360° View - Zalman CNPS9700NT Heatsink Information on Frostytech's test methodology is available here.
The 25x100x100mm PWM fan on the Zalman CNPS9700NT heatsink spins at 1250-2800RPM depending on the temperature of the CPU and BIOS settings. It's internally illuminated green. Power is supplied by a 4-pin motherboard fan header. When connected to a 3-pin fan header the fan defaults to 2800RPM. The heatsink stands 142mm tall, and is 124mm wide at the top. From the base to about 30mm up there is a good degree of clearance for adjacent motherboard devices. The indentation at the center of the fins provides space for a screwdriver further down when engaging the heatsink clip onto the LGA775 CPU retention bracket. The clip fits in perpendicular to the direction of the heatpipes, or in parallel to them, depending on the orientation of the CPU socket and heatsink retention frame.
The 100mm fan is suspended in the center of the radial fins and figure-8 heatpipe assembly on a pair of stainless steel posts. When powered up, vibration was not noticeable. The space directly behind the fan motor is empty, which makes sense as this is generally a dead-spot for airflow. The Zalman CNPS9700NT heatsink installs onto AMD/Intel processors with one of two stainless steel clips that fit over the nub of the cast aluminum base. Clamping forces are directed at the center of the heatsink's base, for even loading on the processor integrated heat spreader. Each copper fin extends 40mm from the center. Each copper fin measures 0.17mm thick, and is spaced ~2.5mm at the tip, and 0.5mm along the inside curve. The copper fins are soldered to the 6mm diameter copper heatpipes. The base consists of a shaped copper section to which the heatpipes are soldered, and a base cap made from cast aluminum. The copper base is 3mm thick on average, 5mm at the most.
The CNPS9700NT's copper base measures 34mm x 34mm in size, and has a polished finish. The six heatpipe ends are soldered to the copper base so thermal conductivity is direct as possible. The aluminum cap hovers just above the heatpipes, allowing heat to be conducted to the body of the cooler where dispersal is assured.