The Zalman CNPS9900A LED is a huge high end CPU cooler which supports a load of CPUs from both AMD and Intel.

INTRODUCTION

The last couple of months have been busy for Zalman who have sent a few new coolers to the market. Amongst these are the CNPS10X series and CNPS9900 series.

The CNPS10X series introduced a new design for Zalman; the more classic tower type of CPU cooler. The CNPS9900A LED which I will take a look at today is based upon a concept which Zalman calls “Omega Heatpipe Design” from its similarities with the Greek letter Omega (Ω). That design was first introduced with the Zalman CNPS9300AT which I came in contact with a while back and which impressed me by its performance.

These are the specifications for the CNPS9900A LED:

The first thing that hit me when looking at the CNPS9900A LED is that it only utilizes three heat pipes. Most other high end manufacturers of big CPU coolers have gone to solutions with 5 or 6 heatpipes. This review should determine if Zalman has chosen a good path.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The CNPS9900A LED comes in a rather big box, which does nothing to hide the fact that this is truly a large CPU cooler. There’s an opening on the front and back sides of the box which lets us have a glimpse of the heatsink and the fan.

The included accessories are quite plentiful. Zalman have included a manual in; a sticker with the logo of the manufacturer; a tube of the Zalman ZM-STG2 thermal grease, the RC33P adapter and all the anchorages and stuff necessary for installation on a variety of sockets.

The RC33P is a device which allows us to regulate the turning speed of the fan by reducing the power from 12V to 7V. Of course if you have a fan controller you should use that instead because it offers more than two settings.

ZALMAN CNPS9900A LED IN DETAIL

The Zalman CNPS9900A LED is made almost completely in copper. The unique piece made of aluminum is the upper part of the base.

As you can see from the images above the fins on the back part of the heatsink is thicker than the front side. The reason for this is that the copper fins of the back part are the ones responsible for evacuating the heat.

It took me some time to find the two metallic legs that are anchored to the base and which hold up the fan in the middle of the two cylindrical copper fins.

In the back part of the fan I found the label that shows the fan’s model number and its electrical characteristics. In this case Zalman has installed a 120 mm fan with PWM capabilities (between 1000 and 2000 rpm).

INSTALLATION AND TESTS OF ZALMAN CNPS9900A LED

The installation of the fan is quite easy and it took me only a couple of minutes. When installing the fan on an AMD system, you must first fasten the incorporated paper clip, whereas with Intel systems you have to also install a back plate and the fasteners for each socket. I will not go into this further here; suffice to say that the installation is easy.

The other components I used for this review were the following:

I used two different processors for this review (both from AMD). I measured the CPU temperatures both in overclocked mode and with the factory settings.

In order to measure the temperatures of the CPU I used the values from the internal sensors on the CPUs. It’s the best way to get reliable readings. In order to load to the CPUs to the maximum, I used the software OCCT 3.1.

The fan speed was automatically regulated by PWM during the test, reason why the speed oscillated between 1000 and 1600 rpm. These are the results from the test:

As you can see from the graph above, the Zalman CNPS9900A LED is a very effective CPU cooler even though it’s not the most effective which I have tested. Even when I overclocked the CPUs, the CNPS9900A LED had no troubles what so ever to keep the processors cool.

As I said earlier, this cooler is PWM regulated. I monitored the speed during the tests and the max it reached was around 1500rpm. Even at that level the noise level was low. I turned up the fan manually to 2000rpm (max) and then the noise level was above my comfort level. However the fan moved an impressive volume of air at 2000rpm and it should be ideal to use in an overclocking session.

CONCLUSIONS

There are so many things I can say about the Zalman CNPS9900A LED, it is truly a remarkable product in terms of looks, design, size, weight, performance etc. But the one thing that really left an impression with me was its outstanding quality and finish.

When CNPS9900A LED is running it looks really nice with its blue LEDs which gives your system a nice touch provided you have a case with a side window.  Without being the highest performing CPU cooler I have tested, its overall performance is excellent. Its balance between moved volume of air, noise level and secured temperatures is impressive.

In my opinion, the Zalman CNPS9900A LED has only two negative aspects. First; it is really noisy at maximum power and second; its price around $75 is quite hefty and will exclude many consumers. The noise issue is easily solved thanks to the included accessories; you will never need to run the fan with full power. So anyone interested in this fan will have to decide if it’s worth the money. My personal conclusion is that it is worth it.

Pros:

• Good accessories/bundle
• Perfect finish
• Spectacular design
• Supports many CPUs/Sockets
• Good balance between performance/noise

Cons:

• Unbearable noise level above 1800 rpm
• High price

The final score is 92 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Zalman CNPS9900A LED″ our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks goes out to Zalman for letting me review this cooler.

Check out the computer cooling category at TestSeek.com!

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Zalman ZM500-RS is the company’s most recently released power supply unit and promises a high power conversion efficiency (80 plus bronze) in combination with a minimal noise level.

INTRODUCTION

The new series of power supplies recently released by Zalman ha a “RS” suffix in its name which stands for “Resonant Switching”. Compared to Two-Forward Switching, the more advanced Resonant Switching minimizes “switching loss” reduces heat generation, and operates more efficiently by eliminating the need for an output inductor leading to outstanding stability and reliability.

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With the use of “Resonant Switching” it is possible to use smaller components which don’t generate as much heat. Thus, it’s possible to use o less noisy cooling solution. As the RS technology minimizes the loss of power in the conversion, this can be considered a very “green” and energy saving product.

OK, so let’s have a look at the specifications:

The RS-series also includes a 600W model perhaps more adapted to high end components. The RS-series will without a doubt be very appreciated by builders of compact systems, the only thing I miss is a modular design for the wiring.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The unit comes in a nice looking cardboard box with a lot of printing on it which emphasizes the most important characteristics of the power supply.

In the back side of the box, Zalman has put some images of details such as the wiring and used components. They have also placed summaries in different languages of the most important specifications.

In the box I found the power supply (perfectly protected); a power cable; some plastic bridles; screws and the manual.

ZALMAN ZM500-RS IN DETAIL

One of the first things that I noticed about the Zalman ZM500-RS is that it’s smaller than normal PSUs. Of course it still follows the ATX standard in terms of where the screws are placed and everything else. It’s just not as bulky as what I am used to, which makes it ideal for smaller dimensions cases.

The side with the power cord connector and the on/off switch has a metallic grid to increase the air flow. The right side has the Zalman logo engraved in it. The opposite side holds a big tag with all the specifications of the power supply.

The cooling solution consists of a 120mm fan which runs at a constant speed (not heat regulated). Of course I had to take the top cover off and take a look. I found out that this PSU is actually assembled by POWER LOGIC which is a well know builder of PSUs, used by other players like Xigmatek and Asus.

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The wiring of the Zalman ZM500-RS is contained by strong acrylic plastic which holds it firmly in place. The length of the wiring is sufficient for an average tower case but I wouldn’t recommend using it with full tower cases.

TESTS OF ZALMAN ZM500-RS

This will be one of the last reviews I do with my usual test system setup, never the less, here are the specifications:

To realize the test I used OCCT 3.1 to load the system to the max. In order to measure the voltages I used an ordinary digital multimeter and the power usage was measured with the ZM-MFC3 which I reviewed last week. The results can be viewed in the graph below:

As you can see from the graphs, the numbers the Zalman ZM500-RS produced are excellent. The voltages are tremendously stable; the PSU remains totally capable of delivering the power as it should even at full system load. The total consumption at full system load is the lowest I have measured with my system, which surely is a result of the Resonant Switching technology.

The noise emitted by this PSU is almost not possible to hear, that is just how quiet the fan is and because the fan turns at a constant speed the load doesn’t affect the noise emission.

CONCLUSIONS

Doubtless the Zalman ZM500-RS is a high quality power supply with many interesting characteristics. I love that it’s small which makes it perfect to put in a small HTPC case or any other smaller PC case. However, the wiring is rather short so if you are building a PC system in a full tower case you will probably not be able to use this PSU without any extension cables.

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The performance is absolutely fantastic, it is in fact the most energy efficient PSU I have tested so far. The energy efficiency is of ever increasing importance and it’s nice to know that your system is using up the minimum amount of power, which will in the end mean minimal cost. The PSU is ultra quiet and the voltages are stable no matter what you throw at it.

Zalman has done a great work with this product; the RS technology is a smart innovation that will save you money in the long run. The price of the ZM500-RS goes up to around 90€ which is a lot of money for a PSU. It is clearly aimed towards PC builders with a bigger budget or anyone interested in its power saving or low noise features.

Good:

• Overall quality
• Size, ideal for smaller dimension cases
• Energy saving technologies
• Stability and efficiency
• Very quiet cooling solution

Bad:

• Modular wiring would have been nice
• Short wires could cause problems

The final score is 90 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Zalman ZM500-RS″ our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks goes out to Zalman for letting me review this PSU.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson

Summary: Zalman is back with another one of their much appreciated fan controllers, the Zalman ZM-MFC3. It can control 4 fans and monitor 4 temperatures in addition to measuring the total voltage use of your system.

INTRODUCTION

Fan controllers have been around for ages it seems. These are products intended for true PC hardware enthusiasts who enjoy optimizing their systems to the max. Zalman was one of the pioneers in this sector with its famous ZM-MFC1, a device that only allowed us to control fan rotating speed. The concept of a 5.25” panel from which you could control all your fans directly was very well received by modders and PC builders. The unit which I will be taking a closer look at today is a much more evolved product compared to Zalman’s first attempt.

The average score for the Zalman ZM-MFC3 at TestSeek.com is currently 76% but the voices are somewhat inkoherent.

Zalman ZM-MFC3 is the natural evolution of the ZM-MFC2. Both have the same functionality, the only real changes are the design of the unit and how the data is displayed on the screen.

Here are the specifications of the ZM-MFC3:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The Rehobus ZM-MFC3 comes in a cardboard box of rather small dimensions with a quite sober design. Already from viewing the box we can get a preview of the most important functions of the ZM-MFC3.

I like that Zalman has included a detailed showcase of the main functions on the backside of the box.

When I opened the box I found the unit itself in an antistatic plastic bag. All the accessories were located in a white box and there was also a rather extensive manual which was located under the fan controller.

The accessories that Zalman has included are; 4 cables for connecting to the fans (3 with 3 pin connectors and one with a 4 pin PWM connector); 4 temperature sensors; a PCI bracket with a CVS connector for measuring the power and some screws for the installation of the unit.

ZALMAN ZM-MFC3 IN DETAIL

Zalman ZM-MFC3 is a quite small device (147 x 87 x 42 mm) which fits perfectly into a 5.25” expansion bay. The depth of the unit is not even half of a normal DVD drive. It has a rather sober and elegant design I think.

There are two stickers on the top side of the ZM-MFC3. They hold information about of the serial number and model of the unit.

The front of the ZM-MFC3 is very simple. The only two elements of interest are the screen and the button/wheel.

All the connections are located in the back of the unit. From left to right there are 3 connectors for 3 pin fans and a 4 pin PWM connector. To the right of the fan connectors there are 4 connectors for the temperature sensors. Then there’s a CVS connector for the voltage measurements. Farthest to the right, there’s a DC power connector.

INSTALLING ZALMAN ZM-MFC3

In spite of my first impression, the installation of the ZM-MFC3 wasn’t too complicated since the connectors are easy to identify and the corresponding cables couldn’t be fitted anywhere else.

The most problematic thing I had to confront was the connection of the power consumption meter which involved several steps. First I connected the CVS cable to the ZM-MFC3 and then I installed the PCI bracket in my case, then I connected the watt meter to the power supply and finally I connected the USB connector from the watt meter to the PCI bracket.

Yes, they are many connections, but with a little patience the installation is fairly easy.

Once the installation was finished I turned on my PC and directly there was o ton of information on the Rheobus panel. It was really refreshing that I didn’t have to install any software on my PC to get the readings.

The presentation of the information is fairly clear and as Zalman says; the visualization of the panel is excellent from any angle which is great because you are rarely directly in front of you PC. With the clear display a swift glance at the panel is enough to register the readouts from it.

Now you might be asking; what about controlling the speed of the fans? It’s truly a piece of cake, just push and hold the wheel in for three seconds to enter the correct mode. Then you choose fan by pushing the wheel button until you have selected the one you which to alter. Finally, to change the speed of the fan, you turn the wheel in the desired direction.

CONCLUSIONS

Zalman has yet again proved why their products are so popular amongst consumers in the PC hardware segment. The ZM-MFC3 is an excellent product. It excels in terms of design, function, connectivity, presentation of the information and its relative simplicity.

The functions that Zalman ZM-MFC3 offers are quite extensive and very useful. I would have loved to be able to read out some more interesting info from it like the CPU and memory frequency etc. The display is really clear, both in terms of the visibility and how the information is arranged.

The Zalman ZM-MFC3 goes for around $70 (50€ in Europe) which seems to be an OK price to me.

Pros:

• Simple and sober design
• 4 temperature sensors and 4 fan controllers
• Measures the power consumption
• Good viewing angle on the display
• Good presentation of the info

Cons:

• No CPU/Memory monitoring
• Perhaps some extra USB/FireWire ports?

The final score is 90 out of 100 owls, and we give the “Zalman ZM-MFC3” our Editor’s Choice Award.

Thanks goes out to Zalman for letting me review this mouse.

Author: Manuel González Fernández

Translator: Vince Emiloz Sanderson