Cooler Xtreme : Coolers
: Cpu Cooler : Zalman CNPS5000-Plus
Zalman CNPS5000-Plus
The CNPS5000-Plus is another multi-component
kit. It's a bit odd looking, but not compared with the 3000 series.
The cooler has a standard fan-on-top
design, but the heat sink is another skinny radiating copper fin job...
...as you can clearly see if you
look at its base.
The CNPS5000-Plus doesn't attach
to the CPU socket with a normal clip; it has a bolt-on design, with two
sets of four mounting holes. One set matches the cooler retention holes
in many Socket A motherboards. The other set lines up with the mounting
points for Pentium 4 coolers, and allows you to screw the cooler directly
to the case in P4 systems.
The mounting screws are spring-loaded
to make it harder to overtighten them, there are plastic washers to prevent
motherboard damage, and Zalman even throw in some spare springs and screws
and washers, along with another syringe of thermal grease.
The CNPS-5000-Plus sells on the
Zalman
US site for $USD49.95 plus shipping. So it's another high-priced
unit. But it's classy.
Screw-mount coolers are trickier
to install than clip-on ones. Some motherboards can't accept them at all;
Zalman have a list of compatible boards here.
You also can't install this cooler on a Socket A board without removing
the board from your case.
There's a 15Mb ASF video file showing
you how to do the installation here. With, I
kid you not, out-takes at the end.
If you've got a compatible motherboard,
though, coolers like this are your salvation if you've got a damaged CPU
socket, missing one or more of its retention hooks. They let you get a high-quality
well-clamped cooler onto the CPU without straining the socket at all. And
once the mounts are installed on the motherboard, you can easily remove
and replace the cooler without removing the board from the case again. You
have to use a screwdriver, but you don't have to push it hard in the direction
of your motherboard. That's nice.
The CNPS5000-Plus comes with two
voltage-dropping resistor leads. There's a 55 ohm one, just like the one
that comes with the CNPS3100G, and there's a 100 ohm one as well.
The CNPS5000-Plus' 60mm fan is a
medium power unit, which draws about 220mA from 12 volts, giving it a 2.64
watt run power (it's got a 3.2 watt nominal rating). With the 55 ohm resistor
in line the current draw falls to about 110mA; with the 100 ohm one it's
about 70mA. The 55 ohm resistor dissipates 0.67 watts; the 100 ohm one has
to get rid of only 0.49.
At full speed, the fan's somewhat
louder than the two watt fans on many other coolers, as you'd expect, but
it's nowhere near as noisy as a 7000RPM unit. And the cooler performs very
well, considering its moderate noise level; 0.62°C/W. If you can be bothered
swapping the fan for a high power one, you could claw a bit more out of
it. But, as with the CNPS3100G,
if you're going for all-out overclocking performance, you might as well
get a cheaper cooler like the OCZ Gladiator,
or a hopped-up ThermoEngine.
With the 55 ohm resistor in series,
the CNPS5000-Plus' isn't as quiet as the bigger fan that comes with the
CNPS3100G. It's not noisy, as such, but it buzzes a bit. It still turns
in a 0.76°C/W performance figure, though, which is again excellent for the
noise level.
The 100 ohm resistor doesn't seem
to be a good choice, because it leaves the fan with only about 4.4 volts,
which is enough for it to run but not enough for it to consistently start.
A CPU cooler fan that doesn't turn at all is not a good thing.
Once it's turning, though, the "fully
silenced" CNPS5000-Plus is indeed very quiet - just as inaudible as the
silenced CNPS3100G. And it still manages 0.91°C/W.
So this fancy cooler is a good choice
if you want something quiet but still fairly effective. It's a good choice
if you've got a damaged CPU socket on a motherboard with the right mounting
holes. It's a good choice if you've got a P4. And it's an OK choice if you're
a rabid overclocker, but there are others out there for less money.
If you've got the money and want
a really nifty looking cooler, this one certainly stands out from the pack.
