Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate AIO CPU Cooler Review
Final Thoughts and Conclusions
Thermaltake did a great job with the Water 3.0 Ultimate (CL-W007-PL12BL-A) and it was found to be a great AIO Liquid Cooler for those that want to get the most out of their system. It follows the same principles as the previous version, with some tweaks. You no longer need to have software running to control the fans due to the fact that Thermaltake has switched the fans over to PWM controlled units.
The Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate is the largest member of the Water 3.0 family. The 360mm long by 27mm thick radiator will make closed loop cooler incompatible with many cases. The good news is that AIO Liquid Coolers are becoming more popular and case manufacturers have finally embraced that fact. Enthusiasts now have hundreds of cases on the market that were designed to coexist with internal water coolers and there are a handful of cases out there that will fit large 360mm AIO Liquid Coolers. As an AIO Liquid Cooler based on the Asetek Gen 4 design, the installation is extremely simple. The water pump brackets go on without any issues and the fans attach with simple screws. The hardest part would be mounting the large radiator in your case, however even that is easy to do on most cases.
Easy installation is one aspect of these AIO Liquid Coolers, however what we are most concerned about is performance. The Corsair H105 is considered one of the best 240mm AIO Liquid Coolers, and has a 38mm thick radiator. The Water 3.0 Ultimate has a thinner radiator, measuring 27mm, but includes the extra 120mm length. As it comes from Thermaltake, the Water 3.0 Ultimate cooled the test system better than the Corsair H105. Looking at the price of both the Water 3.0 Ultimate ($139.99) and the Corsair H105 ($113.09), there is $26.09 difference. It is up to you if lowering the temperature of your CPU a few degrees Celsius is worth spending that extra coin to give you the lowest possible CPU temperature.
One thing that surprised me was the noise level of the three TT-1225 fans, which are rated for 99CFM at 20dBA. At that noise level, I was expecting them to be near silent, however that is not the case. The fans on the Corsair H105, have a higher noise level rating, but they are quieter under the full load. On the flip side, the pump noise on the Water 3.0 Ultimate was much quieter than I expected. The Corsair H105 I can hear when it spins up, where the Water 3.0 pump I can not hear at all.
If the Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate (CL-W007-PL12BL-A) will fit in your case, and you wish to pick one up, it is currently available for $139.99 shipped with a 3-year warranty from Thermaltake. That price is in line with similar coolers, but it will run you about $45 or nearly 50% more than many of the popular 240mm coolers. One of those that comes to mind that another writer on Legit Reviews reviewed earlier this month is the Thermaltake Water 3.0 Extreme S, which can be purchased for $94.99 shipped.
Legit Bottom Line: The Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate is an extreme AIO Liquid Cooler that uses Asetek Gen 4 cooling technology paired with a 360mm radiator and three 120mm fans. The Tt Water 3.0 Ultimate kept our processor cooler than a leading 240mm AIO Liquid Cooler although you’ll end up paying more to get that performance.