SilverStone Tundra Series TD03 All-in-One Liquid Cooler Review

Features and Cooler Design

Features

Courtesy of SilverStone Technology

• Easy installation with aluminum clips and steel back-plate
• Maintenance free, no refill required
• Dual auto adjustable 120mm PWM fans included
• Durable full alloy water-block for improved reliability
• Patented brazing fins radiator increase cooling efficiency by 40%
• Socket LGA775/1150/1155/1156/1366/2011/AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2

The SilverStone Tundra Series TD03 all-in-one liquid cooler is a sealed system consisting of an aluminum 120mm radiator and an aluminum unibody water block with copper base plate. The radiator and water block are connected with ridged FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) 1/4" inner diameter tubing. The unit comes standard with two 120mm 2500 RPM fans for active cooling of the radiator.

The unit's 120mm radiator is all aluminum unit with plastic covers at the top and bottom of the radiator. The plastic covers are present on both sides of the radiator, giving it a uniform look as well as helping to protect the liquid collection chambers within the radiator. The radiator has two 1/4" barbs at the top of the unit with FEP tubing used to connect to the CPU block. With a fin density of 11 FPI (fins per inch), the radiator can be used effectively with lower RPM fans. The lower than expected FPI count stems from the unique construction method used to fix the individual fins in place within the radiator's frame.

From the side view of the radiator, you can easily see the radiator's depth. The TD03's radiator is 45mm thick, just short of the thickness of two standard 120mm fans.

The TD03's CPU block consists of an aluminum unibody shell housing the unit's pump and copper CPU base plate. The block's top plate is fix to the unibody shell by four hex screws through the blocks top plate. The top plate is brushed aluminum, giving the block a unique look with a blue LED that illuminates the SilverStone logo in its center. The unit's pump and electronics are housed within the aluminum unibody shell with the copper base plate soldered directly to the bottom of the unibody. To reduce the possibility of galvanic corrosion between the mixed-metals used in the unit, SilverStone applied thin nickel-plating to the inner and outer surfaces of the unibody shell and applied a anti-oxidation coating to the copper base plate. The CPU hold-down arms are screwed directly into grooves in the mid-section of the block, making for a very strong and secure mount. The arms shown are for use with mounting the block to an Intel-based board. A power lead comes off the from of the top plate while the integrated 1/4" barbs are located in the back-middle of the unit. The power lead from the block powers both the pump and integrated LED and is sleeved with high density black plastic sleeve to protect the wires. The power cable terminated in a standard, 3-pin fan connector that can be plugged into a motherboard fan header.

The unit's copper base plate is unmarred by pass-through screws because the plate is soldered directly to the aluminum unibody, making for a strong bond between the two parts. The base plate is machined flat and polished to a mirror-finish with very slight machining and polishing marks evident in the copper. The base plate itself was designed to be wafer thin to minimize the amount of material sitting between the liquid cooling medium and the CPU surface and maximize the cooling potential of the base plate for heat conduction between the CPU and the cooling medium.

TD02 design schematic
Courtesy of SilverStone

The TD03 consists of a radiator that is 159mm in length, 120mm wide, and 45mm deep. The radiator and water block are connected by 310mm of FEP tubing. The CPU block is 55mm square and 33.5mm deep. Because of the width of the radiator, you will need to double check your case mounting location to ensure that your case will accommodate the radiator and fan thickness (close to 100mm in depth with both fans mounted). If you choose to use a single fan with the radiator, the depth decreases to approximately 75mm.

Used in conjunction with an ATX-based Z87-style board, the TD03's CPU block fit the CPU socket ares without issue. There were no tight fitting areas to the front, rear or sides of the socket after mounting the block. The barbs do not stick out further than the arms of the hold-down bars because of the 90 degree rotary connectors used in the block's base.