Battle of the Germans - Innovatek vs. Aqua Computer

Innovatek makes a better integrated solution, but it's pricey in the US now due to the dollar falling against the European currencies. So it depends on what you are looking for. If you want all the fancy doo-dads then you definitely want Innovatek.
 
from what i can see, innovatek has better performance, and aqua-computer has ok performance and is more visually appealing (eg. fan grills, waterblocks)
 
there is no real difference in performance or price, and AC's stuff beats innovatek on looks. Polished Copper, Plexiglass, brushed steel and black-anodizen aluminium are one hell of a combination :drool:
 
Well let me rephrase that bit about performance. Innovatek is the solution if you want to have something that looks good in a functional German way and has the capability of taking you to a truly integrated solution of high performance H20 hardware, electronics, and software. AFAIK, Innovatek is the only one who supplies in-the-coolant temperature monitoring capability, in-the-case temperature monitoring, fan control, AND all the Windows software to keep track of everything with graphs, system shutdown parameters, and fun stuff like that :D

Looks are a secondary consideration...
 
Top Nurse said:
Well let me rephrase that bit about performance. Innovatek is the solution if you want to have something that looks good in a functional German way and has the capability of taking you to a truly integrated solution of high performance H20 hardware, electronics, and software. AFAIK, Innovatek is the only one who supplies in-the-coolant temperature monitoring capability, in-the-case temperature monitoring, fan control, AND all the Windows software to keep track of everything with graphs, system shutdown parameters, and fun stuff like that :D

Looks are a secondary consideration...

The AquaComputer Aquaero provides those capabilities, not sure about the windows software to keep graphs, but I know it provides all the temp monitoring and fan control + it also has pump control, if you use the AC pump the aquaero can vary the voltage on the pump to make it more silent when less flow is needed.
 
Both are overly expensive and hard to find in stock!!!

They need to expand to America where they can offer lower prices and more vendors
 
SignalSoldier said:
Both are overly expensive and hard to find in stock!!!

They need to expand to America where they can offer lower prices and more vendors

Don't really know what you're talking about how expensive they are... I wish I'd found AC before I laid down all kinds of money to buy 1/2" DD gear. Unless you're using the heater core from a 1972 Gremlin and an aquarium pump the price of the AC stuff is pretty reasonable for retail (at least from SNT-Systems). I laid down almost $100 for a DD radiator and wished Uncle Sam had delayed my check a week after I found all the kit there.

Lets see... Trick looking radiator for $83 (DD comparable $100), wicked cool reservoir $65 (there's nothing from DD to compare something that nice from DD, lets just say a crappy bay-res for $30), slick CPU waterblock for $70 (similar DD block $60), toss in a GPU block for $60 (compare to about $50 for a DD), $75-100 for a pump (which isn't too far off from what you're going to spend on a good pump anyway), drop a few more Jacksons on odds and ends and you have a great performing rig that doesn't look like everyone else on the picture pages and you're only out a couple extra bucks. Then you shell out another $100 or so for the Aquaero and you're golden.

I mean, what are you defining as "expensive"? Sure, it's going to cost you a little more than DIY, but from everything I've read both AC and Innovatek are excellent systems and well worth the expense.

As for which is better? I'm going to have to go with AC on looks alone. Both perform about the same from the reviews I've read and the prices and options are comparable. So what's left? Looks.

Just my two cents. Sorry for the commercial for SNT-Systems... hey, Dan... how about a freebie or something? Heh.

BellaCroix
 
Then you shell out another $100 or so for the Aquaero and you're golden.

I believe they are about $300 now including shipping :(

There is NO comparable equipment that is made in the good old USA. So who cares so long as it fits in your budget :D
 
Thanks for the "commercial". :p

Some of the items do carry a premium for several reasons, wieght is one of them and Customs taxes are another.

My pick is Aqua-Computer of Innovatek. :D I have even spoke to an Innovatek sales manager about offering their products but nothing became of it.

-Dan
 
BellaCroix said:
Don't really know what you're talking about how expensive they are... I wish I'd found AC before I laid down all kinds of money to buy 1/2" DD gear. Unless you're using the heater core from a 1972 Gremlin and an aquarium pump the price of the AC stuff is pretty reasonable for retail (at least from SNT-Systems). I laid down almost $100 for a DD radiator and wished Uncle Sam had delayed my check a week after I found all the kit there.

Lets see... Trick looking radiator for $83 (DD comparable $100), wicked cool reservoir $65 (there's nothing from DD to compare something that nice from DD, lets just say a crappy bay-res for $30), slick CPU waterblock for $70 (similar DD block $60), toss in a GPU block for $60 (compare to about $50 for a DD), $75-100 for a pump (which isn't too far off from what you're going to spend on a good pump anyway), drop a few more Jacksons on odds and ends and you have a great performing rig that doesn't look like everyone else on the picture pages and you're only out a couple extra bucks. Then you shell out another $100 or so for the Aquaero and you're golden.

I mean, what are you defining as "expensive"? Sure, it's going to cost you a little more than DIY, but from everything I've read both AC and Innovatek are excellent systems and well worth the expense.

As for which is better? I'm going to have to go with AC on looks alone. Both perform about the same from the reviews I've read and the prices and options are comparable. So what's left? Looks.

Just my two cents. Sorry for the commercial for SNT-Systems... hey, Dan... how about a freebie or something? Heh.

BellaCroix

Lets see hear....the 100$ radiator you got is not a DD radiator, it is the crappy and overpriced BIX radiator, which is vastly overpriced. Most people go with a heatercore for which performance is hard to beat and the price is great.

As for the aquaero, lol try more like 300$ to 350$ (gotta get some doo dads to go with it). And the AC pump is 105$ for an eheim 1046, an eheim 1046, a pump that runs around 40$. Also the 1046 is a relatively weak pump...I would not want to spend over 100$ for such a weak pump, AC should have at least gone with the 1048 or the 1250.

So yea, AC stuff is overpriced, add on top of that the only place to buy it is from Dan, where we have to pay for oversea shipping and customs taxes. AC stuff is great, they are like the Apple of watercooling. Boat loads of style, great ideas...the aquaero is just sweet and the fact that it can get readouts from the pump is cool (even if the pump does suck). But just like apple, it does have a premium for the same performance levels.
 
....Aaaaaand here we go, low vs. high flow again...

Let's put it this way: The AC stuff works, and works _very_ well. They have some of the best cooling kits known to man, and _all_ of them are shipped with an eheim 1046 by default, for 20€ or so you get the fancy 12v version with microcontroller and whatnot. And it keeps my system running just fine with a 2x120 rad, fans@5v.

What all that means is that AC stuff does perform well, even though it does not look like it would. I was pretty sceptical myself at first.

Also, I'm german, and live in Berlin, half a mile away from the AC shop... so yeah, I'm biased.
 
I have even spoke to an Innovatek sales manager about offering their products but nothing became of it.

Not suprised as Innovatek is not to interested in the USA market as they say "we are doing a good job in Europe and don't need the USA business." If you want to import from them they say cash up front, must pay in Euro's, must pay all bank charges, and don't bug us as we will ship it when we want to... :confused:
 
plywood99 said:
I haven't heard anyone mention Cool-Cases. Not sure if they're from Germany but their blocks seem to be the best that side of the pond, at least from the reviews I've seen.

Their MasterFreezer-I block is top of the charts.

http://www.kuehlertest.de/include.p...43&PHPKITSID=6231908d58f0642ae3da68e23ab410d4

Anybody else heard of them??

I never heard of that but it does look eye attractive and stats are nice

Not bad for 62 buck I wonder how much of a dent would it be for US shipping :eek:
 
you can find both in the USA without problems. Having owned both, my vote is AC.
 
Top Nurse said:
Not suprised as Innovatek is not to interested in the USA market as they say "we are doing a good job in Europe and don't need the USA business." If you want to import from them they say cash up front, must pay in Euro's, must pay all bank charges, and don't bug us as we will ship it when we want to... :confused:

with DHL, insured shipping to "world" is 15 bucks US I think.
 
*click me*

Any questions? :D

The small difference of cooling performance between both firms is uninteresting to me. I set a high value on the design and therefor AC is my choice.

But there is an other important thing: AC has a nice community which met at lan-partys and other places or just do them itself, playing online games together, chat in IRC and don't forget the huge forum, etc.

Well, I love it. It's like a family :)

Against that, the "community" of Innovatek seems not to exist...
 
Well Alphacool does takes the most common form of currency on the planet and also seems willing to ship anywhere on the planet as well. So what is the big resistance to German companies taking credit cards? It's just a cost of doing business...

They also have some nice products too :D The radiators appear to be somewhat familiar to Innovatek and Aqua-Computer rads. You don't suppose that one European company is making radiators for everyone?
 
Little Grabbi said:
....Aaaaaand here we go, low vs. high flow again.
Not really since both are low flow systems.

My vote goes to AC, hands down.
 
Ill go Alphacool then, shoggy is right abou the AC family if you live in germany. In the US it makes it alittle harder for everything, getting parts, support etc. Though alphacool does not have complicated equipment as AC does the questions i did have for them were answered immediately by someone at alphacool. But ill build what people pay for and AC products are more camera friendly.
 
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