SilverStone Tundra TD03-E CPU Liquid Cooler Review

By Julian Duque

Manufacturer: SilverStone Technology Co.
Product Name: Tundra TD03-E All-In-One CPU Cooler
Model Number: SST-TD03-E
UPC: 4710007221754
Price As Tested: $86.99 ( Newegg l Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by SilverStone.

Summer is approaching us, and with temperatures expecting to get hot it means that Benchmark Reviews is evaluating what CPU cooler manufacturers are bringing forward in 2015. In this article, the spotlight will be on the newest SilverStone Cooler, the Tundra TD03-E, the successor of the TD03, and the smaller brother of the TD02-E. As expected from any SilverStone product, expectations are quite high, even if this is merely the first update to SilverStone’s Tundra series, which made it’s debut back in 2013.

SilverStone is mostly known for being a very innovative company. As expected, most of their products have patents, and they continue to appear every time they release a new product. This time, SilverStone has added two features to the Tundra series that set them apart from other coolers. First is the all metal construction of the copper base which has no screws for superior reliability. Second is the premium soldered heatsink fin array in the radiators which should provide a higher heat transfer with fins touching all sides of the liquid piping flowing through the radiator.

Features & Specifications

Courtesy of SilverStonetek.com.

Water block	Dimension	60mm (L) x 55mm (W) x 33.5mm (H)
	Material	Copper base with nickel-plated aluminum unibody
Pump	Motor speed	2500±200RPM
	Rated Voltage	12V
	Rated Current	0.28A
Fan	Dimension	120mm (L) x 120mm (W) x 25mm (D)
	Speed	1500~2500RPM
	Noise level	18~35 dBA
	Rated Voltage	12V
	Rated Current	0.3A
	Max airflow	92.5CFM
	Pressure	3.5mm/H2O
	Connector	4 Pin PWM
Radiator	Dimension	159mm (L) x 124mm (W) x 27mm (H)
	Material	Aluminum
Tube	Length	310mm
	Material	Rubber
Application	Intel Socket LGA775/1150/1155/1156/1366/2011/2011-v3 AMD Socket AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2
Net Weight	1063g

Air-Cooling VS Water-Cooling

There are several misconceptions when it comes to the ordeal of choosing a cooler for your processor. It is true that Water-Cooling may yield better cooling results, mostly due to water’s higher thermal conductivity when compared to the ethanol and ammonia mixture found in most heat-pipes based coolers. But that does not mean that air coolers should not be considered as an option for enthusiasts. Unlike water-coolers, air-coolers do not need a pump, and can be “Passively Cooled” for quieter operation. Although pumps have become more silent and reliable, they should still be considered as another moving part inside your system that may be subject to failure, as well as being a source of noise. Another important factor to take into consideration when choosing the right CPU cooler is compatibility, Most heatsinks require certain parameters to be met including the CPU cooler height limit of your case, and motherboard clearance compatibility. In contrast, water-coolers only require a place to mount the radiator inside your case, as most CPU blocks are small enough to not interfere with important components near the CPU socket.