Zalman CNPS 9700 NT Cooler
Results
Conclusion
With all the features we saw throughout this review, we
expected nothing less than what we saw. Raw cooling performance of the
Zalman CNPS 9700 NT was spectacular. Even with the fan speed turned down
to the point that it was drowned out by the PSU, VGA and drive's racket, it
still performed better than the comparison sink which was running at full honk.
The cooler's construction quality and lapping job on the base was first rate and
deserves applause.
The only two points that weren't thrilling were those of
mainboard removal and size. Mainboard removal for cooler installation is a
normal and expected thing for most high performance coolers, so the big Zalman
doesn't loose points for it; it just doesn't gain any here either. The
other issue is size. We installed the CNPS 9700 NT in a couple of very
average sized cases here without a problem. However, the end user needs to
be aware of this cooler's height. A side panel mounted fan may spell big
trouble for just one example to be sensitive to.
Overall, the Zalman CNPS 9700 NT is an outstanding product
and one we can fully stand behind and recommend. It's feature list is long
and satisfying. The street price of $66 seems right but will superficially
appear pricy. You get what you pay for and in this case it's money well
spent.Pros
Cons
BACK
HOME
