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Five Large P4 Coolers |
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Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu
Zalman CNPS7000B-Cu:
This large cooler is quite different to the others on test today. Firstly, it's the only one that doesn't use heatpipes. It's also the only one of the aftermarket five that doesn't come from a Taiwanese manufacturer. Zalman, based on Korea, are no strangers to the cooling game, but they have a different approach to most others. Their focus has always been on noise reduction with cooling, instead of cooling at any volume. Indeed, the "CNPS" label that begins most of their product codes stands for "Computer Noise Prevention System".
 
Similarly to previous Zalman designs, densely-packed copper fins radiate out from underneath and surround a large 3-pin fan. Looking at the base of the cooler in detail, you can see that the CPU contact area is actually made up of the centre part of the fins, crushed together with enormous pressure and then secured with long bolts that run between the aluminium plates on either side. The bottom surface has then been machined flat, leaving an almost mirror-like finish of solid copper.
 
The mounting hardware and instructions cater for SocketA/462, 754, 940 and 939 AMD motherboards, as well as S478 on the Intel side, but there's no mention of LGA775. As well as the cooler, manual and mounting hardware, the retail pack contains a small tube of thermal compound, a Zalman case badge and a fan controller with some double-sided tape for mounting it. The fan controller is actually their "Fan Mate 2", a product they also sell separately, which takes a single 3-pin 12v fan input and, according to the position of a knob, outputs from 5v to 11v to the fan. To get the full 12v power to the fan, you plug it directly into the motherboard, not via the Fan Mate 2. This fan controller turned out to be quite handy and I've used it elsewhere on other fans since.
One final inclusion is a small packet of silical gel dessicant. You know the stuff, "DO NOT EAT" and all that. This is worth mentioning because only Zalman include one. Any copper heatsink will discolour and corrode over time as oxygen in the air reacts with its outer surfaces. I have seen copper coolers, from various manufacturers, that look much darker and less shiny than when new, after only a few months use. The inclusion of silica gel in the retail packaging is obviously an attempt to stop that from happening during shipment and while sitting on the shop shelf. Keep this in mind when using copper heatsinks and wherever possible, don't touch the copper parts - only the aluminium or plastic if you can, to avoid the oils from your fingers accelerating the corrosion process.
Installation:
The Zalman is the easiest to install but also manages to feel extremely secure. It mounts from the stock RM and screws are used to wind up the mounting pressure. We had no problems with motherboard components getting in the way, as the fins are undercut high enough as they rise away from the socket. There's a gentle flow of air radiating away from the cooler in all directions across the motherboard, which will keep the Northbridge cooler happy. If your CPU socket is mounted very close to the top edge of the motherboard, particularly if the long side of the RM is oriented towards the board edge, this cooler could overhang the motherboard.
 
One whinge that may be a bit petty concerns the thermal paste. Zalman's package contains the smallest tube of paste in this roundup and the sample I received was mostly full of air. There's barely enough for two installations of the cooler, even though I know to use the paste sparingly.
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