When I first took a look at the Thermaltake Silent Water II, I had my doubts about its performance. However, it performed much better than I had first expected, considering it uses 5mm ID tubing with a 72L/hr pump. On the performance side as well though; a good air cooler can perform as well as this water unit without the bulkiness. Being restricted to 5mm tubing and a low output pump, you have little or no upgrade options with this cooler. However, it is very well made, and is quiet in its operation. The 120mm Radiator/fan is the best part of the cooler, making it quiet and performing well. One thing with the cooler being an all-in-one unit, it tends to be bulky. If you don't have a large case, or one with a 120mm exhaust fan, it can be a pain to place the cooler. At least with a separate, large radiator, you can mount it externally. Yes, you can do it with this unit, but it has pipes and a reservoir sticking out. Other than that, the cooler is great for the price and simplicity.
As stated at the beginning of the review, this unit it aimed more towards the novice and budget users who want to get a liquid cooled system. This unit is perfect for it. It gives you the benefits of a water system, plus the ease of using an air cooler. If you want to get into water cooling and are on a tight budget, or just want something very simple to get started, the Thermaltake Silent Water II is definitely worth looking at.