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ZM-WB2
GOLD CPU WATERBLOCK
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Product
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Manufacturer
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Dimensions
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64mm Diameter x 31mm Tall
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Weight
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447g
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Material
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Gold plated copper & anodized aluminum
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Market Price
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$49.95 at Sharkacorp
(if purchased separately from the Reserator1 kit)
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Image courtesy of Zalman
The color coordination continues to the waterblock. Zalman includes their ZM-WB2 Gold waterblock as the other
primary component in the system.
More information from Zalman:
Features:
1. Pure copper base ensures excellent heat dissipation, and anodized
aluminum top prevents corrosion.
2. Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 478), AMD Athlon/Duron/Athlon XP (Socket
462), Athlon 64 (Socket 754) compatible design for board compatibility.
3. Three types of compression fitting are offered for use with
water tubes(8X10mm,8X11mm,10X13mm)*
Common Components
1) CPU block- 1 pc.
2) Hand screw - 2 pcs.
3) Thermal grease - 1 PC
4) Clip-1 PC
5) User's manual
6) Fittings-6 PCs (3 sets) *
Components for Intel Pentium 4 (Socket 478):
7) Two (2) Clip Supports for Socket 478
Components for AMD Athlon / Athlon XP (Socket 462):
8) One (1) A-Type(blue) Clip Support for AMD Socket 462
9) One (1) B-Type(white) Clip Support for AMD Socket 462
10) Four Bolts - For Fastening Clip Supports
11) One Set of Washers
Components for AMD Athlon 64 (Socket 754):
12) Two Nipples
13) One Backplate
When included in the Reserator system, the ZM-WB2 includes only 1 set of
fittings. Probably a good thing, having only the fittings that fit the included
tubing will certainly avoid confusion during assembly.
WATERBLOCK DESIGN
The ZM-WB2 employs classic old-school waterblock technology; no jets,
no slots, no fancy impingements, just a good sized chunk of copper shaped to
allow maximum surface area contact between the block and the water flowing through
it, all encased in an aluminum shell with a single inlet and outlet. All in
all, a design that should perform well in a low flow situation.
Image courtesy of Zalman
The base surface is mirror-like, probably the best CPU mating surface I've
ever seen, in terms of finish at least. (Yes, it is even better than the famous
Swiftechs) It should be; unlike typical heatsinks where the mating surface is
polished bare metal, the ZM-WB2's base is gold plated. Any imperfections in
the copper below would be hidden by the plating process. Zalman's reasoning
for breaking out the precious metals goes beyond vanity. By plating the copper
with gold they alleviate some of the corrosion risk inherent with having mixed
metals in a water-cooling loop. The plated copper with the anodized aluminum
should greatly reduce the corrosion potential.
Zalman goes so far as to specifically recommend against adding any corrosion
inhibiting additives to the distilled water of the loop. This seems like
a bit of wishful thinking. In reality there will be exposed copper and aluminum
in the system, even if in tiny amounts, and the plating will do nothing
to stop the inevitable growth of living things inside the system. A bottle
of corrosion inhibitor/algaecide is cheap insurance.
INSTALLATION
As listed in the spec's, the ZM-WB2 has excellent CPU compatibility: Socket
478, 754 (and by thus 940 and 939 as well), and Socket A. The only catch for
Socket A is the requirement of the 4 socket mounting holes. Motherboard compatibility
should be nearly universal since the waterblock is actually smaller than a stock
HSF.
For testing the ZM-WB2 was installed on a Socket A board. Installation was
straightforward and simple. The retention mechanism uses a center pressure point
from the spring clamp, which proved to be a double-edged sword: On one hand,
its a foolproof way to ensure that the force is applied only to the center of
the CPU die, a real consideration when installed on XP's. But the single center
point, combined with the round shape of the ZM-WB2, allows the entire block
to spin around that center axis. There is no chance of it coming loose, as it
will only rotate 30° or so until stopped by the fitting, but it did raise
fears of a smeared TIM application.
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