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The outer packaging of the Aqua 240 seems to be of comparable quality to other more expensive AIO coolers. The black and orange Cougar theme is striking, on the front of the box is a large image of the cooler as well as bold Cougar, Aqua 240 and RGB logos. On the rear is another image of the cooler along with various smaller images with descriptions of the features.
Inside the box are two Vortex WB 120 black fans, a ziplock bag containing all the mounting hardware for both Intel and AMD platforms, a two way PWM fan splitter cable, a small tube of thermal compound and the wireless RGB controller as well as an installation guide and obviously the cooler itself.
The Aqua 240 radiator is constructed from aluminium and measures 27mm thick which is typical of all-in-one closed-loop radiators. A matte black coating applied to the radiator looks smooth and even. There are no branding or logos anywhere, just simple brackets riveted to the top and bottom edges of the radiator to mount the fans.
At the radiator side, the braided reinforced rubber tubing is fixed so there is no rotation available here, while at the CPU block side the tubing is located on articulating 90-degree fittings to allow for movement to aid installation. Braided sleeving offers a premium look which again is typical of AIO coolers nowadays. Tubing length is 400mm which is ample for front or top radiator mounting inside most modern ATX cases.
On top of the CPU block is a Cougar logo that is illuminated in RGB lighting once the system is powered on. Around the circumference of the CPU block top cover is another RGB lighting zone diffused by an opaque plastic ring. Unfortunately, the top cover isn't easily removable and therefore cannot be rotated to suit the orientation of the CPU block once installed in the system.
At the base of the CPU block is a square copper micro skived thermal transfer plate with a very smooth looking machined finish. The CPU block arrives with the Intel upper mounting bracket pre-installed, this simply slides off to be replaced with the AMD upper mounting bracket if required.
A standard SATA power connection is used to power the pump, there is also a standard 3-pin 5V ARGB cable that connects directly to the motherboard for control of the RGB lighting effects. There are no additional cables such as USB or fan headers so cables coming from the CPU block are kept to a minimum which is good to see.
The all-black Vortex WB 120 fans bundled in with the Aqua 240 feature a nine-blade design, anti-vibration rubber mounting points and a Cougar logo on the hub. More interestingly is the rear of the fan which is equipped with a patented frame design that is said to “focus the airflow and optimise cooling efficiency”.
Included with the Aqua 240 is a wireless remote controller for the RGB lighting effects, in case your motherboard doesn’t support ARGB connections or you just want manual control over the RGB lighting this is a handy addition. No drivers or software are needed to use the wireless controller, it just simply works out of the box so no faffing around with setup is required.
Overall, the Aqua 240 has a good quality feel to it especially considering the price. Quality is comparable to other more expensive AIOs, the fan frames have some minor flex to them which is to be expected with the thin wall design of the frame. However, there isn't any major flaw with the build quality that is noticeable or looks cheap.
