Introduction

TechPowerUp would like to thank Thermaltake for supplying the review sample.

There comes a time when many will find that aircooling their high performance computer becomes too loud, or it simply does not work well enough. These users start to think about watercooling their system, but many are afraid of the cost or the complexity of a full kit. The new BigWater 760i from Thermaltake addresses these issues with a low-cost watercooling system that is compact and easy to install.

Features:

• Dual 5.25 Drive Bay design: liquid cooling system in-a-box to save the space in the chassis and simplifies installation
• Mesh design front bezel enhances ventilation
• Easy to install and refill.
• 12cm Motorsports Radiator :
  1. DTT - Dimple Tube Technology swirls the coolant within the radiator to increase thermal transfer.
  2. An all-aluminum radiator featuring expanded outer fins and tube style for maximum performance.
• Slim Pure Copper Waterblock:
  1. Micro-Channel Design within the waterblock maximize the thermal efficiency
  2. Advanced Brazing technology improves reliability and leakage free
  3. All-in-one mounting design supports all latest CPU from Intel & AMD. (Includes: Intel
• Socket LGA775 and AMD K8/AM2.)
• Ultra-low noise fan: silent variable fan with blue LED (1600 ~ 2400rpm).
• High-performance Liquid Pump:
  1.Silent and powerful P500(500L/hr) pump provide superb reliability
  2.The ceramic bearings significantly extend the life-expectancy of the pump.
• Quick connector:
  1. Quick Disconnect Coupling: Valves shuts off water flow immediately when dismantling to prevents water leakage
  2.User friendly Quick Install Connector saves you time and energy.
• Durable 3/8” Tube: Special material to prevent wear & tare from being clogged up or over bending.

Compatibility:

• AMD AM2 series
• AMD K8 series
• Intel LGA775
• Intel P4

Specifications:

Dimension:	232mm(L) X 148.6mm(W) X 85mm(H)
Weight:	1.3(kg)
Water Block Material:	All copper designed
Dimension:	58mm(L) X 58mm(W) X 35mm(H)
Quick install connector:	For 9.5mm ID (3/8”) tubing
Weight:	311(g)

Pump:

Pump Dimensions:	75(L) x 70(W) x 75(H) mm
Bearing:	Ceramic bearing
Maximum Capacity:	500 L/ hr
Rated Voltage:	DC 12V
Input current:	600 mA
Connector:	4 pin
Noise:	16 dBA
Life time:	80000 hr (MTBF)

Radiator:

Radiator Dimensions:	153(L) x 120(W) x 28(H) mm
Material:	Aluminum
Tube Design:	Aluminum, Dimple
Fin Design:	Aluminum, Louvered
Quick install connector:	For 9.5mm ID (3/8”) tubing

Fan:

Fan Fan Dimension:	120(L) x 120(w) x 25(H) mm
Fan Speed:	1600~2400 RPM
Rated Voltage:	12V
Noise:	16 ~20 dB
Life Expectancy:	40,000 hr
Connector:	4pin

Reservoir:

Liquid Tank Dimensions:	72.4 (L) x 70.5(W) x 69.4(H) mm
Capacity:	130 c.c
Quick install connector:	For 9.5mm ID(3/8”) tube

Tubing:

Tube Dimensions:	9.5mm ID(3/8”) tube
Material:	Green UV

Coolant:

Coolant Capacity:	500 c.c
Major Material Ingredient:	Ethylene Glycol

Packaging & Contents

The Bigwater 760i comes in a good-sized box with a carrying handle on top. The box is like most of Thermaltake's products, and has a glossy design with a lot of pictures. The sides have features and specifications listed.


Upon opening the box, the user will find everything neatly organized inside. On top are the tubing, manuals and hardware box. Below that is a layer of foam, and below that is the rest of the unit packed neatly away.


There are two books included with the Bigwater 760i. The first is a multilanguage installation manual with a lot of black and white pictures to help with the installation process. The second book is a maintenance schedule, also in multiple languages, which is for keeping track of the routine maintenance of the kit.


Inside the hardware box is everything needed to mount the block and attach the hoses. One bag contains the mounting mechanism, which is Thermaltake's H-plate system that they have been using since the Original Big Typhoon. Another bag has the metal clamps for the tubing and mounting screws for the bay unit. A third bag contains the two female quick-release couplings, while the final bag contains the rest of the mounting hardware for the block. Also included in the main box was a 500 cc bottle of coolant to be used with the system and a bottle that can squirt the coolant into the reservoir tank.

A Closer Look

The bay unit includes everything for the watercooling loop except for the waterblock and its hoses. The front of the unit is black with silver and red accents, and has a small mesh-covered opening for the fan to take in air. This part of the Bigwater 760i takes up two 5.25" bays, which is fairly compact for the components that went into this cooling system.


On top there is a 120mm fan with a chrome fan grill typical of other Thermaltake products. The pump is the new P500 pump which is capable of outputting up to 500 liters per hour. The 120mm radiator uses Thermaltake's Dimple Tube Technology to swirl the coolant around inside the tubes, which slows the coolant down so the radiator can remove the heat more easily.


All of the wires coming off the unit are sleeved in black mesh and bound together with plastic wire ties. There is a built-in rheostat to control the fan speed, and the wires for the fan and pump have four pin connectors on them. There is an additional 3-pin connector for the pump that can output RPM speeds to the motherboard, which could be handy to make the system shut down if the pump fails. The tubing coming from the unit are stiff black-rubber tubes, which have the male quick connectors already mounted and the tubes labeled "In" and "Out."


The block is a new one designed with "redundant micro-channels" to improve thermal transfer. According to the Thermaltake website, "To decrease manufacturing cost, traditional water blocks often are designed with simple water channel. However, water within the liquid cooling system travels at very high speed and does not have sufficient time to absorb heat from the heat source. To overcome this major downside, Thermaltake developed water block with Redundant Micro Channel Design to effectively divide water flow into micro channels thus accelerating heat transfer from heat source to liquid material. In additional, micro channel are stacked on top of each other to fully utilize the available space within the water block and further increases heat transfer." The block uses compression fittings for the tubing, and the block has the top H-plate already installed for the user.


The new block has a very shiny finish on it, although it is not completely smooth. There are some small milling marks visible on the surface. The base is fairly flat, except for the very edges, but they are past the surface of any of the integrated heatspreaders on the CPUs this block would be installed on. In the second picture above, the mill marks and slight distortion (noting the unflat edge of the base) are visible inside the red rectangle.