360° View - Zalman CNPS10X Optima Heatsink Information on Frostytech's test methodology is available here.
The 120mm PWM fan operates at 1700-1000RPM and draws power from a 4-pin motherboard fan header. Four exposed 6mm diameter copper heatpipes are packed closely at the base and extend up the full 106mm tall aluminum fin stack, spaced 56mm and 89mm apart on center. With the fan removed we can see how the heatpipes intersect the aluminum fins in the region where airflow is highest.
Each aluminum fin on the CNPS10X Optima measures 0.4mm thick and is spaced ~2.0mm apart. The aluminum fin tower is about 58mm deep, below the bottom most fin is 37mm clearance for adjacent motherboard components. The base block measures 8mm thick and supports the exposed heatpipes and mounting brackets.
The entire base plate measures 38x44mm in size and is generally very flat in both axis. The four exposed heatpipes are swaged into aluminum channels, separated about 3mm apart. The 58x125mm aluminum fins are nearly bisected at the center where a cut out narrows the width to 25mm.

Base Finish and Flatness

Flipping a heatsink over to inspect the business end is often a simple indicator of overall cooler quality. More practically speaking, a heatsink is in many ways only as effective as the contact it makes with the processor - the flatter and smoother the better. Base finish is one of the criteria that Frostytech measure in the course of evaluating heatsinks, and it involves two distinct aspects. Surface Finish is the first; calculated with the aid of Surface Roughness Comparator that has a cross section of common machine surface finishes and their numerical surface roughness equivalents in microinches. The second is Surface Flatness. This is tested with an engineers straight edge or proven flat surface, in two axis.

The exposed heatpipe base of the Zalman CNPS10X Optima heatsink is generally flat in both axis and has a finely sanded surface finish. Surface roughness is at or better than ~32 microinches.

Next up, sound level measurements and then AMD and Intel thermal test results!