NOCTUA in trouble? - Leo tests the NEW Zalman CNPS20X !

[lorry]

"Today Leo takes a look at two new coolers from Zalman - a company we haven't heard much from in quite some time. Do Noctua need to be worried in 2020? Leo finds out all the gory details !"

Available at a couple of places here in the UK

 

[kapone32]

Even if those Zalman coolers are good (I am at work so no Youtube) Noctua have further cemented their reputation with their current generation of coolers. Not only is the performance excellent but the fan noise is the best I have ever experienced. Even at 1100 RPM the fan(s) are inaudible.

 

[lorry]

Even if those Zalman coolers are good (I am at work so no Youtube) Noctua have further cemented their reputation with their current generation of coolers. Not only is the performance excellent but the fan noise is the best I have ever experienced. Even at 1100 RPM the fan(s) are inaudible.

Oh I know, I currently have their Noctua NH DI-15S running not 2 foot from me.

Just that their bigger unit was beating Noctua but 6 or 7 degress , so no slouch either, and at £70 its good to see some real competition

 

[Chrispy_]

More competition is good! Too much market focus has been put into AIOs in the last few years at the expense of air cooling.

Most reviews show that a decent air cooler is as good as the vast majority of 240mm or 280mm AIOs when they're new but the few tests that compare old AIOs to heatsinks does NOT paint AIOs in a favourable light. Even if the manufacturer spends the extra to use brass and copper throughout to avoid galvanic corrosion of the waterblock, they are still susceptible to gunking up with slime over time.

I'd actually like to see more innovation in the down-firing air coolers since VRM cooling is so important on both AMD and Ryzen boards with the current-gen products.

 

[lorry]

More competition is good. Too much market focus has been put into AIOs in the last few years and most reviews show that a decent heatsink is as good as the vast majority of 240mm or 280mm AIOs.

I'd suggest that it's not the decent, but the best heatsinks that can keep up to a point. Up until this heatsink even the Noctua couldn't keep up with the 240 (by 7 degrees)

 

[FreedomEclipse]

You lose a lot of pressure from that silly fan design.

 

[lorry]

You lose a lot of pressure from that silly fan design.

The results seem to suggest otherwise though. How silly is any of it when it is beating the Noctua?

 

[FreedomEclipse]

The results seem to suggest otherwise though. How silly is any of it when it is beating the Noctua?

If it's silly but it works, it doesn't make it any less silly

 

[lorry]

If it's silly but it works, it is doesn't make it any less silly

Definition of silly - "having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement; absurd and foolish. "

show how with that definition it is any of those? As I don't see if it's taken the 'crown' away from Noctua as The best

 

[Vario]

The results seem to suggest otherwise though. How silly is any of it when it is beating the Noctua?

Only way to know is to try different fans on the Zalman.
I wonder how it would perform with more powerful fans in comparison to a NHD15 also equipped with identical more powerful fans. Then the heatsink could be compared independently of the fan.
Sometimes the heatsink is well constructed enough to make up for average/bad stock fans.

I am running a PHTC14PE which is a pretty well constructed heatsink, but running dual Thermalright TY-143 fans (Silver Arrow) on it because the original Phanteks fans were designed for quiet operation over cooling and I'd rather have the cooling headroom even if it generates more noise. Did the same for my recent i9 build with a single TY143 on a PHTC14PE rather than the stock dual Phanteks fans.

 

[lorry]

Only way to know is to try different fans on the Zalman.
I wonder how it would perform with more powerful fans in comparison to a NHD15 also equipped with identical more powerful fans. Then the heatsink could be compared independently of the fan.
Sometimes the heatsink is well constructed enough to make up for average/bad stock fans.

I am running a PHTC14PE which is a pretty well constructed heatsink, but running dual Thermalright TY-143 fans (Silver Arrow) on it because the original Phanteks fans were designed for quiet operation over cooling and I'd rather have the cooling headroom even if it generates more noise. Did the same for my recent i9 build with a single TY143 on a PHTC14PE rather than the stock dual Phanteks fans.

Just looked them up, fan details -


Connection: 2x 4-pin PWM, 2x 3-pin RGB (5VDG, 5V)
Speed: 800 to 1,500 rpm
Volume: max. 29 dB (A)
Funding volume: max. 103.64 m³ / h
Static pressure: max. 1.1 mm H2O
Lifespan: 100,000 hours

 

[Vario]

Just looked them up, fan details -


Connection: 2x 4-pin PWM, 2x 3-pin RGB (5VDG, 5V)
Speed: 800 to 1,500 rpm
Volume: max. 29 dB (A)
Funding volume: max. 103.64 m³ / h
Static pressure: max. 1.1 mm H2O
Lifespan: 100,000 hours

That fan does have wimpy static pressure. With the fin density, it could probably perform better with a more powerful fan design.

 

[lorry]

That fan does have wimpy static pressure. With the fin density, it could probably perform better with a more powerful fan design.

well whatever they are doing, they are doing it right, as it's around 7 degrees cooler than the Noctua.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Definition of silly - "having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement; absurd and foolish. "

show how with that definition it is any of those? As I don't see if it's taken the 'crown' away from Noctua as The best

Youre missing my point. But since you're pulling out the dictionary attacks. I'll leave the thread here rather than drop to your level. Enjoy your Zalman CPU cooler.

 

[Vario]

Youre missing my point. But since you're pulling out the dictionary attacks. I'll leave the thread here rather than drop to your level. Enjoy your Zalman CPU cooler.

He has a Noctua cooler. While the drama is entertaining, it doesn't relate to the merits of the cooler. I think you both have good points. If the review is accurate, the total package has superior performance to the Noctua. However, its also likely that the performance could be even better if a better fan design was employed.

 

[mtcn77]

More competition is good! Too much market focus has been put into AIOs in the last few years at the expense of air cooling.

Most reviews show that a decent air cooler is as good as the vast majority of 240mm or 280mm AIOs when they're new but the few tests that compare old AIOs to heatsinks does NOT paint AIOs in a favourable light. Even if the manufacturer spends the extra to use brass and copper throughout to avoid galvanic corrosion of the waterblock, they are still susceptible to gunking up with slime over time.

The dow guide suggested biofouling is due to high temperature coolant operation which is ironic in perspective because aios should run cooler than air coolers.

 

[lorry]

Youre missing my point. But since you're pulling out the dictionary attacks. I'll leave the thread here rather than drop to your level. Enjoy your Zalman CPU cooler.

I am not missing your point, but I feel that it is you that is making something out of nothing. You are determined to make their product look worthless, when the results show that it is far from that.
As for 'dropping to your level' it is yourself that is lowering standards with those remarks.
As for the zalman, I have no intention of getting one, I was reporting on a new product that looked to be worth looking at as an option.

 

[Vario]

The dow guide suggested biofouling is due to high temperature coolant operation which is ironic in perspective because aios should run cooler than air coolers.

The coolant should get hot to facilitate thermal transfer from the CPU's lid. If the coolant is hot, the CPU is less hot.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

I am not missing your point, but I feel that it is you that is making something out of nothing. You are determined to make their product look worthless, when the results show that it is far from that.
As for 'dropping to your level' it is yourself that is lowering standards with those remarks.
As for the zalman, I have no intention of getting one, I was reporting on a new product that looked to be worth looking at as an option.

You are. Quote me on where i said the product was 'worthless' ???

I simply said it was a silly design, but it its silly, but it still works, that doesnt make it any less silly.

You understand nothing but good job on blowing it out of proportion.

 

[mtcn77]

The coolant should get hot to facilitate thermal transfer from the CPU's lid. If the coolant is hot, the CPU is less hot.

Then, according to the guide, you should not have added polyethylene glycol for corrosion resistance and had better gone with maybe silver inhibitor, or full antigalvanic plates and distilled water altogether. AIOs is a funny business.

 

[lorry]

He has a Noctua cooler. While the drama is entertaining, it doesn't relate to the merits of the cooler. I think you both have good points. If the review is accurate, the total package has superior performance to the Noctua. However, its also likely that the performance could be even better if a better fan design was employed.

Good point re a better specced fan. I know little about which fan is best for what but I feel that they might get better (lower) temps with a higher static pressure fan. It may well be though that they have tested with a higher static pressure, or it may not have made any significant difference, maybe in time one of the reviewers could throw some Noctua's on it and see what happens?

Having said all that I am swapping out the Be Silent wings 2 fans on the Alphacool for Noctua myself, lol!

 

[GlacierNine]

The coolant should get hot to facilitate thermal transfer from the CPU's lid. If the coolant is hot, the CPU is less hot.

If the coolant is hot then the radiator is failing to disspate the heat. Also coolant going over 60C in most AIOs is the point at which it starts to permeate the tubing and accelerate loss of coolant, resulting in reliability issues and poor performance.

The lower the temperature of your block, pump, coolant, radiator, fins, heatpipes, heatsink base etc, the better. This goes for both AIO and Air coolers. If any one of those things is getting hotter than the others it means that's the point at which heat is failing to exit the cooling system into the surrounding air. That heat is being trapped there and will eventually limit thermal transfer, resulting in worse cooling as that heat makes it's way back around the cooling system.

 

[kapone32]

When It comes to fans I totally agree with everyone. There are a couple of things to put in perspective though. Not all AIOs are made equal but just because we have older AIOs does not mean they were bad. My Cooler Master Nepton 280 was the best cooler I owned period and I came from a FRIO (OC) and Cooler Master V8 before that. The reason that I agree with the fan scenario is because my best cooler, the Alphacool Eisbaer did not achieve that until I added some nice Noctua fans. Zalman is not a big name compared to Noctua but I have never had an issue with any of their products. 7 degrees is a huge difference in thermal performance so I agree with the OP on that regard. Does anyone here really think that Zalman make better fans than Noctua?

 

[lorry]

Youre missing my point. But since you're pulling out the dictionary attacks. I'll leave the thread here rather than drop to your level. Enjoy your Zalman CPU cooler.

I am not missing your point, but I feel that it is you that is making something out of nothing. You are determined to make their product look worthless, when the results show that it is far from that.
As for 'dropping to your level' it is yourself that is lowering standards with those remarks.
As for the zalman, I have no intention of getting one, I was reporting on a new product that

When It comes to fans I totally agree with everyone. There are a couple of things to put in perspective though. Not all AIOs are made equal but just because we have older AIOs does not mean they were bad. My Cooler Master Nepton 280 was the best cooler I owned period and I came from a FRIO (OC) and Cooler Master V8 before that. The reason that I agree with the fan scenario is because my best cooler, the Alphacool Eisbaer did not achieve that until I added some nice Noctua fans. Zalman is not a big name compared to Noctua but I have never had an issue with any of their products. 7 degrees is a huge difference in thermal performance so I agree with the OP on that regard. Does anyone here really think that Zalman make better fans than Noctua?

You have done exactly what I am about to do, swapping the fans for Noctua on my Alphacool

 

[kapone32]

I am not missing your point, but I feel that it is you that is making something out of nothing. You are determined to make their product look worthless, when the results show that it is far from that.
As for 'dropping to your level' it is yourself that is lowering standards with those remarks.
As for the zalman, I have no intention of getting one, I was reporting on a new product that


You have done exactly what I am about to do, swapping the fans for Noctua on my Alphacool

Don't be surprised when you see you CPU idling 2-4 degrees above ambient and not going past 50 C.