Conclusion

The new liquid cooling system from Zalman is a definite success. For the first time in our tests a liquid cooling system has managed to outperform an air cooler. The Reserator XT was better by 10°C than the Thermalright Ultra-120 eXtreme (with two fans) in my tests. It also won the test of the maximum CPU frequency while being within comfortable limits in terms of noise. Zalman’s progress in designing water-blocks is especially praiseworthy. My tests suggest that the new ZM-WB5 water-block is 7-8°C more efficient than the ZM-WB4 Gold under peak CPU load.

I wouldn’t say that the recommended price of $400 is too high. Many experienced users of liquid cooling systems will tell you that a good solution of that type cannot be cheap. Perhaps a system assembled by yourself out of expensive components is going to be more efficient than the Reserator XT, but Zalman’s solution saves you the trouble of searching for components, assembling and fitting them together, digging for a lot of information, etc, to achieve the desired result. If you like the result, but not the process of achieving it, you may be interested in the stylish Zalman Reserator XT that takes a mere 10 minutes to get started and going.

Highs:

• Highest cooling performance with overclocked CPUs
• Low noise level at the minimum speed of the fan
• Universal (supports all modern platforms)
• Allows to add more water-blocks into the circuit
• Simple to assemble and install
• Simple to connect/disconnect and move to another computer
• Monitoring of key system parameters
• Stylish exterior design

Lows:

• High price
• Doesn’t cool the near-socket space on the mainboard
• Large dimensions of the main unit

My wish list:

• The speed of the fan and the performance of the pump should be controlled independently
• Four low-speed 120mm intake fans can be installed on the interior surface of the radiators
• The grid on the rear panel can be replaced with a wire one
• The standard kit should include a water-block for GPUs and/or a water-block for the North Bridge
• The price of the system should remain the same after all the improvements