Testing:

Alright, before giving you all a few nice graphs to take a look at, I’d like to describe my testing methods. In order to show how a kit performs over time, I’ve used the program OCCT to test and graph, with Speed Fan calibrated to show correct temperatures. The nice point to this is that it provides an idea of how temperatures scale over time - which ultimately shows us the stable temperatures that this kit, and the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme it competes against, can attain. 

Unfortunately speaking, with low fan speeds, the kit’s performance, though less than stellar is still quite a lot better than the stock cooler could hope for – to put it softly, I would think a 4GHz e8400 would melt the fan off of the wafer thin stock cooler.

Turning the fan up to a high speed, it’s pretty apparent that the ProWater is on par with the TRUE. One thing of interest to be pointed out here - when I swapped fans for a High Pressure Scythe Ultra Kaze, it managed to best the temperatures of the stock fan, and maintain a respectable 65 Celsius - at low. This is almost a moot point however, as on lower wattage systems, the stock fan will do just fine. While this isn’t exactly exemplary, it’s genuinely better than what I expected, and proof that though this kit does all the work for you, it does all the work well. That being said, it’s time for a conclusion to be drawn.

For those who don't enjoy sifting through piles of graphs, here's the handy condensed version of the maximum attained temperatures.

Conclusion:

So, what’s come to be of this watercooling kit? Well when push comes to shove, it holds its own ground, and though only matching the performance of the best Air Cooled heatsink, the ProWater 850i manages to do what I feel it was intended for.  Perhaps more importantly, it works towards being a part of a total system solution if you have chosen to purchase a motherboard with an inbuilt waterblock, allowing that once evil heat to be skirted away from other components sensitive to it.

In effect, it provides a complete kit, which, thanks to its thorough documentation in nine different languages, complete with pictures, is a breeze to install, and even easier to troubleshoot.  Realistically speaking, the most difficult task contained within this kit is the removal of the motherboard; something that a user seeking to run liquid through the veins of their system should already be comfortable with.

In terms of ergonomics, things which had formerly been a pest with pre-built watercooling kits, such as finding a place to park your radiator, or tightening down the waterblocks with occasionally hazardous mechanisms, have been simplified.  Even something once dreaded – that being the draining of a loop, has been boiled to a reduction of simplicity, requiring the user to just pull the reservoir and pump apart over a bowl.

In terms of value, this is a mixed bag. While you could assemble a better system for less money, that would require a considerable amount more research, testing, and even general knowledge – not to mention the cost of things that most first-time system builders just don’t have around. In this sense, the amount of effort Thermaltake’s has made to simplify this process is invaluable, making the system a great value.

In short, though this product does not provide earth shattering performance, it gives the user the capability to more than adequately cool any normal system, as well as most overclocked rigs. More importantly, it does it with flare and style, leaving you with nothing but a grin when gawking friends come by to see the green tubes snaking through your system.  Easily a recipient of VH’s recommended award.

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