Premium Socket 939 Heatsink Round-Up

Reviews: Cooling

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Max Slowik
Kurtis
Sharka Corp
Aug. 29, 2006

Specifications

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Zalman CNPS9500AM2

First Looks

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it'd be difficult to meet anyone who could find fault in the aesthetics of this revised Zalman flagship heatsink. Gone is the plain polished copper of the flower design, which did have a tendency to tarnish. The revision boasts a deep onyx finish, which extends beyond the heatsink to the base, the mating surface, and even the mounting hardware. The bling blue LEDs of the CNPS9500 have been replaced with nVidia-themed green lights, to go with the new black-and-green branding. This is the kind of hardware that windowed cases are meant to display.

Specifications

Dimensions (L X W X H): 85 X 112 X 125mm
Material: Pure copper
Weight: 530g
Dissipation Area: 3,698cm^2
Fan Voltage: 5-12v
Bearing Type: 2-Ball
Fan Speed: 1,350-2,650rpm
Noise: 18- 27.5dB +/- 10%
Connector: 3-Pin

Taking a Closer Look

The CNPS9500AM2 comes with simpler mounting hardware than the CNPS9500. It uses the stock retention bracket: again the install clip rotates for both standard and horizontal mounting brackets. From a technical perspective, it is nearly identical to the CNPS9500 concerning thermal properties, though the fan rotates a little faster at full power and a little slower at low voltage.

Zalman really struts with the base on this cooler. The term "mirror-finish" is too often applied to coolers that have merely shiny bases. The mating surface of this heatsink looks like it has a veneer of glass over it, and its reflections are picture-perfect. While it could just be the patina, it seems as though the surface is much smoother. It also appears harder; the base doesn't scuff or scratch easily like unfinished copper tends to.

Install

Installing the CNPS9500AM2 is very easy. The install clip hooks over one side of the retention bracket and the hinge, and when pressed down on hard, cantilevers around the other side and holds the cooler fast. The only risk is knuckle-scraping when reaching around the breadth of the heatsink. Even in a case with hardware and cables all around it, the CNPS9500AM2 is very easy to set up.

While the install clip isn't as prone to jumping around as the CNPS9500 hardware, it is still designed to rotate axially and the heatsink's mounting is still prone to movement. It shares the CNPS9500's risk to break free from curing thermal interface materials' heat-transferring bond, and rattle as well.

In Use

With that said, the AM2 revision of the CNPS9500 seems much more stable. Whether it's an effect of the black finish or better soldering methods used to affix the fins to the heatpipes, the sound qualities of the AM2 are moderately improved. This could also be related to the fan, as the technical specifications indicate more than cosmetic differences from the plain CNPS9500.

While operating, the fan sounds a note higher in pitch than the original CNPS9500, while the rattle of the fins drops off slightly. And like its design-donor, these irritations effectively vanish under seven or so volts. In line with their shared tech specs, the CNPS9500AM2 performs almost identically to the older CNPS9500, if not a little better. The slight bump in cooling capacity is probably due to the much improved mating surface.

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Page 5 of 12

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: An Overclocking Primer
Page 3: The Contenders & Testing Methodology
Page 4: Zalman CNPS9500
Page 5: Zalman CNPS9500AM2
Page 6: Scythe Ninja Plus+
Page 7: Scythe Mine
Page 8: Noctua NH-U12
Page 9: Thermaltake Sonic Tower
Page 10: Thermaltake Mini Typhoon
Page 11: Overclocking & Temperatures
Page 12: Conclusions & Final Recommendations

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