Supplied by Zalman

The thought of hanging a heatsink that weighs nearly 2lbs. on the motherboard scared the crap out of me. I had nightmares about the socket giving way under the strain and this copper behemoth crashing down to the bottom of the pc case taking the processor and video card with it. The Zalman CNPS7000A-CU pure copper heatsink tips the scales at 733 grams (1.61 pounds) and, quite frankly, is one of the best heatsinks for noise, ease of installation and cooling efficiency.

Zalman came out with an absolute winner with the CNPS7000A-CU. The most surprising fact about the heatsink is the weight. 1.6 pounds isn't a heavy weight in the grand scheme of things but for a heatsink it is shocking.

Specifications

FHS	Specifications
Dimensions	109(L) x 109(W) x 62(H) mm
Dissipation Area	3170 cm/2
Base Material	Pure Copper
Weight	773g
Thermal Resistance	Silent Mode	0.27 Deg.C/W
	Normal Mode	0.20 Deg.C/W

Fan	Silent Mode	Normal Mode
Rot. Speed	1350 RPM ± 10%	2400 RPM ± 10%
Noise Level	20.0 dB ± 10%	25.0 dB ± 10%
Bearing Type	2-Ball

Fan Mate	Specifications
Dimensions	200(L) X 21(H) X 23(W) mm
Weight	20g
Output Voltage	5V ~ 11V ± 2%
Allowable Wattage	6W or lower

The Tour

The Zalman CNPS7000A-CU dwarfs other heatsinks in width and length but is relatively the same height.

The CNPS7000A-CU is all copper construction. The fins are thinner than most heatsinks allowing for a large area facilitating quick dissipation of thermal energy. The heatsink has also been sculpted to "flower" the fins over top of surrounding motherboard components such as the northbridge heatsink.

The base is formed by the sandwiching of all the fins and has been cut and polished to a smooth but not mirror finish.

The package contains a variety of parts to facilitate mounting on Socket 478 (P4), Socket 462 (Athlon/Duron/Athlon XP) and Socket 754 (Athlon 64) mounts. The large silver plate is for the Athlon 64 mount. Zalman includes thermal paste, screws and cardboard washers. All the necessary hardware is included.

Also included is the FANMATE rpm control unit. It plugs into the CPU header and the Zalman fan plugs into it.

The CNPS7000A-CU is extremely quite. In silent mode the fan turns at approximately 1400 RPM generating only 20 dB and in normal mode the fan spins at 2400 RPM delivering only 25 dB. Essentially a mouse passing gas would be louder. The Fanmate allows for variable rheostat control so it just isn't a simple either/or switch.

Socket 462 Installation

Never has a heastink been so easy to install.

Warning: If the Socket 462 motherboard does not have four mounting holes around the socket the Zalman CNPS7000A-CU cannot be installed.

Originally the plan was to mount the CNPS7000A-CU on a Gigabyte 7NNXP motherboard but no mounting holes meant no installation. Plan B came in the form of the ASUS A7N8X. The motherboard has to be physically removed from the case in order to begin the installation procedure unless the motherboard tray has the socket area behind the motherboard exposed.

The first step is to attach the mounting brackets.

The screws, with a supplied washer, go through the bottom of the motherboard, then another washer and finally the mounting hardware. The blue mount goes on the release lever side of the socket.

Turn the screws in snug but don't apply excessive force. If you are grunting and the screwdriver is slipping in your hands...chances are the "excessive force" stage has been reached.

Someone at Zalman was thinking when the mounting hardware was designed because the screw posts left the bracket above the PCB. Be cautious of motherboard components that may be next to the socket.

The installation of the heatsink itself couldn't be easier. It is strongly suggested that this be done with the motherboard out of the PC case or with the PC case horizontal. Grease up the processor core and put it into the socket. The CNPS7000A-CU has a single clip either side. There are two holes and the inner set is for Socket 462.

Take two of the supplied screws and place one either side in the inner set of holes. This is how it lines up before the screws are put in place.

There is no spring clip to force into place. This is a 100% easy install but turn each screw in roughly one half to one full turn at a time. Alternate between the two screws to bring the clip evenly to seat against the two mounts. The following images show each side the heatsink with each screw just catching the threads.

To repeat; turn each screw alternately one half to one full turn to complete the installation procedure. The screws should again be turned in snug but do not use excessive force. The clip will come to a firm seat.

That's it! The heatsink is installed and it is just as easy to remove. A screwdriver can easily fit between the fan blades.

Socket A mounting considerations

Northbridge heatsinks should not present a problem. The Asus A7N8X has a very tall passive heatsink which barely touched the Zalman CNPS7000A-CU. Gigabyte's tall active northbridge heatsink did not even touch. The golden rules are:

• No components taller than 1.5 cm. under the clip area which extends 2.3 cm. out from the edge of the socket.
• No components higher than 3.9 cm. within a 5.5 cm radius from the centre of the cpu. (Socket 478 and Socket 462)
• Motherboard must have four mounting holes.

Temperature Tests

Tests were completed in a 24.6 degree Celsius room. Systems were left at idle for 1 hour to equalize temperature of components and determine the baseline idle temperature. Sisoft Sandra Burn-In was run consecutively at stress for 25 times to determine a load temperature. The PSU fan and heastink fan were the only two fans in operation during the tests. Temperatures may vary with system changes and ambient temperature changes.

The test system

• Zalman CNPS7000A-CU
• Zalman CNPS6000A-CU
• AMK SX10000 PC case
• Enermax 465 PSU
• AMD 2600+ 333 FSB processor
• 2 x 256 MB Corsair Memory
• ATI 9700PRO video card
• Maxtor 60 GB hard drive
• LG CDROM
• Windows XP SP 1 updated
• Sisoft Sandra
• Motherboard Monitor

The Zalman CNPS7000A-CU beats its predecessor hands down. Short-Media hasn't played around with heatsinks in quite some time but a quick check of our records shows the CNPS7000A-CU rivals a CAK38 equipped with a 7000 RPM screaming loud Delta fan on a lesser GHz processor.

Conclusion

Break open the piggy bank and buy it. The Zalman CNPS7000A-CU is one of the easiest heatsinks to install. It is whisper quiet in normal mode and relatively inaudible in silent mode. The CNPS7000A-CU fits Socket 478, 462 and 754 mounts. The drawback to this heatsink is the price which matches the weight. Expect to shell out approximately $50 US for this monster. The other major drawback is that a Socket 462 motherboard MUST have mounting holes. The Zalman CNPS7000A-CU cannot be attached without them.

Our thanks to Zalman USA for the CNPS7000A-CU.