The Cooling
Other than the 80mm fans mentioned earlier, the
real star of the show is Titan's water cooling scheme in the Robela.
Almost everything is tightly integrated into the side panel (the
one that is removed for peripheral and motherboard installation),
and like the component installation, no tools are needed here.
The massive radiator is cooled by two 120mm fans. The fans are
very silent, and are rated at a maximum of 1800rpm. Creative modders
may want to add two more as there is space for it (nothing to
attach them out of the box though) to improve cooling performance.
The side panel is chained to the chassis, which prevents a user
from pulling it to far away from the case and detaching the various
connections. The chain can be removed if needed, which we only
think will occur when assembling the system for the first time.
Near the bottom of the side panel, the electrical connections
come out of a small box and attaches to the circuit board on the
front of the case.
The Robela's reservoir and pump are situated near the top of
the side panel. Next to them is a clear window which is the flow
indicator. In use, the indicator will be in motion indicating
that all is well. If it just sites there, well, you have some
problems.
Near the bottom edge of the side panel are the inlet and outlet
connections.
Titan includes two waterblocks with the Robela, one for the CPU
and one for the GPU. Both blocks are universal in that the CPU
block covers all Pentium 4 CPUs (even the P3) and all of AMD's
current Athlon 64 CPUs (754/939/940). The GPU block covers ATI
and NVIDIA, but Titan is not specific on the models.
Both blocks feature a mirror finish, not only the chrome tops
but also the copper base as well.
Other than the blocks, everything else that is needed is included.
The Robela includes a pre-filled pump of anti-algae solution and
once this is emptied into the Robela, you can use the same pump
to add distilled water (not included). The tubing is pre-fitted
with the connections needed for the in/outlets and the blocks.
Installation will require the removal of the motherboard
in order to install the backplate for the CPU. For Pentium 4
LGA775 installation, simply thread the plate trough the four
holes normally used for the heatsink.
The next step is to place the waterblock on top
of the CPU. Place the securing bracket on top (it is keyed).
Screw the bracket into place until it is thumb
tight. Install the motherboard and finish things off by installing
the tubing and filling up the unit with water.
All in all, the Robela is a very simple kit to
setup, perhaps the easiest we've had to do, even when we compare
it against the installation procedures of the Koolance units
that have passed through our labs. That being said, we will
have to credit Titan for supplying a fantastic user manual that
outlines all the installation steps to a T.
Last thing to point out once you're up and running is the LED
display located on the front of the chassis. Along with monitoring
the fan speeds, the display also shows some useful information
such as the temperature, fan noise level and alarm in the even
there is low water or pump failure.
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