Posted on: 05.07.2013 00:54:16
SilverStone’s new Tundra coolers took the spotlight at Computex 2013 and for good reason, they have stepped aside from the traditional design of all-in-one liquid and upped the ante. Turning the tables is a bold move indeed but SilverStone are no stranger to engaging in such a venture – their Fortress and Raven Series of computer cases are a good example of this.
So what have they done that is so significant? Well, the build quality, compared to rival liquid coolers is quite astounding. Gone are the plastic CPU blocks and fragile radiators which can quite easily warp with little pressure and scratch to reveal the copper underlay. Instead we have premium materials used – aluminium with nickel plating not only delivers a superior level of construction by being robust but it looks very appealing to the eye too. The styling looks great and will easily pair up with other components and computer cases – our review kit is testament to this fact.
During our benchmarks the TD03 performed well in our extensive cooling league and demonstrated that it can give other rivals a run for their money. Stock and overclocked results when used on Intel’s high-end Sandy Bridge-E were admirable but noise levels were perhaps on the loud side, especially when overclocked since the cooling fans move up to 2500RPM (100%).
Not only do we like TD03 for its build quality but we found it was very easy to install too and the mounting system can be confidently relied upon – components are again, very good in their quality and easy to use.
Priced at £86, the TD03 may be deemed quite a costly investment. Comparing against similar spec liquid coolers there is a bump in cost but this cooler is vastly different to other solutions, it uses higher quality materials and is far from cheap. Also consider that there are two cooling fans included which would probably equate to £10-15 each just on their own.
SilverStone have diversified with these new additions to the Tundra Series. Their efforts with this new TD03 liquid cooler are to be commended, in our hands is a product which oozes quality. We found this cooler to have numerous qualities and are therefore compelled to hand out our gold award.
Pros
+ Good thermal performance results
+ Excellent build quality
+ Styling and attention to detail is exquisite
+ Co-ordinates well with hardware
+ Easy to install
+ Good mounting system
Cons
- Noisy when overclocked – fans at full speed
- Instructions manual could be easier to follow
+ Good thermal performance results
+ Excellent build quality
+ Styling and attention to detail is exquisite
+ Co-ordinates well with hardware
+ Easy to install
+ Good mounting system
Cons
- Noisy when overclocked – fans at full speed
- Instructions manual could be easier to follow
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
Printed from Vortez - Computer Hardware News & Reviews (https://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/silverstone_tundra_td03_review,12.html)