Date: October 4th, 2006
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Thermaltake <--SHOP FOR WATER COOLING SYSTEMS HERE
PRODUCT PICTORIAL AND WALKTHROUGH
Most of the mounting hardware is stowed in a white cardboard box and includes the familiar H-brackets for K8, 775 and 478 motherboards. The odd-shaped bracket and brass standoffs are the BTX solution. Who knows when, if ever, BTX will make significant inroads into the marketplace, but I suppose it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Thermaltake has also provided us with some large knurled nuts to secure the block. I, for one, always replace those tiny hex-nuts with something very similar, and it's refreshing to see a manufacturer take a cue from its customers to make a product more user friendly.
A redesigned H-bracket provides support for newer AM2 socket motherdoards, and I expect to see this design replace the older one in the future.
With the exception of the larger quick connectors, this radiator/fan is identical to the Bigwater kits of the past. The 4-pin power cable is sleeved in a white mesh material. While it's perfectly serviceable, I would prefer the black stuff Thermaltake used on the pump cables. A 3-pin connector allows fan speed monitoring from the motherboard, and a separate 2-pin connector lets the user control fan speed via…
…the expansion slot controller. Another slot plate allows tubing and wire pass-through for tubing and wires, should the user need to mount the radiator or fan (or both) outside the case.
Copper tubes and aluminum fins do the heat transfer work inside the enclosure and holes are provided for mounting into 80, 92, or 120mm openings. While this radiator may be adequate for ¼-inch systems, it seems to me that the radiator should have been upgraded for the 735 kit. The small copper tubes must surely introduce some significant restriction when coupled with the increased flow of the 735 pump. This design is not the most efficient for the job at hand, and is seldom seen anymore in the watercooling arena. With nearly four times the flow, this system could almost certainly benefit from a redesigned, less restrictive, radiator. Nevertheless, Thermaltake's Bigwater 735 kit comes complete with everything necessary to add liquid cooling to your processor. In fact, the only things you'll need for installation are a screwdriver and something to make straight, clean cuts in the tubing.
As I mentioned earlier, the included manual is very good, with clear text and lots of color photos to guide the user through installation for all officially supported sockets. Thermaltake also has a bevy of upgrades and accessories for their watercooling kits. A single-page insert shows many of these, or you can view them HERE .
