Conclusions

The Silverstone Tundra TD01 was one of the few products that was a sheer pleasure to review here at ExtremeMHz.  I say this because it is a product that inspired me to dig deeper into the world of HTPC and has made me want to release additional articles catered to the HTPC enthusiasts.  That's how much of an impact this product did make.  Silverstone is well known for quality and this product is certainly no exception.  I will say that their first attempt at liquid cooling is certainly a good one.  The attention to detail and the overall quality will no doubt impress any who purchase it.  They are one of the very few companies that does not cut any corners when developing or releasing a product.  Yes, a majority of their products are indeed expensive.  However, they are designed to please the select few who have the money to spend on a product that they know will satisfy them and give them the peace of mind that it was money well spent.

Almost all who choose this product will be doing some overclocking.  There's no doubt about that, considering the hefty price tag.  The problem with overclocking an HTPC is that usually you are cramming a bunch of hot running components into a small chassis that is not really designed for overclocking.  That's where this product comes in.  It provides a silent solution that will allow you overclocking enthusiasts to bump up that FSB in order to maximize the performance of your HTPC.  When building an HTPC, noise levels should be on the top of your list of things to be concerned about.  The last thing you want is a noisy PC in an environment that is much different than an office or work area.  Fortunately, after extensive testing, I found the TD01 did run practically silent and did substantially reduce noise levels.  On top of that, its cooling performance was quite good for such a setup and its intended purpose.  Its dual pumps do run silently and still manage to be powerful enough to do the job well.

No product is perfect though and the TD01, although minor, does have its share of flaws.  The install is the main area that needs improvement.  Installation of the water block was a nightmare and did take a considerable amount of time before I was able to find a solution that worked well.  Not only do you need to install adapters on your motherboard in order to mount the block, but you have to install the block before even mounting the motherboard on your HTPC case.   The main problem lies with the tension springs.  You'll want to sort of compress them yourself before you even attempt to mount the the block.  If not, you will risk damage to your processor or motherboard.  With that said, you should take some caution before attempting to install the block and take note of the tips in the install section of this article.  The other area is the installation instructions provided.  They were not too detailed and may confuse many novice users who have not had some experience in watercooling.  I found that they seem to jump quickly to another step before providing additional information that will be quite useful to many who have not attempted such an install.  I find this important simply because it is obvious that water does not mix well with electronics.  That's why I strongly feel that providing very detailed instructions is essential in order to comfort many users.  Finally, the unit does have a large footprint.  With that said, make sure you take note of its measurements in order to be certain it will fit on your entertainment rack.

In the end though, the Tundra TD01 did impress in terms of both quality and performance and its overall luxurious design earns a very enthusiastic Extreme Excellence Award.

More information on the new Tundra TD01 can be found on the Silverstone Website.

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