DH Review: Zalman Reserator 1 Watercooling Kit

Zardon · May 19, 2004, 10:47 PM

Im sure most of you have heard of Zalman and some of the wacky and wonderful coolers they have brought to the market in the last several years - their emphasis on good cooling with as low a noise level as possible. They have introduced CNPS (Computer Noise Prevention System) which encompasses a whole range of products. Today im taking a look at their fanless watercooling system - "The reserator". Before we go any further lets dispel the rumours, this isnt "passive" as there is a pump that circulates the water through the system.

"Reserator" is a compound word derived from 'Reservoir' and 'Radiator' - it acts as a reservoir while radiating heat. This product works well with natural convection and integrates a water pump inside for convenience.

read the review here

Dom · May 19, 2004, 11:11 PM

Nice review, very professional.

Asmoday · May 19, 2004, 11:30 PM

Very good review as always Zardon!! This must be one of the best option out there, for anyone who wants a completely silent PC and still be able to get a decent overclock!!

EcPercy · May 20, 2004, 02:12 AM

That is a great review! The only thing that stinks about this is that there seem to be more and more companies wanting to use the 4 mounting holes for the water block, but it seems like not that many companies are making a board with 4 holes for athlon xp....

I want to get into watercooling and the asetek kit looks like a perfect starter kit, but I would need a new mobo to use the waterblock.... anyways enough ranting!

Great Job Zardon!

zerodamage · May 20, 2004, 03:06 AM

Well the assumption is that if you are paying that kind of money for these types of cooling solutions, you are most likely using an Athlon-64 or P4 setup. Athlon-XP is starting to show its age now.

rogeld · May 20, 2004, 04:55 AM

Very good review. Still a bit hesitant to consider this since I keep reading reviews with varying ideas on this setup. Still, silence IS golden and this kit seems to come away with that in spades. It doesn't seem too portable, though.

Zardon · May 20, 2004, 07:28 AM

no I wouldnt recommend it at all if you value portability. the reserator is a large piece of hardware - and weighs quite a bit when you have the water in it.

Logla · May 20, 2004, 08:05 AM

Nice review. The only thing I dont like about these kits is wether or not you can change the hose connectors for larger ones like 1/2 inch fittings. It looks like you can on the block but not on the reservator itself. I would imagine that larger tubing would be necessary if you do fit a larger, more powerfull pump.

The_Neon_Cowboy · May 20, 2004, 08:46 AM

nitfy.. good to know it's not all that portable for lan parties
is that becouse the way they cose tyhe top of the resivor

Zardon · May 20, 2004, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Logla
Nice review. The only thing I dont like about these kits is wether or not you can change the hose connectors for larger ones like 1/2 inch fittings. It looks like you can on the block but not on the reservator itself. I would imagine that larger tubing would be necessary if you do fit a larger, more powerfull pump.

The hoses supplied are 1/2 inch (The system is compatible with 13 x 10mm and 12 x 8mm sizes) - its not like the 10mm hose version asetek offer to many dealers like overclockers.co.uk

Zardon · May 20, 2004, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Neon_Cowboy
nitfy.. good to know it's not all that portable for lan parties
is that becouse the way they cose tyhe top of the resivor

No its not portable due to the size of the reserator, with 2 litres of water inside it and the weight of the unit itself I certainly cant see too many people carrying it along with their PC to Lan parties.

davidnsibs · May 20, 2004, 10:23 AM

ive looked at this product before (at overclockers.co.uk) and thought it looked cool, wouldnt buy one - bit of of my price range, but still nice. only thing is, with this being really silent, wouldnt the psu be then the loudest thing and then that would be the irritating noise. does anyone know if there are ppl with completely fanless pc's (some clever heatpipe in the psu to cool it or something)?

Zardon · May 20, 2004, 10:28 AM

Yes if you had a poor PSU it could be irritating - my PC is almost silent apart from the X800XT cooler which ill be altering soon - ive a 19db Globalwin sapphire PSU, and ive turned off all case fans and leaving the side door off (with the WC beside the PC - the temps are ambient room - with no noise. not bad for a 3.9ghz P4.

Anything around 20-19db is almost silent. (19db is classed as silent).

davidnsibs · May 20, 2004, 10:33 AM

nice, ive got a 480w thermaltake silent purepower psu which is supposed to be 17db at lowest setting, but i doubt that, still was a good imrovement on my generic 350w one i used to use!

germanjulian · May 20, 2004, 10:54 AM

well I read a review where they also purchased the gpu waterblook and temps where under load 51C! so the system is not really acceptable for overclockers. Also the price and cooling ratio are not that great. You can buy an innovatek system for this kind of money and nearly have a silent system anyway. Anyway you will never have a silent system! hard drives (even the seagate ones) are not perfectly quiete. the psu is pretty quiete but fans wear out after 1 year. the only way to build a silent system is to enclose it seal it all up and use watercooling to cool every component and make sure watercooling solution is in another room. (my project when I am older)

Zardon · May 20, 2004, 11:03 AM

Julian I did explain it wasnt going to give as good figures as the top end watercooling parts seperately, seems to be every review we put up you come into the thread and argue almost any point even if it doesnt particularly make any sense. As far as I can remember the review you are quoting was an AMD processor with some insane voltages, ive seen even high end watercooling systems under load hitting 50c with AMD at high voltages. 50c on water is perfectly adequate especially if the voltages are cranked for high overclocking.

To simply state "its not made for overclocking" is total nonsense, i put in a P4 northwood and overclocked it to 3900mhz with a voltage of 1.7 volts and never saw over 45c load in a warmish room. that to be is a good set of figures when you couple this with totally silent performance. Innovatek ISNT silent and this is a moot point anyway, the asetek setup is quiet on 7v, The Zalman is a totally new idea which IS silent.

deekey777 · May 20, 2004, 09:05 PM

Thanks for the review, it's a really nice kit - but why does it cost â‚¬210 (and more) ?

Logla · May 21, 2004, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by germanjulian
well I read a review where they also purchased the gpu waterblook and temps where under load 51C! so the system is not really acceptable for overclockers. Also the price and cooling ratio are not that great. You can buy an innovatek system for this kind of money and nearly have a silent system anyway. Anyway you will never have a silent system! hard drives (even the seagate ones) are not perfectly quiete. the psu is pretty quiete but fans wear out after 1 year. the only way to build a silent system is to enclose it seal it all up and use watercooling to cool every component and make sure watercooling solution is in another room. (my project when I am older)

Why not mod it then and add a 120mm fan blowing air down the sides of the res?

Logla · May 21, 2004, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zardon
The hoses supplied are 1/2 inch (The system is compatible with 13 x 10mm and 12 x 8mm sizes) - its not like the 10mm hose version asetek offer to many dealers like overclockers.co.uk

oops didn't know that.

I may consider one of these for another pc I plan to build.

Zardon · May 21, 2004, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by deekey777
Thanks for the review, it's a really nice kit - but why does it cost â‚¬210 (and more) ?

Yes it is pretty expensive, it is quite a substantial piece of kit mind you. I feel its somewhat justified.

~~jethro~~ · May 26, 2004, 03:28 PM

socket 462 = socket A ?

Zardon · May 26, 2004, 04:17 PM

yep same thing.

~~jethro~~ · May 26, 2004, 11:10 PM

Thanks.

Well, I ran out and bought it. Installation was fairly simple as you said in the review. Should have picked up the vga cooler while there but I completely spaced. Dropped my idle cpu temp about 5 degrees C and inside the case its only 2 degrees C over room temp. Haven't really done much to test it under a load though. Now I'm constantly crawling under my desk to check for leaks. Panic!

Zardon · May 26, 2004, 11:15 PM

You shouldnt see leaks the whole kit is well made and if you have the hoses in right no problems with occur. Your load temps should be good too, but most of all enjoy your PC in silence !

May 19, 2004, 10:47 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	DH Review: Zalman Reserator 1 Watercooling Kit Im sure most of you have heard of Zalman and some of the wacky and wonderful coolers they have brought to the market in the last several years - their emphasis on good cooling with as low a noise level as possible. They have introduced CNPS (Computer Noise Prevention System) which encompasses a whole range of products. Today im taking a look at their fanless watercooling system - "The reserator". Before we go any further lets dispel the rumours, this isnt "passive" as there is a pump that circulates the water through the system. "Reserator" is a compound word derived from 'Reservoir' and 'Radiator' - it acts as a reservoir while radiating heat. This product works well with natural convection and integrates a water pump inside for convenience. read the review here

May 19, 2004, 11:30 PM	#3
Asmoday Demonic Join Date: May 2002 Location: In the cold, dark north... Posts: 5,198 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	Very good review as always Zardon!! This must be one of the best option out there, for anyone who wants a completely silent PC and still be able to get a decent overclock!! __________________ How You can help Hardwareheaven by using Digg

May 20, 2004, 08:46 AM	#9
The_Neon_Cowboy HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 16,009 Rep Power: 92 System Specs	nitfy.. good to know it's not all that portable for lan parties is that becouse the way they cose tyhe top of the resivor __________________

May 20, 2004, 10:23 AM	#12
davidnsibs 9500pro Forever Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Bath, UK Posts: 273 Rep Power: 0	ive looked at this product before (at overclockers.co.uk) and thought it looked cool, wouldnt buy one - bit of of my price range, but still nice. only thing is, with this being really silent, wouldnt the psu be then the loudest thing and then that would be the irritating noise. does anyone know if there are ppl with completely fanless pc's (some clever heatpipe in the psu to cool it or something)? __________________ Goodbye 9500pro, you've been a faithful servant through Half life, Deus Ex, Unreal 2, Max Payne 1+2, Nolf 1+2, CoD, Far Cry, Civ IV, F.E.A.R and many more

May 20, 2004, 10:33 AM	#14
davidnsibs 9500pro Forever Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Bath, UK Posts: 273 Rep Power: 0	nice, ive got a 480w thermaltake silent purepower psu which is supposed to be 17db at lowest setting, but i doubt that, still was a good imrovement on my generic 350w one i used to use! __________________ Goodbye 9500pro, you've been a faithful servant through Half life, Deus Ex, Unreal 2, Max Payne 1+2, Nolf 1+2, CoD, Far Cry, Civ IV, F.E.A.R and many more

May 19, 2004, 11:11 PM	#2
Dom DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 12,940 Rep Power: 0	Nice review, very professional.

May 20, 2004, 02:12 AM	#4
EcPercy HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Iraq Posts: 1,535 Rep Power: 0	That is a great review! The only thing that stinks about this is that there seem to be more and more companies wanting to use the 4 mounting holes for the water block, but it seems like not that many companies are making a board with 4 holes for athlon xp.... I want to get into watercooling and the asetek kit looks like a perfect starter kit, but I would need a new mobo to use the waterblock.... anyways enough ranting! Great Job Zardon!

May 20, 2004, 03:06 AM	#5
zerodamage HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 3,478 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Well the assumption is that if you are paying that kind of money for these types of cooling solutions, you are most likely using an Athlon-64 or P4 setup. Athlon-XP is starting to show its age now.

May 20, 2004, 04:55 AM	#6
rogeld DriverHeaven Addict Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 259 Rep Power: 0	Very good review. Still a bit hesitant to consider this since I keep reading reviews with varying ideas on this setup. Still, silence IS golden and this kit seems to come away with that in spades. It doesn't seem too portable, though.

May 20, 2004, 07:28 AM	Thread Starter #7
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	no I wouldnt recommend it at all if you value portability. the reserator is a large piece of hardware - and weighs quite a bit when you have the water in it.

May 20, 2004, 08:05 AM	#8
Logla HardwareHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 3,311 Rep Power: 0	Nice review. The only thing I dont like about these kits is wether or not you can change the hose connectors for larger ones like 1/2 inch fittings. It looks like you can on the block but not on the reservator itself. I would imagine that larger tubing would be necessary if you do fit a larger, more powerfull pump.

May 20, 2004, 10:28 AM	Thread Starter #13
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	Yes if you had a poor PSU it could be irritating - my PC is almost silent apart from the X800XT cooler which ill be altering soon - ive a 19db Globalwin sapphire PSU, and ive turned off all case fans and leaving the side door off (with the WC beside the PC - the temps are ambient room - with no noise. not bad for a 3.9ghz P4. Anything around 20-19db is almost silent. (19db is classed as silent).

May 20, 2004, 10:54 AM	#15
germanjulian Back in London Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: London Posts: 1,797 Rep Power: 0	well I read a review where they also purchased the gpu waterblook and temps where under load 51C! so the system is not really acceptable for overclockers. Also the price and cooling ratio are not that great. You can buy an innovatek system for this kind of money and nearly have a silent system anyway. Anyway you will never have a silent system! hard drives (even the seagate ones) are not perfectly quiete. the psu is pretty quiete but fans wear out after 1 year. the only way to build a silent system is to enclose it seal it all up and use watercooling to cool every component and make sure watercooling solution is in another room. (my project when I am older) __________________ /\|\ Asus P5W DH Deluxe, Intel C2D E6600, 2GB Corsair XMS2-6400C4 DDR2, E-VGA GeForce 7800 GT, Creative X-Fi Extreme Music, 500GB Seagate 7200.10 SATA, Lian Li PC-V1100 Aluminum Case Black, etc. http://germanjulian.com /\|\

May 20, 2004, 11:03 AM	Thread Starter #16
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	Julian I did explain it wasnt going to give as good figures as the top end watercooling parts seperately, seems to be every review we put up you come into the thread and argue almost any point even if it doesnt particularly make any sense. As far as I can remember the review you are quoting was an AMD processor with some insane voltages, ive seen even high end watercooling systems under load hitting 50c with AMD at high voltages. 50c on water is perfectly adequate especially if the voltages are cranked for high overclocking. To simply state "its not made for overclocking" is total nonsense, i put in a P4 northwood and overclocked it to 3900mhz with a voltage of 1.7 volts and never saw over 45c load in a warmish room. that to be is a good set of figures when you couple this with totally silent performance. Innovatek ISNT silent and this is a moot point anyway, the asetek setup is quiet on 7v, The Zalman is a totally new idea which IS silent.

May 20, 2004, 09:05 PM	#17
deekey777 Grünschnabel Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Good Old Germany Posts: 285 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for the review, it's a really nice kit - but why does it cost â‚¬210 (and more) ? __________________ I know, my english is terrible.

May 26, 2004, 03:28 PM	#21
~~jethro~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 12 Rep Power: 0	socket 462 = socket A ?

May 26, 2004, 04:17 PM	Thread Starter #22
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	yep same thing.

May 26, 2004, 11:10 PM	#23
~~jethro~~ Banned Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 12 Rep Power: 0	Thanks. Well, I ran out and bought it. Installation was fairly simple as you said in the review. Should have picked up the vga cooler while there but I completely spaced. Dropped my idle cpu temp about 5 degrees C and inside the case its only 2 degrees C over room temp. Haven't really done much to test it under a load though. Now I'm constantly crawling under my desk to check for leaks. Panic!

May 26, 2004, 11:15 PM	Thread Starter #24
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	You shouldnt see leaks the whole kit is well made and if you have the hoses in right no problems with occur. Your load temps should be good too, but most of all enjoy your PC in silence !