Assembly and Installation

To install the block on top of the CPU, you need to attach the corresponding retention bracket to it first. In our case we needed an LGA775 one:

After that you have to apply a layer of thermal compound to the processor heat-spreader surface and press the block against the CPU with plastic clips. Nor it is time to connect the pipes to the CPU block:

Free ends of these pipes attach to the fittings in the case rear panel bracket:

I installed this bracket into the top slot, so that it could be as close to the water block as possible:

Now all we need to do is connect the fittings on the other side of this bracket with the main system unit using another pair of pipes. Here it is important to remember that the out-going fitting on the main unit should be connected to the in-coming fitting on the bracket and so on and so forth along the entire contour. This pipes connecting strategy is very reliable, but not very convenient, because you will need to remove the coolant from the contour completely in case you need to reinstall the system. It is much more convenient to do it the way Zalman engineers suggested in their Reserator XT solution.

The manufacturer doesn’t mention anywhere in the manual what would be the best placement for the main system unit relative to the system case to ensure maximum cooling efficiency. In fact, it is tricky to find a suitable spot for a unit like that (looking like a small desktop system case). I decided to put it on the computer desk about 10-12cm above the system case:

The pipes went behind the back side of the desk and the whole thing ended up looking very neat and nice. The last thing to do is to fill the system with the provided coolant up to the maximum mark on the expansion tank.

Don’t be puzzled why the system wouldn’t start when you power on your PC. You need to plug in the power cable from the main unit to the rear panel bracket, and then connect the latter to one of the available Molex connectors of your system PSU. And that’s all. Turn everything on and see the coolant going through the pipes:

You may notice that once the system is up and running the processor water block is only 2/3 full. There is no cause for concern, just wait for 10-15 minutes and the system will fill the block completely.

In conclusion I have to add that SilverStone Tundra TD01 costs $349. It is in fact expensive, no doubt, and our tests will show if this high price is justified or not. But before we move on to the practical experiments let’s talk about the second participant of our today’s test session – an air cooler from SilverStone.