X-bit labs

Water-Cooling Systems Roundup: 16 Systems Reviewed! (page 22)

Category: Coolers

by Kirill "ALT-F13" Balalin

[ 03/30/2006 | 08:48 AM ]

There’s nothing very remarkable about this ordinary low-performance pump from Thermaltake.

There are only water in- and outlets in the chassis of the tower. The pump is to be installed right into the PC case and to be filled through the top Plexiglas cap. The pipes have a sufficient length; the fastenings can give you no problems at all.

We found a defect in the radiator design during our tests. The snapshot shows that the case ribs have a small area as for a passive system and are also crowned on top with the transparent plastic cap which is an obstacle on the way of the hot air that is going up along the ribs.

To see the right design, take a look at the design of the Reserator which is conceived according to the rules of heat engineering: nothing obstructs and hinders a free flow of the hot air.

So, the results are not quite good, but you shouldn’t forget that this is a fully passive system and is cooled by means of convection only. The effective performance of the pump is 44 liters per hour and it is near silent at work.

Summary: This entry-level passive cooling system is meant for inexpensive home PCs. The total area of the radiator is insufficiently large; there is a flaw in the aerodynamics of the design. The pipes on the pump require your special attention during installation as they can bend in two and block the water flow. Note, however, that the Thermaltake Rocket is also the cheapest passive system in this review, priced at $135 only.