Aqua Computer Aquaero 5 XT USB Fan Controller Review

Aqua Computers has been making PC cooling and monitoring gear for years and this latest product, the Aquaero 5 XT, is a testament to that heritage.

We expected a lot given the price point of this device and Aqua Computers delivered. When you have a case with more than two or three fans a fully automated controller makes all the difference. Being able to set different fans based on different temperatures around the case and have them scale on as needed makes our case dead silent when it is idling and only gets loud if we are pushing hard. Even with the software in beta, the depth of control and reporting is beyond anything we have worked with before. Finally the piece of mind you get with a highly overclocked rig being constantly monitored and know it will be shut down if there is a dramatic cooling loss is a significant piece of mind.

All is not perfect with the Aquaero 5 XT as we find a few things we think could be improved. First, the power plug was jammed against the side of the bay brackets making it harder than it should be to plug in especially if you have 8 sensor wires, four fan runs, USB cable, and flow meter cable. We know the software is in Beta, but having to start two additional applications just to feed in CPU and GPU temperatures is just silly. At a minimum the Aquasuite service software should be integrated. The documentation is mostly in German but a few Google searches and the forums are full of information. A personal beef, default silver face plate. How many silver computers are people running today? Having to fork over another $11.95 after you paid nearly $200.00 is a bit steep. They should make this an option when you order, or have the silver be the $12 option and default to black.

The price does give us pause, but if you just want basic temperature and fan speed control there are many $50 – $75 options on the market today. The Aquaero 5 XT is SO much more than a basic fan controller we can justify the price but if your not going to use an HTPC we would skip the XT model and go for the PRO version saving $50.00. We found we never really touched the front because the software is so awesome.

At $194.99 the Aquaero 5 XT is by far the most expensive PC monitoring and controlling solution on the market today and by far the most advanced. With a 1 year warranty we feel this is the most innovative system control and monitoring solution on the market today.

Legit Bottom Line: A bit pricey and still in Beta, but very innovative complete PC monitoring and control system. if you are an extremist this should be in your system!