Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu CPU Cooler (cont.)

Testing:

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I will test two fan speeds. The fan controller allows the power to be turned up and down like a radio knob. I will test absolute high and absolute low. The test for both speeds will have the temps recorded Motherboard Monitor 5 using the highest values reached at either idle or load. The idle test will consist of 5 hours of the computer sitting and no programs being opened. The load will consist of 2 hours of non stop Halo gaming.

The test setup is as follows. Abit IC7, P4 2.6C, 1024 PC3200 RAM, ATI 9700 pro. The case will be closed and the system fans will consist of 3 SmartFan 2’s. One might wonder why I mention the video card, RAM, and system fans. I like you to have a complete idea of what will be in use generating heat inside the case and what will be used to dissipate the heat.

Results:

Idle at the lowest fan speed saw a max temperature of 42C and the max under load was 56C with a room temperature of 78F. Idle at the highest fan speed saw a max temperature of 40C and the max under load was 53C with a room temperature of 79F. A Pentium 4 has a thermal diode inside the processor so temperatures are very accurate.

Compare temperatures to the last cooler I reviewed, Evercool CUW8-715, the Zalman outperforms it by quite a bit on the high setting and the low setting with a very low CPU load. On either setting the Zalman is tough to hear and a lot quieter than the Evercool.

Conclusion:
The temps were really good, especially given that by using the loudest setting with the side panel on, the cooler was still silent. The Zalman CNPS-7000A-Cu is a great cooler with ability to cool exceptionally well under situations where noise is a huge factor and performance is required to allow for overclocking, extreme gaming, or other high heat situations.

Pros:

• Quiet
• Great performance
• Easy to install

Cons:

• Heavy
• Large, won't support all motherboards

Rating:

(Ratings Possible Terrible, Very Bad, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent)

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