Date: December 3rd, 2007
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Zalman USA
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PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES
As mentioned above, the Reserator XT is a hybrid design, using the chassis itself as a passive heatsink in combination with a 140mm fan and radiators to remove heat from the circulating coolant. This makes the XT somewhat bulky (13.75” X 8.25” X 7”) and rather heavy (15.5 lbs.) Add the specified 1.3 quarts of coolant and the weight jumps up to around 18 pounds. It's constructed almost entirely of anodized aluminum and comes in a titanium or black finish. User controls and safety features have been enhanced from the earlier versions and front panel monitoring dials have been added. In short, it's a whole new look with added functionality and improved cooling performance. Let's take a look at what Zalman has included in the new XT kit.
PRODUCT COMPOSITION
Once the heavy cardboard carton is opened, the user will be greeted with a Styrofoam tray holding the manual and a little over 13 feet of vinyl tubing. The next lower tray…
…contains the power cord, coolant additive, expansion slot cover, degassing tube and the CPU waterblock and mounting hardware. We'll take a more in-depth look at all this stuff in the next section, but suffice it to say that the components appear to be very high quality, just as one would expect from a company like Zalman.
Saving the best for last, Zalman places the XT unit at the bottom of the carton, wrapped in a protective plastic bag. As you can see, we have a titanium-finished example for review, and it's quite attractive, featuring a shiny black/nickel finish on the dial bezels, control knob and buttons. Although the Reserator is pretty large, the proportions are pleasing and it has an industrial look that I find very sleek and visually appealing. Although it looks great on its own, it will look right at home when used with Zalman's Z-Machine GT1000 chassis, as we'll see a bit later. Now, let's take a closer look at the individual components.
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