Thermaltake BigWater SE + Volcano 4005

Conclusion:

While the Thermaltake BigWater SE and Volcano 4005 may not boast the cooling potential of custom water cooling solutions or other high-end retail kits, its setup was certainly easy (and timely) as well as being easy to maintain and offer a great deal of other possibilities. When overclocking, the CPU idle temperatures were quick to increase -- although not at such a rate of most air heatsinks -- while the fluid temperatures as reported by the reservoir maintained very cool temperatures of the low 20's --just degrees above the ambient temperature. With the Thermaltake water cooling fired up, the maximum overclock we could reach with the Intel Pentium 4 530 was 4.350GHz, which certainly wasn't the best we have ever come across with that specific configuration but was acceptable by enthusiast terms nonetheless. When it came to the installation, its connectors were certainly easy to connect the various cooling components and had formed a leak-proof bond. The quality of the components was certainly on the higher end of things compared against some budget solutions we have sampled in the past. While the Volcano 4005 is also capable of radiating heat, we would have enjoyed seeing the BigWater radiator turn to a dual 120mm solution for enhanced results, as well turning to a much stronger pump. In our tests, we found the Thermaltake +12V pump to hold the greatest room for potential improvement. Onto the Thermaltake Volcano 4005, we were most impressed with its abilities not only to serve as a CPU water block but also as a radiator for dissipating a moderate amount of heat. The construction and features for the Volcanoo 4005 were certainly remarkable and is compatible with all major CPU sockets. The retail price for the Thermaltake BigWater SE is approximately $100-110 USD while the Thermaltake Volcano 4005 is $60 USD. While the Thermaltake BigWater SE and Volcano 4005 products may not be able to satisfy the needs of raging overclockers and die-hard enthusiasts, they certainly are remarkable products for first time water-cooling users or those who may be looking for a silent yet powerful system for a HTPC or secondary system.