Specifications, Availability and Pricing

The head unit or the part that will sit on top of your CPU when the Pro is installed is a three piece unit. There is the top cap that displays the Thermaltake name, logo and the Water2.0 name on it keeps everything pretty and away from sight. The second layer that the cap gets screwed to is the PCB, the pump and all of the wiring needed to run these units. On the bottom of this middle layer, there is a copper transfer plate that absorbs the CPU heat and delivers it to the coolant that the pump above is pushing through the system.

What makes this unit so efficient is that pump. These pumps draw 3.1 Watts and 220mA of power to keep the pump revolving near 2800 RPM. With so little power draw, there is much less heat created in these pumps, so less heat is delivered to the coolant allowing for lower CPU temperatures.

The radiator that is connected to the head unit via a pair of 90 degree fittings on the head unit, terminating to straight fittings on the radiator with just over twelve inches of black rubber tubing is much thicker in the Pro. We are moving from a 25mm thick radiator to a 48.8mm one and the surface area has increased from 1385 centimeters squared to 3730 centimeters squared worth of fin surface area. That is just shy of triple the amount of room for heat to be pulled away from the radiator of the Performer, so to already expect better efficiency and lower temperatures from this unit is sort of a no brainer.

Both units are cooled with the same pair of PLA12025S12HH-LV 120mm fans. These fans are capable of speeds up to 2000 RPM and will deliver just more than 80 CFM from each fan in a push/pull configuration on the radiator. They do have 4-pin PWM power connectors and since one header on the motherboard is needed for the head unit, Thermaltake includes a Y-splitter to power the pair of fans from a single fan header.

Of course a thicker radiator and "better"� performance is going to cost you a bit more; $30 more as a matter of fact. If you look at Thermaltake's site and buy direct, the current price is set to $109.99 and there is shipping still to consider. Newegg is saving the day for US buyers as I type this. The price there is $108.99 lowered from $114.99 and there is no shipping cost. If you are the type to like waiting on mail in rebates, the Water2.0 Pro can be had for as little as $93.99. I don't know about you, but I would much rather pay $14 more for the advantages of having the Water2.0 Pro over the Performer, than dishing out $30 more.

I will say this, upon release of all of the other AIO units, the pricing is spot on with what everyone else was charging when they released units with older technology in them. Considering a custom loop, on the retail market, new is going to cost a minimum of $200 just to cool your CPU. So for half the price, let's see what the Water2.0 Pro offers even against the custom water cooling solutions.