Overview
Removing the protective plastic from the components we find that everything has in fact arrived in perfect condition. This includes the cooler of course, two 120mm fans, a bag of hardware, AMD mounts, molex to four pin, two way four pin fan splitter, and a mounting bracket.
Spreading the hardware out we find that we have everything needed for installation in any even relatively modern socket. While most companies have phased out support for Intel socket 775 we find that the TD02-E will still mount on the older motherboards with no problem. As usual the Intel mounting clips come preinstalled. AMD users will have to remove the Intel clips and install the included clips for their sockets. One item that is included is a small tube of thermal paste. This is nice as it will allow for multiple installations while most other brands come with the base of the cooler pre installed with TIM.
Moving to the fans we find a classy looking pair. The APA1225M12 features a black shroud and white blades. Both are four pin PWM controlled and boast speeds up to 2500 RPM at which point they will offer 3.5mm/H2O of static pressure while pushing 92.5 CFM’s of air. Also at 2500 RPM they will be creating 35 dB of noise which isn’t too bad.
Moving to the business end of this package we have the cooler itself. With twin 120mm fans this is of course a 240mm radiator mated to a rather well finished looking pump/block. Even though the whole unit was protected by plastic bags we find there is additional plastic protecting the nicer bits of the the pump top and the sides of the radiator.
The radiator itself features a rather unique fin design that is different from what we are used to seeing. It is a patented design featuring brazing fins that Silverstone claims increases heat transfer by up to 40%. If the design feels familiar that is because it is very close to the design utilized in air coolers to maximize heat transfer. Additionally the fins contact the water pipes on all sides as opposed to just two points like most standard radiators. Moving away from the performance characteristics we also find that the radiator has rubber mounts at all the screw holes for vibration dampening. Finally unique to these radiators is a plastic side cover under which silverstone has placed a carbon fiber weave for looks.
Connecting the radiator to the pump is 310mm of thick black rubber tubing. While it’s not quite as nice as some of the tubing designs we’ve seen lately it is better than standard and should be quite durable.
Connected to the tubing via a pair of swivel fittings is the pump/block. It features a plastic top with a back lit Silverstone logo and a brushed alloy housing. The black mounting clips are aluminum and attach flush with the sides of the pump by two screws each.
Opposite the inlet/outlet fittings you will find a single three pin connector for pump power.
The pump itself is of average height for the current generation of AiO’s and shouldn’t pose any interference to other components in your system. The base of the pump is a copper cold plate that is flush mounted and screwless on the outside. Protected by plastic the copper base is fairly reflective, but there are obvious machine lines in the finish. The overall result though is an incredibly sleek and solid feeling pump unit. While most of the industry is going with plastics, Silverstone’s use of metals really speaks the quality and hopefully longevity of this system.
