Zalman has a great history of dependable after market cooling for both the CPU and the GPU. For a long time the copper "flower" cooler was the way to go when you wanted the best cooling for you chip. These days the competition is fierce and there are so many coolers to choose from it can make your head spin. Well Zalman has a new cooler with a different look. The CNPS10X Extreme is designed like the more conventional upright heatpipe coolers that are dominant right now. Read on as we run this cooler through the heat gauntlet and find out if this new direction pays off.
First Impression:
The Zalman CNPS10X Extreme is Zalmans latest entry in the CPU cooling Marketplace. They have moved over from the "Flower" coolers they are known for to this tower heatpipe design. It's a decent looking model but seems to just blend in with most of the other heatpipe designs that are out there today. There are so many coolers out there that Zalmans Unique cooler designs really set them apart from the crowd. This tower heatpipe design has a cooper base and aluminum heat spreaders. The cooling is done with a Blue 120mm LED fan to pushing air through the fins. The fan is also speed adjustable so you are able to find your own noise / performance ratio.
Before we move on to the details lets take a look a the packaging. The packaging is well done and and I feel it's worth mentioning. The packaging is well crafted and includes a sneak peak at the cooler through a round hole in the front. There a numurios pics of the CNPS10X Extreme around the case and well documented features as well. Needless to say if you were picking this box up in a brick and Mortar store you would be well informed on what you were getting. Here on the interweb you depend on me for that so lets move onto taking a closer look at the details of the cooler.
Click pics for detail view.
Features:
Powerful Cooling Performance Optimally designed aluminum fins disperse heat away from the CPU via 5 heatpipes, while the high capacity 120mm fan quickly cools the heatsink for stable operation of high performance CPUs.
PWM Fan with Auto/Manual Control Includes PWM Mate*, the world’s first RPM controllable PWM fan speed controller, with the options of 3-Speed Auto or Manual Control Modes.
Ultra Quiet 120mm Blue LED Fan Switching noise** eliminated 120mm fan incorporated for ultra quiet operation and Blue LEDs for cool aesthetics.
Black-Pearl Nickel Plating The entire heatsink of CNPS10X Extreme is “Black-Pearl” Nickel Plated for long-term corrosion resistance, while the deep “Black-Pearl” tone along with the high intensity Blue LEDs reinforce its powerful aesthetics.
High Performance Super Thermal Grease ZM-STG2 The included all new high performance thermal grease ZM-STG2 maximizes heat transfer from the CPU to the base of CNPS10X Extreme for intensified cooling performance.
Versatile Compatibility CNPS10X Extreme accommodates a broad range of sockets.
* PWM Mate can be installed on the case’s exterior by connecting with the included Extension Cable. ** ‘Switching noise’ is the high frequency harmonic noise that can result from voltage regulation.
Specifications:
FHS & Fan
Model
CNPS10X Extreme
Dimension
135(L) X 100(W) X 160(H)mm
Weight
920g
Materials
Fins: Aluminum / Base: Copper
Dissipation Area
8,544㎠
Heatpipes
5 x U-shaped heatpipes
Fan
PWM 120mm Blue LED Fan
Fan RPM
1,000 - 2,150rpm ± 10 %
Noise
20.0 - 39.0dBA
Fan Bearing
2 Ball-Bearing
Nominal Fan Voltage
12V
Fan MTBF
Over 50,000 hrs
PWM Fan Control (PWM Mate)
PWM Fan Auto/Manual Control - PWM Duty Cycle(Fan Speed Control Range): 25 - 100% ± 5% - Connector Type: 4-Pin only
