SilverStone Tundra TD02-Slim Review

Performance Analysis

SilverStone has clearly compromised cooling capacity in order to achieve the total thickness of just 37mm, though that was obviously expected – thinner fans aren't able to move as much air as standard ones and a thin radiator means less surface area.


This is evident on all three test systems. For example, on the LGA1150 one, the cooler is only able to match the Gelid Antarctica, an air cooler which costs half as much and is also quieter. Similarly, the Corsair H75, which is a single fan radiator cooler and also costs a little less, is able to beat the TD02-Slim by 4°C with similar noise levels – both are pretty loud at the tested full speed settings.

The LGA2011 system is the one most responsive to liquid cooling and here is where the TD02-Slim does best, beating all the air coolers on test, though admittedly with higher noise output. That said, the Corsair H75 still holds a 3°C advantage.

Lastly, with the AMD system the TD02-Slim drops back down into the ranks of air less expensive air coolers.

Conclusion

The TD02-Slim is clearly not a cooler for everyone. The total thickness of 37mm is extremely slim, and the cooler is unique in that regard. However, cooling capacity is definitely compromised quite a lot as a result – if you are not space limited you can achieve just as good or better results with less noise for less money. While there certainly cases out there where the TD02-Slim would make sense (SilverStone itself produces some impressively low volume small form factor cases), it's otherwise not an especially exciting product.