The Thermaltake Water 3.0, on the face of it, is just another 120mm RGB CPU cooler but it’s actually a little more than that, if you take the time to delve into it.
The RGB lighting provided on the pump enclosure and 120mm PURE 120 RGB fan adds a great deal of brightness to the inside of your case and if you already possess some of Thermaltake’s fans, they’ll look great together. The included SATA-powered RGB controller is easy to operate and is packed full of effects but if your motherboard is from ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI or ASRock and is equipped with RGB headers, the control can be synchronised across your entire system with ease. Having said that, we did find the transition effects to be a little abrupt and not as smooth as we’d hope to see.
Performance is difficult to prove at the moment, with relatively few coolers on our graphs while we re-populate, but we can say that it competes well against CPU coolers that, on our previous test rig, turned out a fantastic result. We’re more than happy with the overall capability of the loop, especially considering the 120mm radiator.
Installation, as you’d expect from an Asetek pump enclosure, was a breeze on our LGA 115x socket. No more than 15 minutes needed, including ensuring all the cables are neatly hidden away from view.
At GBP £80 / USD $90 / AUS $140, the Water 3.0 120 is certainly at the premium end of the scale where smooth transitioning RGB effects are a must, but if you plan to use the cooler on a solid colour, it’s beautifully vibrant and adds a great deal of brightness to the inside of your case.
A good offering from Thermaltake with no huge flaws but some work needs to be invested into smoothing out the RGB lighting.
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The RGB lighting provided on the pump enclosure and 120mm PURE 120 RGB fan adds a great deal of brightness to the inside of your case and if you already possess some of Thermaltake’s fans, they’ll look great together. The included SATA-powered RGB controller is easy to operate and is packed full of effects but if your motherboard is from ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI or ASRock and is equipped with RGB headers, the control can be synchronised across your entire system with ease. Having said that, we did find the transition effects to be a little abrupt and not as smooth as we’d hope to see.
Performance is difficult to prove at the moment, with relatively few coolers on our graphs while we re-populate, but we can say that it competes well against CPU coolers that, on our previous test rig, turned out a fantastic result. We’re more than happy with the overall capability of the loop, especially considering the 120mm radiator.
Installation, as you’d expect from an Asetek pump enclosure, was a breeze on our LGA 115x socket. No more than 15 minutes needed, including ensuring all the cables are neatly hidden away from view.
At GBP £80 / USD $90 / AUS $140, the Water 3.0 120 is certainly at the premium end of the scale where smooth transitioning RGB effects are a must, but if you plan to use the cooler on a solid colour, it’s beautifully vibrant and adds a great deal of brightness to the inside of your case.
A good offering from Thermaltake with no huge flaws but some work needs to be invested into smoothing out the RGB lighting.
Pros
+ Decent performance
+ Included SATA-powered RGB controller
+ Vibrant and bright RGB LEDs
+ Easy to install
Neutral
+- Pricey for a 120mm loop
Cons
- RGB colour transitions could definitely be smoother
+ Decent performance
+ Included SATA-powered RGB controller
+ Vibrant and bright RGB LEDs
+ Easy to install
Neutral
+- Pricey for a 120mm loop
Cons
- RGB colour transitions could definitely be smoother
Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.
Stay connected with the Vortez Social Media pages:
