Installation:

   The Reserator 1 Plus came in a nicely packaged box with illustrations of the water blocks connected. This minor detail right away left me feeling this was going to be a good kit to work with. After opening the box and laying out all the contents, there was hardware in individual product packages, each containing all the possible mounting hardware needed. This kind of method makes it easy to keep track of all the parts.
 

The Kit

Mounting

Inserting Tubing

Ready to Go

   After going through the motherboard removal ritual I began installing all the water blocks. Starting with the CPU Water Block (ZM-WB3 Gold), I opted to remove the stock heat sink mounting bracket to attach the socket 939 back plate included with the CPU block accessories. After attaching two thumb screws to the plate through the motherboard, I then assembled the CPU retention bracket. There were two screws to finally screw the bracket down on top of the water block. They must be fully and evenly tightened down a turn at a time, that way the block centers and seats evenly.

  The Northbridge Water Block (ZM-NWB1) has two methods of installation. Each requires the motherboard removal so as to install the hooks or spring loaded standoffs that commonly come on the stock chipset. The stock heat sink standoffs were the easiest method and held the block in place just as well.
 

The Kit

Chipset Standoffs

C-Clamp on Barbs

Ready to Go

   The VGA Water Block (ZM-GWB2) was very simple as well to install. After removing the stock Geforce heat sink, I cleaned the GPU and applied some better thermal paste. Using the two thumb screw standoffs, nuts, and bracket provided, I attached the block to the PCB. Since the VGA Block only covers the chipset, Zalman includes enough blue aluminum heat sinks that stick very well to the video card memory chips.
 

The Kit

Attaching Heatsinks

Ready for Tubing

Ready to Go

   Zalman's tubing isn't clear like some of the kits on the market. Instead, it's a solid blue tubing that matches the water blocks and is made of a very pliable rubber. The is very easy to work with and surprisingly, does not kink like many of the clear tube materials do. It easily slides over the barbs with any wet lubricant and the provided C-clamps are amply sufficient in keeping the entire system from leaking.
 

Simple Kit

Inserting the Tube

Tightened

Indicator Installed

   As I mentioned, the Reserator 1 Plus is made with noticeable attention to detail which makes the Reserator pretty simple to install as it just sits where ever you want. Details in mind, the kit includes a flow indicator which is installed on the out-bound tubing and has two quick release barbs that are used for the in and out ports. If you unplug one of these connectors from either port, no water comes out of the Reserator tank.
 

Completed Blocks

Valve Connectors

No Leaking

Gray Release Tabs

Testing:

Test System:

• AMD 64 Opteron 150 (Stock 2.4Ghz) (Overclocked 2.9Ghz)

• Abit KN8-SLI

• 2x1GB G.Skill PC3200ZX

• Geforce 7800 GT PCIE

• 80GB Seagate SATA

• Enermax EG-495P-VE
   

Test Notes: Room and distilled water temperatures were kept to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Additives were not added due to the short use and the possibility of hindering performance of the water cooling system. 

 

   The Reserator 1 Plus can easily keep your system cool despite no moving fans or actual thin aluminum radiator components. It would seem that heat would actually build up inside the water tank, but in fact, the metal's ability to naturally stay cool also keeps the water cool. The colder the metal, the colder the water will be. Finding the proper balance between metals and cooling capacity had to be very tricky with the Reserator, especially without any active cooling.

   The results would probably have been much better if the blocks were copper rather than aluminum. The temperatures rose pretty quickly and then leveled off after about two hours of Prime 95. Overclocking pushed the water temp up a bit too fast for the subductal properties to work. Extreme overclocking will push the temperatures a bit higher over a period of time.

   At one point, the Reserator had to be moved and transported. If you think you have to empty the Reserator before disconnecting, think again. The kit was moved around disconnecting and reconnecting the tubes with maybe a drop or two of water escaping from the housing barbs. The good engineering doesn't stop there.

   If you find yourself having to disconnect any one of the water blocks in the loop, the water will not come out of the tubing! As long as only 1 block is disconnected at a time, the vacuum created in the tubing thanks to the valves in the connector barbs prevents water from coming out. A couple of drops fell at most. Servicing this system is a breeze!

Summary:

   The Reserator 1 Plus Water Cooling Kit was so very nice to set up and work with. The mounting kits and directions were very well thought for most any system. I was some what skeptical of a passive radiator with black paint and a clear coat being able to sufficiently cool the entire kit. Normally a radiator is made of aluminum or copper and allows the water to pump through the fins being easily cooled by the passing air. The Reserator's surface area and size make its conductive properties sufficient in keeping the Zalman so cool.

   It is indeed, the most silent water cooling kit to ever come across this test bench. The Reserator Plus 1 would easily suffice for even the most restrictive audiophiles who absolutely need pure silence. And anyone can easily appreciate its presence and design which could end up becoming the center piece of discussion.