Verdict and Conclusion
Having seen the results in the previous pages I have to say that I am fairly impressed. This cooler is definitely worthy of consideration.
In raw performance it very nearly matches the excellent Frio Extreme, this is good.
Cost wise it is a decent value, currently going for ~$85 online. The Frio Extreme costs a dollar more, while some other similarly sized and performing coolers can be found for a bit less. The MSRP is $110, which is overpriced in my opinion. Considering that the only difference between this cooler and the Performer is the radiator, I would like to see the prices closer together. Twice the radiator thickness shouldn’t cost an extra $25-$30. (Especially not when you can get a radiator for your Honda Civic for $37 shipped…)
The biggest thing about the Water 2.0 performer in my opinion is its flexibility, it will fit in nearly any case that has a 120mm intake or exhaust fan anywhere near the CPU socket. Including small form factor cases, though you may need to run a single fan in some instances. This allows you to bring high end cooling into a much smaller package than with large air coolers.
I found the pump to make a (very) small amount of noise in random circumstances, I was unable to nail down exactly what caused it. I was only able to notice the noise when my head was quite literally inside the case.
The fans are great IF your motherboard or controller uses a high PWM frequency. If they are controlled with a low frequency they are very annoying, unusable even. With a high PWM frequency they are quite good.
The mounting system is complicated but not difficult and it is very solid. Overall I like it.
I’ll summarize a bit, as usual. There are pros:
- Very solid cooling performance.
- Nice fans if you run them with a voltage controller or high frequency PWM.
- Snazzy water cooling looks.
- Fits into far smaller cases than an air cooler of equal performance.
- Fairly easy to mount, mounts very solidly.
There are also cons:
- More expensive than I’d like for its performance.
- Fans very whiny at low PWM frequencies.
- Still looses to the Frio Extreme.
All told at $85 this is a solid cooler, and an excellent cooler for use in a case where large air coolers will not fit. Were Thermaltake to fix the fan noise issue and drop the price $5-$10 this would be a fantastic cooler, as it is it is still definitely worth of consideration, and I recommend it for cases that will not allow a large air cooler. I give it an 8.2/10.
SCORE
8.2/10
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