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Zalman Announces Reserator 3 Liquid Cooler with Nanofluids

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US | B 21 comments

Zalman's Reserator 3 Max cooler is finally official.

Zalman this month launched its new Reserator 3 Max cooler. Zalman is calling the Reserator 3 Max the world's first nanofluids applied cooler and the cooler actually won an award earlier this year at CES 2013.

 

The Reserator 3 is a closed-loop liquid cooler hybrid that combines the reliability and low maintenance of a traditional cooler and the quietness and performance of a liquid cooler. It provides up to 400W of ultra silent cooling utilizing a 120-mm blue LED fan, a dual radial radiator and a high efficient water pump.

The water block and enclosed pump measures 65 x 65 x 32(H)-mm and the radiator measures 154(L) x 120(W) x 32(H)-mm. The fan itself is 120 x 120 x 25(H)-mm and comprises of black pearl nickel-plated aluminum. Other features include Multiple-heatpipe Pressing Joints (MPJ) that secures and maximizes long distance heat transfer, and minimizes thermal resistance. It's compatible with most desktop CPU sockets and can be fitted into a middle tower case with a width of 180-mm.

Though Zalman's been teasing this one since January, Zalman has yet to offer information on pricing or a release date.

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  • 4 Hide
    digiex , August 15, 2013 6:36 AM
    "Zalman with its unique technology came up with the world first nanofluids refrigerant applied cooler to maximize the cooling performance.

    · Using nanofluids coolant improves thermal conductivity by mixing nanoparticles with fluids."

    What element that nano particles would be?
  • 7 Hide
    outlw6669 , August 15, 2013 6:42 AM
    I am quite sceptical of their 400W claim.
    There is really not much surface area with which to dissipate so much heat.
  • 3 Hide
    usmcengineer , August 15, 2013 6:44 AM
    "..and a high efficient water pump." Should say efficiency. Sorry OCD.
  • Display all 21 comments.
  • 0 Hide
    digiex , August 15, 2013 6:46 AM
    http://www.zalman.co.kr/global/product/Product_Read.php?Idx=824

    I wonder what is the composition of the nanoparticle added to the cooling fluid?
  • -6 Hide
    usmcengineer , August 15, 2013 6:46 AM
    "..and a high efficient water pump." Should say efficiency. Sorry OCD.
  • 0 Hide
    SvRommelvS , August 15, 2013 7:09 AM
    Is the fan built in? That would be a nifty way for this thing to further differenciate itself from the current crop of closed-loop liquid cooler
  • -4 Hide
    usmcengineer , August 15, 2013 7:19 AM
    "..and a high efficient water pump." Should say efficiency. Sorry OCD.
  • 1 Hide
    gm0n3y , August 15, 2013 10:50 AM
    I'd like to learn more about the thermal performance advantage of adding the nano-particles to the fluid. I've been following the research over the years and there is still (as far as I know) no definitive proof that nano-particles are able to lower temperatures. Some researchers have found improvements but others have not been able to duplicate their work. If Zalman has somehow made a breakthrough here I think I would have read about it in one of the science journals. They are probably just throwing in one of the more commonly studied compounds so they can market it as such, but I hope I'm wrong.
  • 0 Hide
    fkr , August 15, 2013 11:01 AM
    https://www.google.com/search?client=opera&q=nanoparticles+coolimg&sourceid=opera&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&channel=suggest#bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&channel=suggest&ei=9BYNUoXNBIa32wWM9YHQBg&fp=114bb3f9fc3d34c7&q=nanoparticles+cooling&sa=X&spell=1&ved=0CCoQvwUoAA

    maybe they are using aluminum
  • 0 Hide
    Narcissistic_Martyr , August 15, 2013 11:07 AM
    Quote:
    I wonder what is the composition of the nanoparticle added to the cooling fluid?


    Based on the current literature on computer cooling with relatively inexpensive materials if I had to guess they are probably using alumina nanoparticles in a mixture of water, ethylene glycol, and glycerol. Although, if the particles in the diagram aren't water then SiO2 or TiO2 look like the most likely candidates. Easier to stabilize too IMO.

    If anyone wants to, you can actually mix up a batch of nanoparticle heat transfer fluid at home if you've got a roller mill with 50 micron zirconia beads, some Al2O3 nanoparticles, distilled water, and ethylene gylcol in a 1 vol% Al2O3 dispersion in 3:1 H2O:EG base solution (please don't drink the ethylene glycol or get the nanoparticles on your skin they cause cancer).

    Granted without electrostatic stabilization the alumina suspension won't be stable for months at a time but it should be good for a few days if you want to benchmark with it. If you don't have access to those materials the start up costs would run $200-1000 depending on how good you are at fabricating equipment. On the plus side a fluid like that can shave 4-5C off your temps depending on your setup.

  • 3 Hide
    Wrathwilde , August 15, 2013 8:09 PM
    When comparing the Reserator 3 Max to the Noctua NH-U14S as the german site Tweak.dk did...
    Under heavy load the Reserator 3 Max beat Noctua's NH-U14S by 6.5 Degrees Celsius.

    http://www.tweak.dk/images/2013/review/1679/tweak_dk_zalman_reserator_3_max_14_fullscreen.jpg

    In contrast the best closed loop cooler in Anandtech's review, the NZXT's Kraken X60 (280mm radiator) beat Noctua's NH-U14S by 6.4 degrees Celsius under heavy load.

    http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph6984/54966.png

    I realize they are different testing platforms running different tests but the results of 44.3 and 45(C) above ambient for Noctua's NH-U14S in the two tests are close enough that NZXT's Kraken X60 result of 37.9(C) and Zalman's Reserator 3 Max result of 38.5(C) mean that the Reserator 3 and the Kraken X60 are a mere 0.1(C) apart if you subtract the 0.7(C) difference in the max load results from the Noctua NH-U14S. I'm very excited to see Zalman's Reserator 3 Max tested against other closed loop systems head to head.
  • 0 Hide
    popatim , August 16, 2013 12:27 PM
    this has been out of the closet for 8 months, its not available and theres no new news on regarding it. So why is it in the news again? Slow 'news' day Toms?
  • 0 Hide
    laststop311 , August 16, 2013 9:20 PM
    Simple physics. The radiator is really small. That is going to severely cripple its cooling potential. Corsair H90 140mm in push pull is the sweet spot for liquid cooling. I have an i7-980x hex core oc'd to 4.44ghz it is one of intel's first gen 32 nm parts and runs much hotter then current chips. I run the corsair h90 with 2 high static pressure noctua 140mm fans in push pull. I have the noctua's on their medium max speed they produce less noise then the system does so you cant hear them at all idles around 38-39C and during intense gaming 65-67C. It gets the job done and is very easy to install right at the bases rear exhaust. Almost any modern case accept 140mm rear exhaust.
  • 0 Hide
    Textfield , August 17, 2013 3:46 PM
    I think by "400W" they mean that you have a giant CPU, a perfect contact with it, you live in Iceland, and when you install it, the planets align.

    400W? Really? So basically, this single radiator with a cheap pump and a low-speed fan can take care of a 5.5 GHz i7. That's what you'd expect from high-end thermoelectrics.
  • 0 Hide
    razor512 , August 20, 2013 12:44 PM
    400 watts seems like BS which is why I want someone to place the cooler on a 400 watt resistive load.

    Even high end liquid coolers cant get around some of the physical limitations of liquid cooling. when the heat being generated exceeds the rate at which cool water enters the waterblock to cool the CPU, the water begins to boil which causing issues for the pump when all of the bubbles fail to leave the system. the temperature of the CPU at that point also skyrockets as once the water begins to boil, it functions as if there is no heatsink at all on the CPU.

    With a custom liquid cooling setup, there are areas for bubbles to leave the system before being recirculated back into the pump and damaging it, but a sealed cooler lacks that.

    The fan is also not removable thus cleaning the heatsink or replacing a dead fan will be very difficult (if you can even find a replacement fan)
  • 1 Hide
    fkr , August 20, 2013 1:04 PM
    http://www.overclock.net/t/1417944/tweak-dk-zalman-reserator-3-max-review

    http://www.tweak.dk/review/Zalman_Reserator_3_Max/1679/1/1

    this is the only review I found
  • 0 Hide
    Tuishimi , August 26, 2013 10:26 AM
    They should just use mercury. :) 
  • 0 Hide
    relttem , September 13, 2013 6:37 AM
    We (Ice Dragon) have been doing this for the last 6 years. We are expecting one of their systems in the mail today. Interesting enough, we met Zalman at CES2013 and sent them some Ice Dragon Coolant to test in their systems back in March. We went back and fourth with emails, and then this was announced. Now, they won't respond to my emails. We think that is sort of fishy.
    We plan to cut it open and see what the "nanofluid" is made of. It is not easy to make a nanofluid. You have to worry about agglomeration and settling of the particles..as they agglomerate they will settle faster. Agglomeration is similar to the 'snowball' effect; once it gets going you can't stop it. I doubt the particles are any of the ones listed previously. This is mostly due to, as pointed out, cost, and galvanization. There are a few nanoparticles that are cost effective, such as what we use. In our research the particle we use beat aluminum and copper nanoparticles.
    Also, if you search sciencedirect.com you can find all kinds of research done on the heat transfer enhancement of nanofluids. There has been a lot of work done in that area.
    As soon as we get our results back, I will post again - unless our lawyers tell me not to..:) 
  • 0 Hide
    Tuishimi , September 13, 2013 9:09 AM
    Quote:
    We (Ice Dragon) have been doing this for the last 6 years. ...we met Zalman at CES2013 and sent them some Ice Dragon Coolant to test in their systems back in March. We went back and fourth with emails, and then this was announced. Now, they won't respond to my emails. We think that is sort of fishy.


    Ugh! I feel for you. I am sorry that happened -- it does often especially with small companies. I worked for a start up years ago and our largest expense was our intellectual property and other lawyer because people would sue you for a naming issue, rip you off and not pay contracts, steal the ideas from your proposals, etc.

    People sometimes lack integrity and honesty in the corporate world.

  • 0 Hide
    relttem , September 16, 2013 5:55 AM
    one thing we have noticed per our experience with nanofluids is that due to the light scattering of the nanoparticles a claimed nanofluid will NOT be clear. Unless there are only a couple of particles in the fluid. Just something to be aware of when someone claims to have a nanofluid and the fluid is clear.
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