A Closer Look

Zalman's Reserator5 Z36 follows the same path as most all-in-one liquid coolers in that the radiator sticks with a tried and true aluminium design with a fin density, or FPI, of 20. The fittings are flat black, and the tubing itself has a mesh sleeving, which is again nearly industry standard. As for tubing length, it is 400 mm on this particular model. The only design element of the radiator that stands out is the shiny, silver Zalman logo on the side, which adds a bit of contrast and visual interest.


The pump block uses a circular design, with the top being illuminated via ARGB LEDs. The design itself is reminiscent of their spider-inspired fans used on the CNPS20X and visually interesting. One design element that is quite nice is the wiring harness for the pump using a plug, and both pump power/RPM and ARGB lighting are handled via a single cable harness that plugs straight in. This should make cable management much easier. As for the cold plate, a quick test with a razer blade showed that the base is slightly convex; the tiny cutout on the far left is not a defect; it is a notch used to line the cold plate up with the pump housing.


The ZMR5-PWM fans (exact model: ZE1225ASH) feature an RPM range of 800–2000 and have a maximum CFM of 77.37. However, as can be seen from the image, they do not feature any ARGB lighting.