Installation
We’ll be installing the ProWater 850i in our reference mid-tower case. It is an Antec mid-tower with an internal layout very similar to that of the “Antec Lan Boy”. This is a 120mm intake/exhaust case that should be representative of the some of the more common cases out there.
Thermaltake decided to use a universal backplate with the ProWater 850i. As can be seen below, it looks almost identical to the SilverStone Nitrogon NT-07 backplate. This is definitely not an ideal shape, especially for socket 775 based systems. Many boards have protruding pins from VRM components that interfere with backplates that are not ‘X’ shaped.
Thankfully, Thermaltake provides a generous amount of padding and an insulating layer. Although it did cause issues with the pins on our Asus P5K-E board, the padding was thick enough that they didn’t cause a serious issue. The padding is adhesive at both sides. Don’t remove the backing if you plan to move the kit to another board.
Long threaded posts are then put through the backplate and held in place by brass nuts. Washers insulate the top side of the board. Needle nose pliers make this part of the installation much easier. It is helpful to hold the brass nuts in place while tightening the posts from the back side of the board.
The block is then installed using post caps intended to be tightened by hand. I had no issues tightening three out of the four, but one of them was not threaded properly and was a real pain to get put on. Little quality control issues like this can make a simple installation take much longer than necessary. Aside from that, I found the block installation involving, but very secure. Care must be taken not to over-tighten the block. The board does bend quite a bit without caution.
The next step involved installing the radiator. This was actually very easy to do thanks to the universal bracket. I simply lined up the threaded holes and tightened it down with the included screws. You may be wondering why there is paper towel shoved into the barbs. It appears that Thermaltake leak-tests some of their components. I found a small amount of moisture in the radiator when I removed the barb caps. It wasn’t enough to be a concern, but I am known to be overly careful at times.
As you can see, the holes lined up perfectly on this Antec mid-tower and held the radiator securely in place. Thermaltake does provide the option to mount the radiator externally as well. They include a PCI-bracket with cut outs for the tubing for this purpose. Unless a buyer wants to install the kit in a non-standard type of configuration, it shouldn’t be necessary to install it externally.
Next, I installed the tubing. It cuts fairly easily with a pair of good scissors. The barbed fittings on all of the components are very effective and provide a water tight seal even without the included clamps. It seals so well, that I couldn’t remove the tubing without cutting it. Be sure to measure twice and cut once. I didn’t bother with the anti-kink wrap, as there were no tight bends in this install. I also skipped out on the flow meter so as not to restrict the flow more than necessary. I secured the pump and reservoir using the screws and nuts that Thermaltake provided. The case already had some holes conveniently located for this purpose.
As you can see, there were no sharp angles. Thermaltake provided about three times the amount of tubing that I actually used for this install. This is good news for those who change out cases frequently.
First Impressions
I filled the reservoir to the maximum line and fired up the system. Once the radiator, block and tubing had filled with water, the level returned to about the low marker on the reservoir. Filling it back up to maximum allowed it to run without issue. It only took about five minutes for all of the air to purge from the system. Rocking the case back and forth gently while in operation helped to get the air pockets out of the radiator. I found the pump to be a little noisy for the first five minutes of use and then it fades to almost complete silence. It can not be heard without getting very close to it. Thermaltake’s included fan is pretty loud at full throttle, and barely audible at its lowest setting. The built in rheostat appears to allow for three settings—I am guessing 12V, 7V and 5V. Buyers can tune the unit for maximum performance, or near silence.
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