Overall and Final Verdict
With both the Aquafusion Adv coolers and the ETS-F40-FS ARGB it is obvious that Enermax is killing it when it comes to aesthetics and RGB lighting. The F40 cooler looks amazing in its all blacked out design but they also sell an all-white model that looks even better. The F40 also integrates RGB lighting up into the top of the cooler as well as the fan whereas most air coolers that have lighting just have it in the fan. The Aquafusion Adv coolers are similar as well. They are available in both black and white which means you can find one that is going to match your build and with the Aquafusion Adv being available in 120, 240, and 360 models you will most likely find one that fits what you need size-wise as well though they are sadly missing 140 mm fan based sizes. The Aquafusion Adv stands out once you get into its lighting with the included fans having individually addressable lighting in the diffused squared-off ring around the outside as well as in the blade itself. But it’s the lighting on the pump that I like the most. The pump has a ring around the outside and then the infinity design on top.
They both have their downsides as well. The F40 cooler for example didn’t fit our test bench with the taller VRM heatsinks on the Z790 Extreme causing it to get less than ideal contact. The F40 is also a little less than is needed to handle the 13900K on our test bench even in ideal testing conditions. For the Aquafusion Adv, I ran into a few smaller issues like the pump mounting design being a little more difficult than it needs to be because the bracket doesn’t get held in place until you attach the pump. I also wasn’t a big fan of the mounting hardware on the all-white model being black, they worked so hard to get everything white to then just reuse the black hardware when chrome could have worked. I also had issues with the mounting tabs on the Aquafusion Adv fans being thin and easy to crack or break. But the biggest issue was of course the inconsistent performance between the two kits. The Aquafusion Adv 240 performed amazingly well but then the larger Aquafusion Adv 360 ran warmer than it in all of our tests even after redoing the mounting, checking the contact surface multiple times, and more. The Aquafusion Adv 240 shows just how capable the Aquafusion Adv is and I bet if the 360 model were performing as well as it should have it would have been even better. But it does show that there is the possibility that you can see less than ideal performance with some kits. Frankly, I would prefer it completely fail so at least it is obvious you have a problem. The 2000 RPM fans on the Aquafusion Adv are also a double edge sword, they offer the possibility of good cooling but are relatively loud when cranked up.
Overall both the RTS-F40 and the Aquafusion Adv have great aesthetics and have the potential to be solid performers in their respective cooling classes. But once we get into the details they also had big downsides as well. For pricing the F40 air cooler has an MSRP of $49.99, it was previously on sale for $39.99 so keep an eye out for that. Then for the Aquafusion Adv, the 360 model is $119, the Aquafusion Adv 240 is $99.99, and the Aquafusion Adv 120 is $79.99. That pricing makes the Aquafusion Adv a good value once you figure in the lighting that the fans have. Most kits anywhere near that price range have more basic blade-only lighting and often no lighting on the pump or a backlit logo whereas the Aquafusion Adv has the infinity design and the outer ring of lighting as well. The pricing does mean that the Aquafusion Adv would be on my shortlist for a budget build if I wanted to have some lighting, but I would be sure to make sure the performance I’m getting is what the cooler is capable of.
*Update* Enermax did send a replacement for the Aquafusion Adv 360 that we had issues with and I have updated all of our performance testing to include the retested results of that cooler. The replacement cooler did fix the performance issue and the new cooler ended up being the best performing cooler out of the coolers tested. I have left the original conclusions and performance numbers as well. As expected the Aquafusion Adv 360 is a great performing cooler. But my original concern with inconsistent performance is still a possibility so it is still important to note. This is especially true in this situation where the cooler didn't stop working which is an issue that would be noticeable right away.
Live Pricing: HERE
Live Pricing: HERE
