PrimoChill CTR (Compression Tube Reservoir) System Review

Posted by Gilgamesh on April 11th, 2013

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Introduction:

The enthusiast market for ‘Liquid Cooled’ computers has been in danger of stagnating this last year, with various attempts to bolster enthusiasm failing miserably on the side-lines such; as the Thermaltake Chaser MK1 LCS system and the original ‘Zalman Rocket. However a few companies have tried to turn this declining trend around, such as Koolance, EKWB, E22 and now we can add another contender to this crown and that being Primochill.

The writer of this article is getting rather jaded, with little progress and creativity currently employed by the enthusiast market today and with more of the so-called ‘innovations’ being a small improvement based upon an existing design.

Enter Primochill; now we all have heard of this company as they have produced coolant fluids for a long time, but now it seems that they have branched out into flow meters, the new dyes and fluids and compression fittings. However in this review we ill not be speaking of the above products, rather that of the CTR Compression Tube Reservoir.

Company Background

PrimoChill has been providing innovative cooling solutions and modifications to the masses since 2001. A family owned and operated company based in Rio Rancho, NM USA takes pride in continuous development and correspondence within the community, in order to keep up with the ever changing world of computer modifications. Whether it be tubing, fluids, dyes, or reservoirs, trust in the PrimoChill name sold all over the planet. Some of our earliest accolades were centered around our “Pre-Built” watercooling cases which the likes had not been or even seen since.

(Note the US Spelling, rather than English-English format)

(http://www.primochill.com/ last accessed 04/04/2013)

Without further ado let us move on to covering the reservoir itself.

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Specifications

Before we go into the specifications, we think that its only fair that we state what makes this product differing to that of a myriad of competing products out there and that is that is uses ‘Low Profiles Compression caps’ at the end of the tube rather than screw fittings.

Compression End Caps
Multiple Port End Caps: 2 port and 4 port.
Large Inner Diameter: 57mm.
Pre-Installed Ready To Use.
Laser Cut Tubes: For crack free usage.
Delrin compression end caps.
Rigid Mount Hardware Included.
Inner Diameter: 57mm
Outer Diameter: 63mm
Length: 240mm (not including end caps)
Warranty: 6 months

When reading the specifications of the CTR Reservoir, we actually had to examine them twice as we couldn’t believe that the end caps are completely lacking any form of thread. In essence taking the idea from compression fittings for water cooling hose, we can see that this is a new take on the old idea of tube reservoirs. The Primochill CTR reservoirs comes in a rather small 80, 120, 250 and behemoth 400mm in size and should be perfect for all cases out there.

Packaging

Looking akin to a tube of ‘Pringles’ the Primochill forgoes all the fancy packaging and is instead packed within a tube with the company logo and basic product information only. Whilst we at Overclockers Tech are fine with this as it saves on overall cost-ergo less of a hit on our wallet for us all, some may like their fancy packaging; however we do not see this as a bad point at all as it is the product that matters.

Upon ‘popping’ the top off the tube we are again reminded of the product ‘Pringles’ advertising slogan of ‘ Once you pop you cannot stop’ as indeed this was the case as we had not one but three layers of foam to go through before encountering the Primochill reservoir itself.

Though the instructions looked a little on the photocopied side, we did find that they were clear, concise and very easy to follow. Any experienced water cooling enthusiast is used to this type of guide anyway so with some eagerness we moved to the first layer.

Here we can see the first mounting ring, block and screws and peeling through this we spy the second layer showing much the same thing. It is worth noting that between sections the foam is quite thick and will go a long way to protect the product during transit.

The second segment itself and then a closeup of the mounting hardware.

Finally we encounter the last layer and this is the main section that hold the upper part of the reservoir in place and at last the product reveals itself.

There might not have been much thought placed on the outside of the packaging, however the reverse is true on the inner tube. We have never seen a tube reservoir packed so carefully and obviously some thought has gone into presenting all of this in a neat package.

Let us have a look at the product itself shall we?

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Primochill CTR First Looks

Straight away we have a feeling of quality. The acrylic tubing seems to have an almost polished look, which must be due to that all the aforementioned material is laser cut rather than CNC machined. The latter together with a possible diamond polisher (or sander) due to the bright look of the acrylic certainly helps.

We have seen many acrylic based manufacturers only do a half job by simply laser cutting the material then by employing a technique called ‘flame polishing. The latter is brought about by simply moving a flame across the material in order to ‘melt’ the acrylic so it appears more or less smooth. However we can see the Primochill have not settled with this method and have gone for a more of a diamond polished look. To demonstrate this, this is what a diamond sanding and polishing machine looks like.

To further demonstrate the differences between flame and diamond polishing, the writer of the article designed and had manufactured some feet which were used in a project entitled Sumerian Cry’

On the left is regular flame polishing whilst on the right would be the diamond method.

We know which look we would rather have.

Next we come to the major unique feature of the Primochill product and that would be the end caps. Normally one would expect to find a ‘screw on method, where the aforementioned caps are threaded and screw onto the tube. However this can have its drawbacks as the acrylic could crack and start to leak after multiple removals of the previously mentioned end caps. However Primochill have utilised a differing approach to this time-honoured method. Instead of the usual screw on fitting they have employed a ‘compression method’ which comprises of a similar idea to that of water cooling fittings. This has two major advantages being that this method has absolutely no chance (subject to the ability of the user) in cracking the acrylic and second if the consumer wishes for a shorter acrylic tube then ones only needs to cut part of the tube down to size and then re-install the end caps, thus eliminating the need for purchasing a smaller tube.

Now for the disadvantage this process is far from idiot proof are there are those whom will over tighten the nylon screws(more on this later) screws or misalign the end caps.

One end cap comprises of the usual inlet and outlet, however the other has four holes, which can be used for any of the aforementioned. This also allows the use of a right angled filling solution, which is a great boon for any enthusiast wishing to place the reservoir in the horizontal (ooh-er) position. However here is were we encounter a problem, there appears to be no blanking plugs included within the product itself. What happens of like most people one just wished to use a single inlet and outlet? This then force the consumer to groan and purchase the necessary plugs.

However during our investigations we have mentioned this to Primochill and they have admitted the omission of the aforementioned plugs and will include them in the final sales versions. In essence the consumer will not have to worry about the absence of these blanking plugs, however we at Overclockers Tech have a policy of reviewing by the method’ Say it as we see it’

The other advantage of having the myriad of differing inlets is that one can employ a LED blanking plug which allows the consumer to light up the reservoir in a completely customised way.

Below are some gratuitous shots of the Primochill CTR reservoir in all its glory, complete with the laser etched logo which rounds the whole product off rather nicely.

Whilst we are here the end caps are manufactured from a Delrin based material and are of superb quality. We at Overclockers Tech have heard talk of some ‘swarf ‘ left over in the inlet/outlet threads which needed to be removed prior to use, however we encountered no such issues and were very happy with the overall quality feel.

Next we take a look at the UV Green version of this product, one that we will be giving away in a contest very soon.

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UV Green Primochill CTR Reservoir

In the previous page we looked at the 120 mm clear version of the Primochill CTR Reservoir, however now we encounter the Ultra Violet Green model in all its glory. Once again we can see the sheer quality of this model and judging by the photos the colour of the tube itself emits a faint green light just by the use of the suns rays and this is born out by the green reflection upon the cloth upon which the product rests.

However on the top right photo we can see that the end-cap is not quite aligned correctly, however this is just our pre-release sample and poses no risk to the quality of manufacturing, rather that off an assembly issue. However if one carefully follows the supplied instructions then our issue can easily be resolved.

The overall feel of the reservoir has a solid texture and weight to it and even given that it is acrylic one could almost use the product to brain a passing PC WORLD (United Kingdom) or Circuit City (USA) worker whom asks you the immortal line……..” Can I help you sir?’ as soon as one walks through the entrance! Cue lots of growling at the previously mentioned employee, rather akin to a rabid dog from a certain Steven King Film.

We are rather impressed with the sheer creativity employed within this product, with its striking good looks and attention to detail the Primochill will never fail to impress even the most ardent and critical (such as oneself) of consumers. Whilst we are here it also worth noting that Primochill have gone further to attract the performance cooling enthusiast by the manufacture of a myriad of differing end caps, such as the ability to direcly mount a D5 or Vario pump for example.

The above shows the components in a non assembled state. A quick step by step assembly guide can be shown as follows:

Put the supplied rubber O-ring (top right photo) around the pressure plate (top left)
Place the acrylic tube (bottom left photograph) over the pressure plate, thus creating a loose seal.
Carefully lift the whole assembly and turn the tube over to the pressure plate faces you directly.
Using the two supplied nylon screws you place the top cap to the pressure plate, erstwhile making sure all holes are correctly aligned.
Place two of the hex screws into the holes, whilst checking the tube itself in order to make sure the cap is correctly aligned.
Finally take out the two nylon screws and insert the two remain hex screws.

Primochill have made a good attempt to make the whole assembly process ”idiot proof’ as possible, however there will be always ‘Wazzocks’ (as we say in Yorkshire) whom will over tighten the screws and possibly damage the product, however we have been informed that this is very hard to do in the first instance.

Finally the Primochill CFT Compression Tube reservoir comes in a myriad of differing colours, such as Clear, Frost, White, UV Green and Blue. Whilst we did not receive this colour we would certainly like to mention the attractiveness of the Blood Red option. We at Overclockers Tech have unofficially dubbed this as ‘Classy Red’. The reason for the latter is that most manufacturers choose a red that resembles a young ‘slapper’ or loose woman whom on a Friday night ( on the way to the nightclubs) that looks as though she has just applied her ‘red’ lipstick make up on by the use of ‘Bob the Builders’ plastering trowel! Can we fix it? Well Primochill just did for us.

Let us sum up all these thoughts and bring them to a conclusion shall we?

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Conclusion

We at Overclockers Tech are a dry witted and sarcastic lot and as such we tend to be a little abrupt and honest with our reviews. This has the bonus of being utterly reliable as we say it as we see it ‘warts and all’ and it is with this in mind how we review products. Having said that we really appreciate what Primochill have done with this product today, with its creativity and a product that thinks outside of the box. We have been in a jaded mood in regards to water cooling products over the last year and it is nice to see a company that turns an existing idea on its head and then makes a new product out of it. The quality of manufacturing is second to none and one appreciates the trouble of using a diamond polishing/sanding method as opposed to the old flame type. The many differing options present within the placement of the holes, which allows for horizontal placement and filling ( the much more costly Frozen-Q products cannot do this) is a great idea, whilst the same holes can be plugged with LED based blanking plugs.

Having mentioned the above, the blanking plugs are an issue as with our sample there is an absence of them, which is quite disconcerting. We raised this issue ourselves at Primochill and agree with us that these should come as standard and have since rectified this for the final sales versions. However it is the product performance and features on the day that counts and we will have to mark the product down a little for this issue.

Again we love the bonus feature that the consumer can simply cut the tube to size of need be, rather than purchasing a whole new product and that is a nice money saver in these hard times. The range of colours available within this product are striking and give a solid feel and should suit many different modder’s case themes. The actual mounting of the product whilst unusual works and and feels stable and firm and indeed lends to the feeling that this product can be mounted almost anywhere.

Finally the price is quote attractive too with prices starting from around £40 GBP RRP

Finally given the overall view of this product, we are off a very high opinion of the Primochill CTR reservoir and we don’t see why it should not be employed within the arsenal of any true water cooling enthusiast.

Pros:

Compression fitting method.
No more cracked acrylic and leaks
Easy assembly (but not quite idiot proof)
Solid mounting
Glowing look to the acrylic
Diamond polished acrylic ends
Solid quality feel
Range of end caps available with the option to mount a pump)
Can be placed almost anywhere
Nice colour options
Can fill the reservoir in a horizontal position
Nice Solid feel
Saves money on future builds/cases
Can be cut to size

Cons:

Absence of blanking plugs (however already addressed with the final sales versions)

Overclockers Tech are pleased to award the Primochill CTR Compression Tube Reservoir a 90 percent mark out of a possibly one hundred and therefore a Gold award!