By: Brian Cheung (Guest Writer)
June 19, 2015
Taking a short trip down memory lane, I could still remember the days when I was still in elementary, and would be ecstatic when the teacher announced there will be group projects in the class. This was a time of exploring the computers at school, and doing online activities to find out more information about the material we were learning about. The first project I was assigned in my Grade 4 geography class was a project about the different types of vegetation regions of Canada. This is where I learned about the various aspects of the Boreal Forest, Cordillera, Eastern Temperate Forests, Arctic Tundra, and many other vegetation regions. Sitting through my classmate's presentations, I can still remember the presentation slides on the Arctic Tundra and thinking, "Why in the world would anyone want to live in such a cold place?" Clearly, I was not the only one asking this question when my classmate mentioned there was little human activity in the Tundra region. Although my dislike to the cold is still with me to this day (And you kind of wonder why I live in Canada), the word "tundra" does not hit me with a chill anymore. This is especially true with the coolers and fans I have reviewed in the past, with a want to achieve a cooler system. Hence, when I received the SilverStone Tundra TD03-E water cooler, I was more than ready to brave the cold, and take it for a spin. Will it satisfy our want of a cooler system, or will it make us shiver with chills and ask a simple, "Why?" Read on to find out!
The SilverStone Tundra TD03-E water cooler we have here today was shipped along with the bigger Tundra TD02-E model reviewed by Senior Technical Editor Preston Yuen last week. Using UPS Standard, the brown corrugated box with the SilverStone name on it was shipped to our APH Networks headquarters here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from their American offices in California, USA. With minimal bumps and bruises on the box, we assumed the two water coolers inside came in excellent condition. It was not too hard to see if our assumptions were correct in the next few moments.
Yep, everything arrived in perfect condition for our review today. Taking a look at the packaging reveals simplicity in its design. Both the TD02-E and TD03-E shares the same design in the packaging of the box, with the only difference being the size. The color box of the boxes are mainly white, which allowed for a nice contrast with the exterior of the fan, and the tubing to the cooler being black. The boxes are labeled with SilverStone’s brand name on top, and it also proudly presents the Tundra Series name, along with the name of the model.
Before we move on, let us quickly take a look at the specifications of the TD03-E, as obtained from the manufacturer’s website:
Specifications
-Model Number: SST-TD03-E
-Water Block Dimensions: 60mm (L) x 55mm (W) x 33.5mm (H)
-Water Block Materials: Copper base with nickel-plated aluminium unibody
-Pump Motor Speed: 2500 +/- 200 RPM
-Pump Rated Voltage: 12V
-Pump Rated Current: 0.28A
-Fan Dimensions: 120mm (L) x 120mm (W) x 25mm (D)
-Fan Speed: 1500 - 2500 RPM (PWM)
-Fan Noise Level: 18 - 35 dBA
-Fan Rated Voltage: 12V
-Fan Rated Current: 0.3A
-Fan Airflow: 92.5 CFM
-Fan Pressure: 3.5mm/H2O
-Fan Connector: 4-pin PWM
-Radiator Dimension:159mm (L) x 124mm (W) x 27mm (H)
-Radiator Materials: Aluminium
-Tube Length: 310mm
-Tube Material: Rubber
-CPU Socket: Intel Socket LGA775/1150/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-v3; AMD Socket AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2
-Net Weight: 1063g
Taking the SilverStone Tundra TD03-E out of its box, you will find there are many items waiting for you. Obviously, the largest item in the box is the TD03-E closed loop water cooler itself. You will also find the 120mm fans, fan screws, manual, AMD brackets, backplate, Molex to 4-pin adapter, Y-splitter, and other accessories for the unit. The Intel brackets were already preinstalled for you, but if you are an AMD fan, these brackets can come off easily by unscrewing them from the water block.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
