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October 1, 2008 by Lawrence Lee
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Product
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Zalman CNPS9300 AT
LGA775 & K8 CPU Cooler |
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Manufacturer
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Zalman
Tech Co. |
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Street Price
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$45~50 USD |
The Zalman CNPS9700
giant copper CPU cooler offered good performance but suffered
a high price-tag and a nasty sounding fan. These drawbacks overshadowed
the clever design of the heatsink itself, and made it difficult to recommend
for a silent PC. One solution was to replace the integrated fan, a procedure recommended only for the handy. We have not seen a new CPU heatsink design from Zalman
in quite some — the most recent additions to their CPU heatsink
lineup are rehashes of what they've done in the past. The CNPS9300
AT is no exception.
The CNPS9700 is no match for the cheap
tower heatpipe coolers that dominate the current market. The CNPS9300 AT is
a drastically slimmed down version of the 9700, so it shouldn't be able to match
or beat its predecessor's performance. It's narrower, lighter, and is equipped
with a smaller fan. While it may offer more clearance around the CPU socket,
it is not significantly shorter, so case compatibility won't be much better.
The most interesting thing about the CNPS9300 AT is the fact that it exists.
Why did Zalman produce it, and why now? What is its place in the market? Those
are the questions we hope to answer.
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Zalman usually keeps their packaging to a minimal, and the CNPS9300 AT
follows that trend. Its box is compact and decorated with a calming blue
motif.
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s
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The box contains the heatsink in a plastic clamshell container, LGA775
and AMD mounting equipment, thermal grease and instructions. This is the
first time we've encountered a Zalman heatsink that does not include one
of their Fan Mate manual fan speed controllers. Its absence is probably
the result of Zalman finally incorporating a fan with a PWM connector.
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| Feature & Brief |
Our Comment |
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Does not generate noise or vibration in Silent Mode.
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Usually not the case with Zalman. |
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Compatible with Slim Tower / Low Profile Home
Theatre PC Enclosures.
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This must be a mistake, probably taken
off the literature from the CNPS8700/7500 series. Slim/low profile cases
are not wide enough to accommodate a 133mm tall CPU cooler. |
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Compatible with all Intel Socket 775 based Single, Dual, and Quad Core
CPUs, and all AMD Socket AM2+, AM2, 754, 939, 940 based Single, Dual,
and Quad Core CPUs.
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For $50, we expect universal compatibility. |
| 100% copper heatsink with aerodynamically
optimized “tunnel” design for maximum cooling efficiency. |
The same basic design as the 9500 and
9700. |
| Patented “figure 8” heatpipe design
for cooling performance of up to 4 heatpipes with the use of just 2. |
Longer heatpipes can be utilized by curving
them. It's a common feature. |
| Low-noise 92mm PWM fan for automatic control
of the fan’s RPM according to the CPU’s temperature. |
Finally, Zalman decides to use a PWM
fan. Welcome to the 21st century. |
Zalman CNPS9300 AT vs. CNPS9700:
Specifications
(from the product web pages here
and here)
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Heatsink
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| Model |
CNPS9300 AT |
CNPS9700 |
| Dimensions |
61.35(L) x 108(W) x 132.5(H) mm |
90(L) x 124(W) x 142(H) mm |
| Weight |
407g |
764g |
| Base Material |
Pure Copper & Pure Aluminum |
Pure Copper & Aluminum |
| Dissipation Area |
2,583cm2 |
5,490cm2 |
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Fan
|
| Model |
CNPS9300 AT |
CNPS9700 |
| Bearing Type |
Superflo |
2 Ball-Bearing |
| Speed |
1,500rpm ± 15 % ~ 2,400rpm ±
10 % |
1,250rpm ± 30 %
2,800rpm ±
10 % |
Noise Level
(at 1m) |
20~30dBA ± 10% |
19.5dBA ± 10%
35dBA ± 10% |
| Control Method |
PWM Control, Auto Restart |
Manual via Fan Mate |
| Life Expectancy |
50,000 hours |
N/A |
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