360° View - Zalman CNPS7700-Cu Heatsink Information on Frostytech's test methodology is available here.
	The Heatsink Fan: The 120x120x25mm fan spins at 1000-2000RPM with the aid of the Fanmate 2 fan speed controller. According to FrostyTech's real world sound measurements, this translates into a noise output that varies between 35 dBA and 50 dBA. The lack of a fan guard can be problematic if errant wires find their way into the path of the spinning impeller - so keep you case clean and tidy on the inside when using this heatsink. The heatsink draws power from a standard 3-pin motherboard fan header, and supports RPM monitoring. Note how little of the Zalman CNPS7700-Cu heatsink is actually visible when looked at head on - air moves cleanly through the many copper fins without creating much noise turbulence. Since airflow is directed downward, components adjacent to the CPU socket are also cooled to some degree. Motherboards must have a 136mm of clearance around the center of the CPU, where no capacitors or other devices stand more than 39mm tall for the CNPS7700-Cu to fit. The heatsink itself is 136mm in diameter.
	Heatsink Top: Removing the fan gives us a clearer idea of how the entire heatsink is made from an assembly of individually punched out sheets of 0.4mm thick copper. The central base section is 41.5mm wide, and from tip to tip the heatsink measures approx. 136mm x 136mm. The cut out in the center of the base section is for the clipping mechanism which applies pressure at the center of the Zalman CNPS7700-Cu heatsink. Each copper fins extends 55mm out, with progressively more spacing between the fins.
	Heatsink Side A: Standing 67mm tall, the Zalman CNPS7700-Cu is a fairly compact heatsink in the vertical sense... but 136mm in diameter. The copper fins are spaced about 2.0mm apart at the outside edge. The spring clip system is mounted to the heatsink just under the integral 120mm fan. Two types of clips are used to fasten the heatsink, depending on what socket the processor is, "type-s" and "type-L."
	Heatsink Side B: From this angle you can see how the copper fins gradually come together to form the body of the Zalman CNPS7700-Cu heatsink. Compressed under high pressure the fins make intimate contact at the base which is then machined absolutely flat. The bevel in the shape of the heatsink is so it will clear the certain heatsink retention frames, and any capacitors placed near to the socket. Accordingly, Zalman recommend that no component be higher than 39mm if it is within 136mm of the center of the processor socket.
	Heatsink Base: The copper portion of the base measures 26mm x 35mm, but the overall length is 42mm including the two aluminum parts. Since the copper fins are the base, thermal conductivity is as direct as could be expected. The copper base has been machined razor flat and so surface roughness is equivalent to ~8 microinches. That is considered excellent. The stainless steel slots where the two types of mounting clips slot into are just visible on either side of the base.