CONCLUSION

   Thermaltake has once again released a product that is the best of its class and by that i mean that it's easily the best out of the box CPU Cooler we've tested to date (it can even match some custom liquid cooling kits). Of course it's not that much better compared to for example the Tundra TD02 by Silverstone (largely because of the thicker radiator and faster fans) but in the end it is better without being noisier and that's what really counts. The Water 3.0 Ultimate however has two somewhat serious problems, the lack of control software (which pretty much means that in order to control the fans you need an external fan controller or extra software) and the rather long length since 393mm from one end to the other is obviously way too much for most PC cases out there. Of course if you've already set your eyes on the Water 3.0 Ultimate and you're reading these lines chances are that you already have the required space but that's something we really need to point out.

   AIO Liquid CPU Coolers are getting more and more affordable each day that goes by so it didn't surprise us to see that the Water 3.0 Ultimate by Thermaltake currently retails for USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 133.39Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de). Now for some this may seem as quite high but on one hand we're talking about a 360mm AIO liquid CPU Cooler and on the other although less powerful solutions like for example the SilverStone Tundra TD02 cost even more. Of course looking at the Tundra TD02 which we mentioned quite a bit in this review is enough for us to wonder when and if Asetek will ever launch a 360mm AIO model with a much thicker radiator for the even more demanding users. It may never happen sure but it's not really hard to do and it would improve cooling efficiency quite bit so we sure hope it happens eventually. In any case you simply can't go wrong with the Water 3.0 Ultimate by Thermaltake and that's why we give it our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Top Of The Charts Performance
- Thin Radiator (27mm)
- Up To Six 120mm Fans In Push & Pull
- Easy Installation
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- No Control Software
- Long Radiator