Testing:

AMD Opteron @ 2.4Ghz
Abit AN8-SLI
2x1024 G.Skill PC3200
XFX 7800 GT PCIE
2x80GB Seagate SATA

Zalman Reserator Plus 1 Kit
VGA Water Block (ZM-GWB2)
CPU Water Block (ZM-WB3 Gold)

   The test was pretty simple and conducted in such a way to answer the question. Does the kit perform as it is intended? I ran the test system for several hours writing, picture formatting, and gaming. I wanted to make sure the Reserators water temp was as warm as it could be before installing the ZM-RF1.

   The Fan Mate worked fine changing the speed of the fan. The fan can be very quiet (sub 20db) at lowest setting and quite loud (35+db) at the highest setting. The noise is partly due to the wind breaking on the Reserator. Zalman's website states 32db, but the RF1 was 32db only when I took it off and measured. I naturally set the fan control on high as I wanted to see the results of the Fan Kit right away.

   

Summary:

   The Zalman ZM-RF1 had no affect on the processor or water no matter the fan speeds. There are a couple things that have contributed to this result. For one, the water doesn't pass through the fins of the Reserator as it would in a radiator. If it did, then the temperature would definitely drop. The metal stays cool enough as it is, so the water's initial inside contact with the Reserator housing keeps it cool. The Reserator is directly affected by ambient temperatures. For example, if you put your Reserator in direct sun light, the housing and the internal water would heat up. The housing is just too thick to make any gains from the RF1.

 

Pitch Black from Top	Very Little Ambience	Semi-Lit Conditions
Did I mention Noise?	Uneven Blue Reflection	It's Blue

  The ZM-RF1 did manage to blow a great amount of air across the desk and pretty much in the case's fan and vent holes. The RF1's LED Fan wasn't as bright as I thought it could be. At night the LEDs were somewhat visible in the dark, but gave off no real visible reflection. The blue LED fan in the Coolermaster Mystique case, gave off more light out through the front bezel vents than did the RF1. I thought at least the blue LEDs should be able to give off an ambient glow.

Conclusion:

   The Zalman ZM-RF1 is an attractive Reserator modification that is very easy to add and configure.  The RF-1 is a nice quality modification and helps finish off your Reserator kits. The Fan Kit was able to keep the rising temperatures to about 2 degrees even with 1100 to 1800 Watts of heat blowing on it from a heat gun. This is in itself is worthy of praise due to the fact that at no time will you ever have these kinds of temperatures or direct heat hitting your Reserator.

   The Zalman ZM-RF1 is a valid concept and will benefit the Reserator more so in warmer regions. Being as I live in the Northwest region, the ambient temps are much cooler than those in southern climates, so I did not personally see any difference. Ambient temperatures will affect each Reserator differently and your results may vary. However, if you find your Reserator running warmer than you'd like, give the Zalman ZM-RF1 a try.