the updates: everyone is happy. If after a year it receives no more updates it is as it is and nobody cares. If they claim right from the start there will be only one year of support and afterwards never again, it would cause a massive shit storm, even though it is not really different to the first scenario because in the end nothing has changed for the customer.
Now comes our system where you have to pay for later updates BUT you can be sure that you have the option for an update in the far far future.

So tell me, which variant do you think is better for you as the customer? No support at all after a year or many years of support but for a reasonable price?

 

[zlobby]

What is this sweet and sassy rad with the copper fins?

 

[Shoggy]

What is this sweet and sassy rad with the copper fins?

airplex radical

 

[Kurgan321]

As a long term user of Aqua Computer products I would like to see some backward compatibility with the Aqualis reservoirs since I own 3 of them. It would be rather expensive and time consuming to upgrade them.

 

[VSG]

As a long term user of Aqua Computer products I would like to see some backward compatibility with the Aqualis reservoirs since I own 3 of them. It would be rather expensive and time consuming to upgrade them.

Aqua Computer mentioned on its own forums that there will be an adapter for the Aqualis reservoirs: https://forum.aquacomputer.de/wasse...fl-ssigkeits-k-hlsystem-der-welt/#post1456063

 

[Kurgan321]

Aqua Computer mentioned on its own forums that there will be an adapter for the Aqualis reservoirs: https://forum.aquacomputer.de/wasse...fl-ssigkeits-k-hlsystem-der-welt/#post1456063

Good news indeed! I will need 3 of them

 

[TechLurker]

Idly, I wonder if this will work with the Alphacool Eisball and Eisstation pump-res combo units. Sure, it'll be a bit dorky having a UFO hovering over the two, or if they will have a rectangular/square variant, but I like the relative compactness of the two.

Same goes for the more rectangular/tubed-rectangular Reservoirs (Heatkiller Tube, Alphacool Eisbecher, Corsair Hydro X, etc).