Zalman CNPS6000-AlCu Fan Heatsink Review

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See the picture on the lefthand side of this page? That picture shows exactly how the bottom of every heatsink should look - razor smooth and flat. In fact if you really want to be impressed by the finish on the Zalman heatsinks just keep this in mind; the base of this heatsink here, the CNPS6000-AlCu was machined so smooth that the markings on an Athlon CPU - the little words cut with a laser on to the silicon core - actually scratched the metal surface of this heatsink so finely you can make out what they say!

The CNPS6000-AlCu is designed for socket A processors like the Athlon and AthlonXP, but if you have FC-PGA Celeron it should also work. Weighing at 270 grams, the CNPS6000-AlCu uses a small clip and attachment tool to lock down onto the socket.

Cooling comes from a separate 92mm fan that attaches via a special bracket to several of the expansion slots, leaving it hovering an inch or so above where the socket is. A thumbscrew on that bracket allows you to adjust where the fan sits, which means it can accommodate any type of single processor motherboard with ease. The only limitation to the Zalman system is that power supply cannot be positioned over the processor region in the case. If it were, it would interfere with the cooling fan and you wouldn't be able to set things up properly.

	Heatsink Specsheet: Model: CNPS6000-AlCu (55) copper & aluminum 0.25mm thick fins. Fan: 92mm case-mounted Fan Dim: Power Cooler 25x92x92mm, 12V, 3.36W FHS Dimensions: 115x64x58mm Weight: 270 grams Surface area: 2900cm2 Thermal resistance: 0.25C/W Machine milled base Made & Sold by: Zalman Tech Co. Cost: ~$40USD Sold By: www.zalman.co.kr

Installation is really quite easy considering the complex look to the CNPS6000-AlCu. While the heatsink itself appears to have no means of staying in position, there are two spring tensioned clips included in the package which take care of everything. Two clips are included in case on clip is lost.

There is a small notch in the center of the fins which is about 6mm wide where the clip sits in, and a small dip in the clip itself keeps the force centered directly over the core.

The CNPS6000-AlCu installed on the Aopen AK77 motherboard. The angled fins help clear tall capacitors located near by.

The installation tool is basically a small rod that fits into a hole on the clip. Be leveraging the rod you can easily lock the clip into place.

The heatsink is wide, but doesn't interfere with other components on this particular motherboard.

When the CNPS6000-AlCu is set in position there is no easy way to remove it without that installation tool, so don't loose it!

Basics on the Noise Reduction System

The FanMate 1 allows you to further decrease the degree of noise generated by the 92mm fan, by lowering the amount of voltage the fan receives which in turn slows it down. The Fan Mate 1 is rated to handle fans drawing 6W or less (via a three-pin power connector), and will output from between 12V to 5V depending on where the dial is set.

The CNPS6000-AlCu comes with a 92mm fan on a adjustable armature. The mounting arm attaches to the case by using the first three slot card screw positions and a 25cm long fan wire plugs directly into the motherboard to offer RPM monitoring. Some screws, a syringe of thermal compound and the installation tool and the FanMate 1 are included in the package.