Kingwin AquaStar AS-3000 Review

     As water cooling moves out of the garage and into the mainstream, we are seeing more and more major manufacturers embrace the water culture.  With the AquaStar AS-3000, Kingwin brings its latest water solution to the masses.  Is this the kit you have been looking for?  We find out, here at the club.

Kingwin is no stranger to the high-end PC market and it shows in the attractive packaging.

     Inside Kingwin has organized the components into boxes based on the install options.  The user manual features full color step by step instructions with an emphasis on ease of install.

The AS-3000 looks just as good.  Made from polished aluminum, the whole system weighs in at just over 6 pounds.

     Kingwin has kept this system simple.  Left of the second 80mm, you see the two water connectors and the plug for the multi-function power cable.  The unit is filled using the screw you see here on top.

Inside the GPU box we find the AquaStar water block and mounting brackets for all current NVIDIA and ATI cards.

     The CPU box contains the CPU water block and mounting for all the current CPU form factors.  Thumb screws are provided to ease the install further.

     The Standard box contains the core elements needed for the install.  Kingwin has provided everything you need even antifreeze and heat sink compound.  The too you see here is used to adjust the clamp on each of the Silicon hoses.  You will also notice both a heat sensor and a noise sensor are included.  The noise sensor is a real plus, I have never seen one included with any cooling solution or fan kit.

     The External box completes the kit, providing power extensions and extra hosing for an external install.  There are even stickers to cover the sides of the unit.  For this install we will not use this kit.