INTRODUCTION

   Regular CPU Air Coolers may hold the first place in what most casual users and gamers use to keep their systems cool but AIO (All In One) liquid CPU Cooling Solutions are not really that far behind largely thanks to the continuous appearance of such products in the market. Now as you may have seen in our charts some entry-level AIO solutions are not as good as some high-end CPU Air Coolers while the ones that are better are not by very much so no one’s saying that AIO solutions are the only way to go if you're after good cooling efficiency. Still we also can't deny that AIO solutions appeal more to people who're after serious performance with low noise levels and zero clearance issues with mainboard components and memory modules. SilverStone has been in the AIO market for quite some time now but we were just now able to get their Tundra TD02 liquid CPU cooling solution and as expected we wasted no time strapping it on our primary test rig to test its performance.

   Founded in 2003, SilverStone is an established leader in its field, with an elite team of engineers; we started our quest of providing products that create inspirations. We have since expanded the lines of products as well as types of products we produce, giving our customers a wide selection of choices. With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, SilverStone products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use. Here at SilverStone Technology, we continue to pride ourselves in providing the highest level of standards in designing and manufacturing computer enclosures, power supplies, and accessories. Our pursuit for the first class aesthetic appeal is relentless; our teams of devoted engineers are constantly searching for the best technologies that suit end-users with different needs and will make our products as technologically sound as they are beautiful.

   Just like the Water 2.0/3.0 Extreme by Thermaltake, the ELC240 by Enermax, the KUHLER H20 1250 by Antec and the Maelstrom 240 by DeepCool the Tundra TD02 by SilverStone is yet another closed loop AIO liquid CPU cooler which consists out of a 280mm long aluminum radiator capable of holding up to four 120mm fans in push & pull configuration, two high-speed 120mm PWM fans and a small high-performance pump attached on top of the aluminum/copper CPU waterblock which in turn is connected to the radiator by two long tubes. SilverStone claims that their own radiator performs better compared to the ones used in other AIO solutions (up to 40% increase in efficiency) largely thanks to their patented brazing fin design and yes it's our job to find out whether or not that's true.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The front of the box features several pictures of the product along with the company logo, main product features and socket compatibility.

At the bottom we find the specifications list along with a product image.

The top has three product pictures used to showcase the three main features.

The features list is also present at the rear in 9 languages right next to yet another product picture.

Typically the device is placed inside a formed piece of cardboard so no problems here.

The box contains the Tundra TD02, two high speed 120mm PWM fans, Y-fan cable, 8 rubber fan pads, thermal paste tube, user manual, backplate and all the necessary bits and pieces to mount the product onto Intel LGA775/1150/1155/1156/1366/2011 and AMD AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2 compatible mainboards.

THE TUNDRA TD02

We may have seen numerous AIO cooling solutions in the past but the Tundra TD02 with its white, black and silver color combination sure looks different.

The 45mm thick radiator used in the Tundra TD02 may not compare to let’s say the 56mm thick RX360 V3 radiator by XSPC but still it's quite larger than every radiator we've seen so far used in AIO systems (27-32mm thick).

The quality of the brazed fin arrays is excellent as you can see from the above picture (and quite unique).

Since the Tundra TD02 counts almost two years in the market it uses 3/8th FEP (Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene) tubings (310mm long) instead of rubber ones.

On top of the pump we find the company logo surrounded by several holes placed right above a blue LED that lights up while the pump is active. Unlike most AIO liquid cooling solutions you can't plug the fans directly onto the pump (thus there's no control software available).

Although not as flexible as rubber tubings the FEP ones can be rotated from the base as seen above to simplify installation.

The copper base features a mirror-like finish and virtually no machine marks whatsoever.

SilverStone has bundled two 2500RPM 120mm PWM sleeve-bearing fans (92.5CFM/35dBA) that feature a special aerodynamic design at the edge of the blades.

With both fans installed the radiator becomes 71mm thick (so you need roughly 96mm of space if you want to add two extra fans in push & pull).

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

   We always take things quite seriously when it comes to work so just like with the previous LGA1366 database we will not be testing each CPU Cooler on its own and with different ambient temperature levels and thus we can actually have yet another valid CPU Cooler database. Testing a CPU Cooler automatically means that you need to know where it stands against the immediate competition and to accomplish that we have spent both money and time through the years, something that we plan to continue to do so in order to get the most accurate results for the end consumers who read these lines. Every CPU cooler in this database is tested with the bundled 140mm/120mm/92mm/80mm fans while working at both idle speed and 100% of their speeds for all the temperature tests. CPU Coolers that do not come bundled with a fan/s are measured using a Noctua fan (size dependent on the model) to test for the temperature tests but due to the lack of a stock fan dBA level tests are obviously skipped. Single (120/140mm) watercooling solutions are tested with the radiator mounted at the rear of our test rig while dual/triple/quad (240/260/280/360/420/480/560mm) solutions with the radiator mounted at the top. For the dBA tests every cooler in the database was measured both while on idle mode or with the fan controller in the minimum setting and while on extreme load or with the fan controller all the way to the highest possible setting (PWM fans do that on their own without our intervention). Every single test takes place in a temperature controlled room of 23 degrees Celsius Ambient Temp with the help of two AC units placed diagonally inside the room. The Arctic Silver 5 thermal paste is used with every CPU Cooler in our latest LGA2011 database (although initially this was not the plan we had to change things to get the most accurate results). Finally it's very important to point out that just because a CPU Cooler is better than another when tested with our test rig that does not necessarily mean that the same performance differences will apply 100% for other CPU models and in other situations (such as different ambient temps and system configurations).

     To successfully record the load temperatures we use the latest OCCT application for around 6-10 minutes to push the processor to its limits and after that is done and the temperatures are recorded we wait for about 10-20 minutes for the CPU to cool down and record the idle temperatures. This is done to allow time for the thermal conductive material to achieve the optimal performance level. Same procedure is then repeated with the Passmark BurnIn Test as a failsafe just in case the OCCT results are wrong. This procedure takes a lot more time than the usual peltier/thermometer tests but this way not only can we deliver real world results to our readers based on real CPUs but we can also triple check the results using a variety of programs. Last but not least the temperatures were recorded using both the latest versions of AIDA64 and RealTemp while the noise level tests are performed using a high precision ExTech HD600 Decibel Meter placed about 10-15cm above the CPU Cooler. Still although the same testing procedure applies to all units do take into consideration that unlike the official numbers which are measured in special noise isolated labs with just the fans here we also have both the rest of the cooler and the rest of the system (although all system fans are turned off when recording noise levels).

TEST RESULTS

CONCLUSION

   SilverStone may not be exactly as popular as for example Cooler Master or Thermaltake but they have a very good track record with their products both in terms of quality and performance since their introduction in 2003 and that seems to go a long way with consumers judging by the warm welcome their products get once released. Going back to the Tundra TD02 well our charts have a habit of making things quite clear and so as you've all seen the Tundra TD02 is the best AIO liquid CPU cooling solution to ever reach our test bench (to date anyways). What really surprised us however was that it's actually so good that it came really close to the cooling efficiency of the RayStorm 750 EX280 custom kit by XSPC without producing much higher noise levels (roughly 3dBA over). Not everything's perfect however so the Tundra TD02 has two minor downsides, the lack of control software for the pump and fans and a very thick radiator. The first i don't really care much since 55dBA of noise at full load is not much and in most cases will be overshadowed by the noise levels coming from your GPU so controlling the speed of the fans is not really necessary (we are talking about PWM fans so you can still do so if you want from a program like speedfan). The thick radiator is perhaps my only concern about the Tundra TD02 since many cases may not have enough room for it (let's not forget that most AIO solutions are 52-53mm thick with the bottom fans compared to the 70-71mm of the Tundra TDO2). Overall however its performance makes up for both downsides (for us at least).

   It may surpass every other 240/280mm long AIO liquid CPU cooler in our charts but the Tundra TD02 (SST-TD02) by SilverStone doesn't really cost much since you can currently find it for USD118.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 107.03Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Of course this wasn't the price the Tundra TD02 had attached at launch but that matters not, what matters is that you can get superior cooling performance from an AIO solution that costs less compared to other models in the market (more bang for your buck is always better right?). Overall the Tundra TD02 may not be perfect but it delivers impressive performance with great looks and at a very appealing price tag and that's why we give it our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Excellent Build Quality
- Design (White/Silver/Black Color Combo)
- Excellent Cooling Efficiency
- Relatively Quiet Fans (For An 240mm AIO Model)
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- No Pump/Fan Control Software
- Thick Radiator