Zalman CNPS9900 LED

Zalman is a very well-known name around the cooling industry, I believe primarily because they began using copper materials in their product while everyone else was cutting corners with aluminum. The other factor which has helped add to their success is their promise to deliver good performance without all of the noise. Most all of the Zalman CPU coolers I've tested have been very quite, some completely silent, and performed among the best products.

In this article, the Zalman CNPS9900 LED is back to defend the company name. Packaged with a bottle of ZM-STG1 paint-on thermal grease, this is an all-in-one kit that should be enough to get most overclockers and enthusiasts on their way. Additionally, Zalman includes a socket LGA1366 mounting kit with the Zalman CNPS9900 LED, which ensures it will see our Best CPU Performance - Q1 2009 series.

There are three copper heat-pipe rods spanning from the copper-inset mounting base; one rod curls around the front of the CNPS9900, while the other two rods loop around the back copper fin-sink array. The heat-pipe rods and finsink are cooled by Zalman's proprietary SuperFlo-bearing 92mm fan, which seems very effective despite its size and center hub diameter.

A mirror-polished copper contact surface mates to a metal upper-base segment, with heat-pipes pressed between the two parts. Because of the very smooth contact surface, only an extremely small amount of thermal paste is needed for best heat transfer.

CNPS9900 LED Specifications

• Dimensions: 94(L) x 140(W) x 158.5(H) mm
• Weight: 782g
• Base Material: Pure Copper
• Dissipation Area: 5,402§²
• Bearing Type: 2 Ball-Bearing
• Speed: 1,000rpm ~ 2,000rpm ¡¾ 10 %
• Noise Level; 19.5dBA ~ 38.0dBA ¡¾ 10%
• Control Method: PWM Control, Auto Restart
  
  

About the company: Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.

Zalman Tech was founded in 1999 and focused their early efforts on "silent" cooling solutions; their motto was "Noiselss Computing". They grew rapidly and their cooling product line has expanded to match the thermal challenges posed by the rapidly increasing heat load inside high performance PCs. They have also diversified with new products like 2D/3D convertible LCD Monitors, Heatpipe Cooled Power Supplies, Notebook coolers, Surround Sound Headphones, and their newest product, a FPS gaming interface.

They are headquartered in Seoul, Korea and have a staff of ~169. The company went public in 2007 and is listed on the KOSDAQ stock exchange in Korea. The CEO, Young-Pil Lee, in his greetings on the corporate website, captures the essence of their success: "Zalman will not content itself with present results and will continue its innovation driven efforts to guarantee client satisfaction."

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