Zalman Reserator 3 Max Dual Ultimate Liquid CPU Cooler Review

Zalman Reserator 3 Max Dual Packaging and a Closer Look

The packaging for the Reserator 3 looks a little flashy at a glance, but it is actually quite plain. Starting with the front of the box, you should know what you’re getting based on the picture and the words “Ultimate Liquid CPU Cooler” placed here.

The right side of the box doesn’t show you anything other than a UPC, so I’m skipping that.

Flipping to the rear of the box, Zalman has several of the Reserator 3 Max Dual’s key features listed here in multiple languages.

The left side has the details that you may want to know if you were looking at this on the store shelf. Here you’ll find all of the specifications that I listed on the first page of this review, along with the socket compatibility.

The top flap and bottom also show you nothing.

Opening up the box and pulling out the contents, Zalman has the cooler placed nicely inside formed plastic package.

Getting right to the goods, this is what you catch with the Reserator 3 Max Dual. You can’t help but notice the sheer amount of plastic here, but you find plastic on darn near everything these days. Zalman has dual 120mm fans mounted which are capable of spinning up to 2300RPM. Unfortunately the detailed specifications, such as CFM and static pressure, are unlisted. These fans will both light up blue in color, so catch a picture after the installation is complete to see how obnoxious they may or may not be.

Flipping the cooler around is how you can understand how the radiator is designed. You see two clearly distinctive radial radiator sections and probably won’t realize that inside each section is another small radial radiator. The radiator is all copper by nature and is nickel plated in a black-pearl color.

Zooming in on the cooler a bit the definition of the dual radiator design is apparent, but you will notice the fans connect together for a single 4-pin PWM connector solution.

Looking at the side profile of the Reserator 3 Max Dual, one can’t help but notice there is no shroud around the radiator. We’re not sure why Zalman decided to design it this way, but it is what it is. On a typical cooler you’ll find a shroud around the fins to contain the airflow and assist with the overall flow of air through the radiator. Without, you can get air spilling off the sides, thus reducing efficiency.

Here’s another view of the cooler.

Looking at the pump, it is contained in a nice looking gray plastic with the Zalman logo on it. There is also an opaque ring around the Zalman logo, so even at a glance you can probably expect it to light up (which it does).

Flipping to the solid copper block side, Zalman has it protected with a tough plastic “sticker.”

Exposing the copper block, you will catch the machined base which was not polished down.

The base is smooth to the touch, however.

This is a side profile shot of the pump and block for your reference. It measures nearly 1.5 inches (37mm) tall, which is a very small footprint.

In the picture below, there are brass fittings placed on the corner. These aren’t actually designed your fan mount, but rather for their brackets to make the installation easier.

There are plenty of areas on the cooler that will let you know that you’ve got a Reserator 3 Max Dual…

… or that it’s a Zalman product.

Finally, here are all of the included accessories to make this cooler work with both Intel and AMD solutions. Being such a versatile cooler with a unique design, there is a ton of extra hardware you probably won’t find in other coolers. We’ll check out how this all fits on the next page, because you’ll be using darn near every piece you see here.

This wraps up the introduction to the cooler and the packaging, so let’s move on and see how easy this cooler is to install!