SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Overview
Removing the plastic coverings we find that many of the surfaces of the pump and radiator are protected further by plastic strips. Meanwhile the accessories are stored mostly in two plastic bags. Looking closely we find that we have a full set of installation materials for all sockets listed which includes AMD and Intel sockets back to 775. To pump comes installed with the Intel brackets so we find a pair of aluminum AMD brackets in the box. We also get a tube of thermal paste that should be good for up to at least 3 installations. Additionally we get a two way PWM fan splitter and a molex to 4pin adapter for directly connecting fans to the power supply.

SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler

Moving to the fans we find the same APA1225M12 120mm fans that come with the bigger TD02-E. These fans are four pin PWM controlled and boast speeds up to 2500 RPM at which point they will offer 3.5mm/H2O of static pressure while pushing 92.5 CFM’s of air. Reaching 2500 RPM they will be creating 35 dB of noise which we found wasn’t too bad and at slower speeds very quiet.

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Next we come the cooler itself and we will start with the radiator. This unit is a 120mm rad and is 27mm thick; so pretty average. There are a couple of unique features of course, the first being the patented brazing fins which will look similar to those found on air coolers. Silverstone is claiming a 40% increase in efficiency over standard fins. We also find rubber vibration dampeners at each screw hole and a carbon fiber overlay under a plastic cover on the sides of the radiator.

SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler

Connecting the radiator to the pump are two pretty thick rubber tubes which are 310mm in length which should be sufficient for most installations.

SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler

At the other end of the tubing we find the pump itself. This unit is identical to the one from the TD02-E. It features a backlit Silverstone logo on the top of the pump, aluminum casing and a single smooth piece of copper on the base. The only protrusions from the sides of the pump other than the thick aluminum mounting brackets are the inlet/outlet swivel fittings and a single 3 pin power wire.

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The copper base is protected by a plastic sticker and is completely seamless. While most pumps have screws in the base, the base on the TD03-E is attached from the inside. The finish is fairly smooth but not reflective. We would give it a B grade.

SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler SilverStone TD03-E Liquid CPU Cooler