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Zalman CNPS7000-Cu CPU Cooler Review
The package was very complete, fan, heat sink, speed control for the fan, instruction sheet, mounting brackets and screws. The presentation of the product is very well done. Even in the package from a distance the thing screams huge. Well after a wait for some downloads to complete I decided that it was time to see if this bad boy would fit in my system. Because the heat sink is so big and the mounting system kind of unique, there are some mainboards that will not work with this heatsink system. Be sure to check Zalman's site before buying this to make sure your mainboard will work. The good news is 95% or better of the mainboards out there will work just fine.
After I pulled the stock Intel heat sink system I cleaned the CPU and installed the mounting brackets for the Zalman. If you look close you can see the two mounting bars I had to put in the system. These bars slide through openings in the Intel bracket and they are notched to lock in when the heat sink is tightened down. Rather than clipping, the Zalman CNPS7000-Cu actually screws into its mounting bracket. The real size of this system is not obvious until it is mounted. I had some problems with clearance of my main power cords but other than that everything fit fine. I was scared at first as some of the capacitors and stuff where really close to the mounting brackets, but nothing touched so all seemed to be good. When you go to screw down the Zalman CNPS7000-Cu heatsink they fail to warn you of the problems you could have, so let me provide the warning. The brackets actually sit low before the heat sink is mounted. The key when mounting is to keep the heat sink from moving. This is harder to do that it looks with this system, so take your time. When you go to screw in the system you need to either find a way to lift the bracket or you must really press down to get the screw to grab. I used the press down method. While I was scared I might break something everything held up okay. Just gradually apply the pressure so you don’t over do it and you should be okay.
Once mounted you are faced with the next question, do you need the variable fan speed. The controller allows you to adjust the fan speed from a high end of 2600 RPM to a low end of 1350. The reason for this is not to only adjust cooling but to also reduce the amount of noise the fan will generate. The slower the spin, the quieter the fan. Now in fairness even at max spin the fan is not loud. It was right at about the same level as the stock Intel fan. I checked noise level by the precision instrument of my ear. When the speed is set to minimum there is a noticeable drop in noise; a much larger drop than I expected. If you decide you want the Zalman CNPS7000-Cu fan to run full speed all the time, plug the fan straight in and forget the controller. On a side note, there is not set way to mount the controller. I found a small piece of Velcro worked well, mounting it near the top of the mainboard tray. The controller has a short power cord while the fan actually has a long one. The controller is the real limiter to where you can place it.
Okay we know the Zalman CNPS7000-Cu is quiet but does it cool the CPU? Before I start let me say that the 845G Max mainboard has always reported high temps, about 10F higher than what they actually are. However I am using its reported numbers here for comparison. The test was to start the system, let it run for 10 minutes at the BIOS screen and use the BIOS to report the temp and RPMs. With the stock Intel heat sink the fan was running at 2500 RPM and heat was running at 117 F. Using the Zalman at max speed the heat was 115F at 2600 RPM. For lowest noise the RPMs were dropped to 1350 and the heat climbed to 120F. For me the sweet spot was adjusting the fan speed to 2000 RPM and heat was hovering around 118. The noise was still very quiet and the temp was acceptable.
Up until I got this I never dreamed of cutting a hole in my case. The computer sits under a desk and is seldom seen. I might do a LAN party every now and then. But now, this heat sink BEGS to be seen. I am working right now to get a nice Mechwarrior cutout done and adding some lighting to show case this beauty. Speaking of LAN parties, once you mount this system, have care when moving your computer. The heat sink weights a lot more than the Intel standard calls for. As such there is no warranty that the mount will not break. If the Intel specs where followed with the mainboard you should be fine provided some care is taken. With all this information the question stills comes down, is this product worth buying? This is a mixed bag response for you. If you need a quiet computer I think this is an awesome system. Get a Sonota case, Seagate HD and the Zalman VGA cooling system, you will have a practically silent PC. For those wanting to cut noise this is a great buy. However there is a stipulation to this recommendation. Be sure you are going to take other steps to make your PC quiet. If the HD, CD drive or the case fans are all noisy, then the CPU fan will not help any if it is silent. For a quiet PC the whole system must be built with noise reduction in mind, not just one part. If your PC is a show piece and you take the proper precaution then this heat sink is a great addition. It is simply a pretty component and can go a long way to add to the looks of a show piece system. However as I have stated, take care when moving your show piece to show it off. If you are looking for a heat sink to help with better cooling, then this is probably not the heat sink for you. While it works really well it does not do much better than the stock Intel set. At $50 for the Zalman, heat is not a good reason to buy this heat sink. Stick with what you have, look at case fans to help the stock Intel unit, this will provide better cooling for the money. I want to congratulate Zalman on a fine product. The heat sink is exceptionally well made. The fins are solid, not flimsy and the design is efficient as well as pleasing to look at. With Modding being so big Zalman did an excellent job providing a true work of art to grace your PC. With more bedrooms getting computers and the sudden increase in the multimedia PC the need for silent operation is high, again Zalman has delivered. As I stated, examine your needs and then read reviews on this product. If your needs are for quiet operation or great looks then you cannot go wrong with a Zalman.
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FrostyTech.com Info | ||
First let
me thank Frostytech and Zalman for the chance to play with this cooling system.
The CNPS7000-Cu is a real monster, measuring almost 4.5" across and 2.5" tall.
It is pure copper, coming in at 1.7 pounds. It has variable speed on the fans,
1350 RPM in silent mode and 2400 RPM maxed out. In silent mode they are claiming
less than 20 dB of sound. 
In a side
by side comparison to the stock Intel system the size becomes obvious. The Intel
unit is all Aluminum and the Zalman, as you can see is all copper. The fan on
the Zalman is also larger than the stock Intel fan, the good news is it is also
quieter, but more on that later.
In the
picture below you see the finished product waiting for the side panel to go back
on. This picture really shows just how big the heat sink is. But with all this
size and effective cooling plus quiet operation, one of the best features is not
ever mentioned. This system looks GREAT!
