Cooling rarely gets the same attention as processors or displays, yet it plays a huge role in how a gaming device performs. Fast hardware can only stay fast if temperatures remain under control, especially during long gaming sessions where every minute adds more pressure to the processor.
For the REDMAGIC Astra 2 Gaming Tablet and REDMAGIC 11S Pro, we developed AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 to keep pace with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 platform. Combining liquid cooling with premium thermal materials and active airflow, it works continuously behind the scenes to keep temperatures in check while you stay focused on the game.
Built Around Performance
The REDMAGIC Astra 2 and REDMAGIC 11S Pro may share the same philosophy, but each showcases it in a slightly different way. The Astra 2 combines the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with a stunning 9.06-inch OLED display capable of reaching a 185Hz refresh rate, creating a compact gaming tablet that's designed to be carried anywhere without sacrificing flagship-level performance. The 11S Pro pushes things even further with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version, clocking speeds of up to 4.74GHz alongside up to 16GB of LPDDR5X memory and 512GB of UFS storage. Both devices are built to comfortably handle demanding mobile titles, console emulation, multitasking, streaming, and creative workloads, placing them among the most capable gaming devices REDMAGIC has produced.
Hardware like this naturally generates a considerable amount of heat, particularly during extended gaming sessions. Every rendered frame, every complex lighting effect, and every online match adds to the processor's workload. Modern flagship chipsets are remarkably efficient, but maintaining peak performance over long periods depends just as much on thermal management as it does on processing power itself. AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 works continuously behind the scenes to keep temperatures under control, allowing the processor to sustain higher performance for longer while maintaining the smooth gameplay expected from premium gaming hardware.
Desktop Inspiration in a Handheld Device
PC enthusiasts have trusted liquid cooling for years due to its ability to quickly and efficiently move heat away from high-performance components. Desktop systems have the luxury of large radiators, pumps, reservoirs, and tubing, giving engineers plenty of room to build sophisticated cooling solutions. Shrinking that same concept into a smartphone or compact gaming tablet, however, presents an entirely different engineering challenge.
Space inside a modern mobile device is incredibly limited. Every millimeter is shared between the battery, speakers, cameras, display components, antennas, and processor, leaving very little room for additional hardware. Developing the AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 meant finding entirely new ways to miniaturize liquid cooling technology without compromising durability, battery capacity, or portability.
Our REDMAGIC engineers developed an ultra-compact micropump capable of circulating coolant through microscopic laser-cut flow channels built directly into the device. Designing those channels required careful engineering to balance coolant flow, efficiency, and the limited space available inside the device. The coolant itself also plays an important role. We use a fluorinated coolant selected for its thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and stability across a wide temperature range. The complete cooling system is fully sealed, non-conductive, and reinforced using an ultra-low-temperature bonding process together with a new anti-puncture membrane, allowing it to withstand the demands of everyday use while remaining remarkably compact.
The Astra 2 marks an important milestone for us as the world's first mass-produced gaming tablet with liquid cooling. Alongside it, the REDMAGIC 11S Pro builds on our ongoing commitment to advancing liquid cooling technology for gaming smartphones. Both devices demonstrate how far mobile thermal engineering has progressed in recent years, bringing technology once reserved for desktop gaming systems into hardware that's thin enough to slip into a backpack or pocket.
Every Layer Has a Purpose
At REDMAGIC, we have created a complete thermal network where every material helps to move heat away from the processor as efficiently as possible. Heat generated by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 first passes through Liquid Metal 3.0, which transfers thermal energy significantly faster than conventional thermal compounds before directing it into a large vapor chamber. From there, heat spreads across a much larger surface area instead of remaining concentrated around the chipset, allowing additional cooling layers to continue drawing it throughout the device.
The REDMAGIC 11S Pro features one of the largest vapor chambers ever fitted inside a smartphone, measuring an impressive 13,116 mm². Its patented 4D design increases internal cooling volume without increasing the size of the phone itself, allowing heat to dissipate more efficiently while helping the processor maintain stable operating temperatures during demanding workloads. Liquid Metal 3.0 works alongside the vapor chamber, while a larger liquid cooling area also helps transfer heat away from the battery during extended gaming sessions.
The Astra 2 adopts the same philosophy while taking advantage of its larger chassis to expand the cooling system even further. Beneath the display sits an extensive combination of under-screen cooling alloy, high-conductivity graphene, copper foil, thermal gel, motherboard cooling layers, and a durable aluminum alloy mid-frame, all working together with Liquid Metal 3.0 and the liquid cooling cycle to keep temperatures consistent across the device. Driving a 9.06-inch OLED display at up to 185Hz places considerable demands on the hardware, particularly during graphically intensive games, making this layered approach to cooling an essential part of the tablet's overall design rather than an additional feature added later.
Both devices rely on the same principle throughout their construction: every cooling component contributes to maintaining stable performance over extended periods of use. Rather than concentrating on removing heat from one specific area, AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 distributes thermal energy across the entire system, helping the processor, battery, and surrounding components continue operating efficiently throughout demanding workloads.
Turning Up the Airflow
The REDMAGIC 11S Pro takes AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 one step further with its upgraded Waterproof TurboFan, spinning at an incredible 24,000 RPM to actively move hot air through the device while the liquid cooling system continues drawing heat away from the processor. Working together, these cooling technologies create continuous airflow inside the phone, helping maintain lower operating temperatures during demanding gaming sessions without adding unnecessary bulk to the design.
Our latest TurboFan is fully sealed against water and dust while delivering rapid airflow exactly where it's needed most. Combined with Liquid Metal 3.0 and the industry's largest 13,116 mm² vapor chamber, it helps reduce peak temperatures by an additional 2 to 3°C compared to the previous generation. Those few degrees may sound modest on paper, but anyone who's spent hours gaming knows how important stable temperatures become over time. Lower operating temperatures allow the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Leading Version to continue delivering exceptional performance, even when graphics settings, frame rates, and workloads are pushed to their limits.
The Astra 2 approaches active cooling differently. Its larger chassis allows us to expand the liquid cooling network throughout the tablet itself, creating additional room for premium thermal materials while maintaining the compact 9.06-inch form factor. Combined with the tablet's Liquid Metal 3.0, large vapor chamber, high-conductivity graphene, copper foil, and aluminum alloy frame, AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 provides the thermal headroom needed to support extended gaming sessions without compromising portability.
For Long Gaming Sessions
Gaming sessions can last for hours, giving heat plenty of time to build up inside the device. AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 continuously transfers heat away from the processor and surrounding components to help maintain stable frame rates, responsive controls, and consistent performance throughout extended play. It also supports our high-refresh-rate displays, allowing the Astra 2's 185Hz OLED panel and the 11S Pro's 144Hz AMOLED display to deliver the smooth experience they're designed for.
Creative work and productivity tasks like video editing, livestreaming, AI-powered tools, and multitasking also generate sustained workloads. The AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 keeps both devices cool enough to work properly from beginning to end.
Ready for Every Session
We designed AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 with both performance and durability in mind, so it can deliver reliable cooling day after day. Smartphones and tablets travel everywhere, spending their days in backpacks, pockets, offices, classrooms, and gaming setups. They get knocked, bumped, and occasionally dropped, so reliability had to be considered alongside performance throughout the development process.
To achieve that, AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 uses an industry-first ultra-low-temperature bonding process together with a reinforced anti-puncture membrane, helping protect the liquid cooling system against everyday impacts. The fluorinated coolant remains stable across temperatures ranging from -40°C to 70°C while remaining fully leak-proof and electrically non-conductive. Every component was selected to deliver dependable performance over the long term while giving gamers complete confidence in using liquid cooling as part of their daily device.
Keeping Performance Flowing
Powerful processors deserve an equally capable cooling system, and AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 was developed with exactly that philosophy in mind. From Liquid Metal 3.0 and our patented vapor chamber technology to microscopic liquid cooling channels and the REDMAGIC Waterproof TurboFan, every component has been carefully engineered to help the REDMAGIC Astra 2 Gaming Tablet and REDMAGIC 11S Pro maintain the performance expected from flagship gaming hardware.
The AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 keeps the heat moving so your hardware can keep doing what it does best, whether you're trying to win another game online, settling in for an evening of open-world exploration, or switching between gaming and creative work during the day. As mobile gaming continues to evolve, we'll continue pushing thermal engineering forward alongside it, giving our community the confidence to play harder, create more, and enjoy consistently smooth performance every step of the way.
FAQ
Q: What is AquaCore Cooling System 2.0?
A: AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 is our latest thermal management system, combining liquid cooling, Liquid Metal 3.0, large vapor chambers, premium thermal materials, and active cooling on the REDMAGIC 11S Pro to help maintain consistent performance during demanding workloads.
Q: Does liquid cooling improve gaming performance?
A: Efficient cooling helps reduce thermal throttling by transferring heat away from the processor more effectively. This allows the device to sustain higher performance for longer during extended gaming sessions.
Q: What's the difference between the Astra 2 and the 11S Pro?
A: Both devices feature AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 and Liquid Metal 3.0. The Astra 2 uses its larger tablet chassis to expand the liquid cooling network, while the 11S Pro combines the same cooling architecture with our built-in 24,000 RPM Waterproof TurboFan for additional active airflow.
Q: Is AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 only useful for gaming?
A: No. Video editing, livestreaming, console emulation, multitasking, and other demanding applications all generate significant heat. AquaCore Cooling System 2.0 helps maintain stable performance across a wide range of workloads.
