Zalman CNPS9900 LED CPU Cooler

[15th Warlock]

Hmm...

After doing some research myself, I found the 9900 has about the same fin area as the 9700, and it runs around a couple or more deegrees celsius below the 9700, so I think I'll keep my current cooler; was asking because of a new build I just put together, and was considering getting a new cooler from Zalman...

Thanks for the review anyways

 

[Pinchy]

Thanks for the review!

I have one question only, how does this cooler compare to Zalman's previous top of the line model, the 9700?

Thanks!

Don't have the 9700 to test against

The review over xbit labs shows that it doesnt even beat the age old SI128 from thermalright, yet the review i see here seem its like a pretty decent performer.

There are too many factors that affect CPU coolers and their performance. Unless the two review sites use exactly the same techniques, you wont find similarities.

An example; I know for a fact that most review sites simply measure the cooler performance and subtract results from ambient, or do some maths to get the same ambient. I don't do this. I control the rooms ambient to a certain degree and test the cooler at that. I have tried the subtraction method and it was always a few degrees off, so I stuck to controling the room temp. (To a relatively high temperature)

Higher and lower room temps also make a difference. A higher room temp may cause the CPU to heat up more, causing the fan to spin up more and therefore giving the cooler better performance. It could be the opposite as well. Some coolers may do better with cooler air flowing through the fins.

Thermal paste is also another factor which needs to be considered. Some sites may use the same paste for each cooler - I use whats given to me in the box, as 9 times out of 10, thats what the user will use.

So yeah...there are many factors

 

[mab1376]

what is the street date for this?

 

[nemesis.ie]

Hi Pinchy,

QQ: Did you try running it with the fan on full (direct connect to 12v) (i.e. bypassing the PWM on the MB)?

Were the comparison fans also using PWM on the same board or direct connected?

I'd also not put no fan control as a con, as you can always connect it to your fan controller if you wish. ;-) (Although maybe at the price they could include one <G>).

Cheers!

 

[Pinchy]

what is the street date for this?

Will ask for you now.

Hi Pinchy,

QQ: Did you try running it with the fan on full (direct connect to 12v) (i.e. bypassing the PWM on the MB)?

Were the comparison fans also using PWM on the same board or direct connected?

I'd also not put no fan control as a con, as you can always connect it to your fan controller if you wish. ;-) (Although maybe at the price they could include one <G>).

Cheers!

Nope, they have all being plugged into the four pin PWM connection on the motherboard. Reason I don't bypass this connection and go straight for a 3-pin is because most end users would plug it into the four pin, not the three pin. Hence going into the three pin wouldnt give "real world" results, if you get what I mean.

A good suggestion would be to have both PWM controlled and max fan speed in the results though. (Might do this on my next review ).

About the fan controller: I put it as a con because I would think with the amount you spend you should get something extra (as you said ). I personally prefer PWM to fan control, as I never bother adjusting it anyway, but yeah as I said for the price, id want something "more".

 

[Pinchy]

Reply from Zalman is sometime in February.

He will forward me the exact date when he gets the info from his US department.