Packaging:
The
Corsair Nautilus 500 is sold in the vibrant and informative box shown below. Not only do you get a good look at all the included items, you get the basic features and specifications, and a bit of performance data from some of Corsair's in-house testing.
Inside the box everything is well packed and protected in form fitting cut outs in the cardboard. The manual shown was very detailed and helpful, but appeared to be a preliminary copy since it seemed to have been printed out and bound manually. Perhaps a final version will look different, but hopefully offer the same information!
The Cooling Unit:
The first thing to look at is the main housing for the Corsair Nautilus 500. The black plastic box shown below houses the pump, reservoir, radiator, and fan. In the below left image you can see the front of the device which features the Corsair Nautilus logo as well as a fluid level indicator. The white strip on the left is actually illuminated, so when it is full of the green Cool cooling fluid it is easy to see the level by the eerie glow. On top of the device we can see the fan grill and a chromed fill port. A coin or wide bladed screwdriver is all that is necessary to access the fill port, but if you are pouring from a large container you may want a funnel. Corsair provides a small container of cooling fluid, but you need to mix it with distilled water for proper operation.
The above right image shows the rear of the housing where we see the following (from left to right): fan speed switch, power connection, and the quick connect outlet and inlet. The connections not only offer a quick connection, they offer a reassuring click to let you know you are plugged in properly, and when disconnected internal check valves minimize drips.
The below left image provides a better look at the previously mentioned fan grill and fill port cap.
The above right image shows the bottom of the housing where we can see the exposed fins of the aluminum radiator. Each of the larger horizontal 'lines' is actually a path for water to pass through, and each of these is separated from the next by a fine array of aluminum fins. There is quite a large surface area for heat transfer to occur, as long as the fan can keep the air flowing without restriction. The tight mesh on the fan grill and the tight array of radiator fins may create a restriction, but we'll see how it does in testing.
