SilverStone TD02-Slim Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Final Thoughts
Whenever we get something in that is of a new or different form factor you are alway fairly skeptical of the performance. Most of the time the slimming down or shrinking of a cooler is going to results in higher temperatures. In order to get around this the engineers have to find a way of cooling so much more efficiently that they beat the physics. Pleasantly I have to say that the TD02-Slim is one of these such coolers. While the performance of the cooler isn’t anything to brag about, the fact that it is able to achieve usable temperatures while maintaining this ultra slim profile is pretty impressive. The installation process is flawless, as is the fit and finish. It’s an odd thing to be excited about, but the hardware that SilverStone includes with it’s AiOs is of the highest quality we’ve tested at ThinkComputers. The TD02-Slim can be found at our favorite online retailer for $85.99 USD. This price point is more in line with most companies top performing 120mm equipped AiOs, you’re really getting a lot of bang for your buck. And of course the main feature, the coolers slim fit, means that you will have little to no clearance issues on most motherboards.

While the fit and finish are excellent, we do miss the metal and carbon fiber finishes found on some of the TD02-Slim’s siblings. It’s hard to choose plastic over metal in any light. Additionally the backlighting on this cooler left something to be desired. It was easily drowned out by our case lighting as if it weren’t even there. It seems like a better solution could have been easily implemented. And we should say that while the cooler performed admirably it isn’t really top level performance at all; especially for a 240mm cooler.

Overall ThinkComputers would like to give the TD02-Slim a 10 out of 10 score! At the end of the day price and form factor really make the difference.

rating10 10 small

Pros:
– Price
– Fit and Finish
– Slim Profile
– Ease of installation
– Performance for size

Cons:
– Plastic instead of the metal parts as we’ve seen on other SilverStone AiOs
– LED disappointing
– Performance isn’t impressive for category