When it comes to computer parts and accessories there are few if any companies that can compete with the breadth of Thermaltake’s offerings. Here at ThinkComputers we are very familiar with most all of Tt’s products including of course their excellent cooling products. In fact for some time their Water 3.0 Ultimate was the highest performing AIO liquid cooler we ran through our bench. Of course not a company to sit idle at the top, Tt has now broadened their horizons extensively and entered the highly competitive custom water cooling segment. While they offer a very complete product line up that allows the builder to fully customize their cooling setup with individual parts, Tt also offers complete DIY kits to make things a little less complex for the meant more novice watercooler looking to get their feet wet. And that brings us to today’s review. After much anticipation we have finally gotten our hands on one of Tt’s new custom AIO watercooling kits, the Pacific RL360 D5 RGB! This kit comes specced out with a full complement of standard water cooling gear picked out and packaged into a single simple brown box. Follow along as we find out if this kit is really all you need to be a custom water cooler; as well as just how much performance is packed into that single brown box!
Special thanks to Thermaltake for providing the Pacific RL360 D5 RGB Water Cooling kit to review!
Features
Thermaltake Pacific RL360 Water Cooling Kit
Thermaltake has launched the new Pacific RL360 Water Cooling Kit as part of its “hardcore” spirit towards the ultimate in custom PC water cooling. A LCS combo unit, the kit is composed of one CPU water block, one D5 pump and reservoir, one 360mm radiator, six compression fittings (chrome), Riing 12 LED RGB fans (three fan pack), tube, blue opaque coolant, and other accessories. Together, these provide exceptional performance, unrivalled reliability, and styling to enthusiasts.
“Tt LCS Certified” is the hallmark that ensures first-class performance from the best features and fitment. A certification exclusive to Thermaltake, it sets the benchmark for all true LCS chassis and is applied only to products that meet our stringent design standards for delivering what hardcore enthusiasts demand. The Tt LCS certification is a way for Thermaltake to designate to all power users the chassis which have been tested for best compatibility with extreme liquid cooling configurations.
Pacific W1 CPU Water Block
The W1 CPU water block is constructed with a copper base and anti-corrosive nickel plating to provide exceptional heat transfer and cooling performance. Fits all modern CPU sockets.
Pacific PR22-D5 Pump/Reservoir Combo
The PR22-D5 includes a 200ml reservoir and D5 pump to provide the perfect combination for proper water cooling circulation and capacity, manufactured from high quality POM and PMMA material.
Riing 12 RGB High Static Pressure LED Radiator Fan (3 fans pack)
Three patented circular 256 multicolored 120mm RGB radiator fans with high-static pressure design, one smart fan controller included.
Pacific RL360 Radiator
With high-density fin design (FPI: 14), the 360mm radiator is optimized to accommodate high airflow and high air pressure with increased capacity and provides superior cooling performance to all components.
C1000 Opaque Coolant Blue
The latest C1000 Opaque Coolant launched by Thermaltake is used as anti-corrosion protection fluid and heat-transfer medium for PC water-cooling. Made in Germany, the C1000 Opaque coolant is virtually odorless, non-flammable, and high performance liquid, offering superb protection for copper, nickel, brass, and aluminum. Choose from seven vivid colors: red, green, blue, orange, yellow, white, and purple to brighten up any build with Thermaltake.
Pacific 1/2” ID x 3/4” OD Compression Fittings (Chrome)
Six durable brass compression fittings allow proper connection to G1/4” ports to properly secure to cooling components.
V-Tubler 4T
The V-Tubler 200cm ID 1/2” (13mm) water tube provides custom PC water cooling configurations with flexibility and durability from end to end.
Remarkable Expansion
The Pacific RL360 water cooling kit provides multiple LCS components for users to build the ultimate in custom configuration, allowing enthusiast to build up aesthetically-superior water cooling systems by incorporating externally-modular upgrades for their chassis.
Packaging
As mentioned, the kit comes to you in a single large brown box that also has some black print on it. The front of the box has drawings of all the components included as well as the name of the kit along the bottom left. Rotate the box left and you’ll find a rather lengthy disclaimer from Tt addressing and covering all the risks inherently involved with water cooling a PC. The back of the box is identical to the front sans the product name in the bottom left. Finally on the right side of the box you will find a listing of the kits’ contents as well as the compatibility listing which is incredibly complete. One thing to note here is to be sure that the length and size of the radiator in the kit you are purchasing is actually going to fit in your case with your motherboard. This can really only be found out by measuring for yourself.
The box itself has a nice carry handle in the middle of the top and opens by pulling the tab from the top front. With the lid flipped back we find all of our shiny new components packaged individually ready to go. This kit really is off the shelf parts picked specifically to make your life easier. Additionally, set on top of everything you will find a general set of instructions for installing the loop.
10 out of 10 for an aluminium radiator and the liquid having sediment in the bottom of it? These 2 issues would at least have been worth taking points off.
Aluminium and copper in the same loop can cause the copper to corrode and gunk to build up in the water block. A good quality liquid will have anti corrosion in it.
The liquid having sediment in it is also a concern. If it has already built up in the bottle it will do the same in the system if it sits idle long enough once assembled and in your pc. This could lead to a, worst case scenario, clogged water block.
I have been water cooling my own pc and building for friends since 2006 and have had bad experiences with mixing aluminium radiators and copper water block going back to the Gigabyte 3D Galaxy water cooling kit. The kit was horrible but became the start of a water cooling hobby.
Tt claims to use a special aluminium alloy which lowers the corrosion potential to a similiar level like the one of brass and copper…
Yea but that coolant is a definitely a no-go.
I have t agree with Paul Martynuk on this one; I had heard that Tt was using an aluminum core for their rads, and this confirms it. However, it doesn’t explain why this kit is so expensive.
But; let’s take a few more points off – for the money that you’re paying (upwards of 512 CAD + tax):
– I would expect the fan and pump screws to anodized black, not stainless steel.
– I would expect the cables on the pump to be sleeved – and not sleeved with something that looks like un-shrunk heatshrink.
– I would definitely expect the radiator to have an all copper core
There are so many other choices out there where folks will get better value for their hard-earned money (e.g. to name a few: http://www.performance-pcs.com/ek-kit-p360-premium-watercooler-kit.html#Details $466 CAD, http://www.performance-pcs.com/hot-xspc-raystorm-d5-photon-rx360-v3-watercooling-kit.html#Specifications $390 CAD, http://www.performance-pcs.com/phobya-pure-performance-complete-watercooling-kit-360lt.html#Specifications $270 CAD) all of these choices would give better results than this so-called water cooling kit, while costing less than the Thermaltake kit.
Which reminds me; why compare this “custom” water cooling kit to AIO coolers, we all know that custom kits cool better than AIO’s, rate this kit vs any other “custom” water cooling kit, then tell us how it stacks up.
Just my .005 cents CAD
I was thinking that too, the Corsair h110i GT is only 1 degree hotter with a 280 mm rad and for 1/5 of the price, if the RL360 is a 10 out of 10 the H110i GT is a 50 out of 10