Zalman CNPS7X LED

Zalman CNPS7X LED CPU Cooler Review

When it comes to cooling, Zalman needs no introduction. The company has been around long before I first became heavily interested in computers and hardware. From cases to power supplies to GPU coolers, Zalman covers most bases. On the review table today is one of its latest in a long line of CPU coolers, the CNPS7X LED. It offers a twist on a design that has been used sparingly in the past and promises high performance while creating as little noise as possible. The CNPS7X is the smaller brother of the CNPS11X Extreme. Some of the features have been scaled back a bit, but the overall V-shaped look is still present. The 58 rows of aluminum fins are soldered to the U-shaped copper heatpipes and 56 of them are broken up into two separate sections, one for each end of the heatpipes. The exception are the top and bottom fins that span the entire width and are stamped with the 7X logo to give it a finished look. With the fan removed, we can see that the center of the cooler is hollow. This may appear strange to some but there is actually a dead spot directly behind the fan motor. Air doesn't tend to flow well there until it is pushed further away and that's the reason why some people use spacers between the fans and radiator in water cooling setups.