X-bit labs

Fan, Cup and Copper Pipes: Zalman CNPS8700 LED and Thermaltake V1 Processor Coolers (page 4)

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 08/30/2007 | 12:09 PM ]

Installation Tips

The Zalman CNPS8700 LED can be installed on every modern platform. Zalman doesn’t count mainboards with Socket 478, let alone with Socket A (462), among such and the new cooler doesn’t support them. The cooler is fastened on Socket 754/939/940 and Socket AM2 mainboards by means of a clip with a detachable tip (included into the kit) that is hitched at the teeth of the standard retention frame around the socket. You don’t have to take the mainboard out of the system case for that, but you do if you are dealing with an LGA775 platform.

This is Zalman’s traditional LGA775 fastening mechanism employing a plastic frame you have to screw through the mainboard:

The frame is attached to a back-plate that prevents the mainboard from bending and increases the pressure of the cooler’s base on the CPU heat-spreader.

The components on the reverse side of the mainboard do not get in the way of this back-plate as I made sure on ASUS P5B Deluxe, P5K Deluxe and P5N32-E SLI mainboards.

And then the same clip is inserted between the pipes and hitched on the plastic frame.

As you see, the cooler is compact and its bottom “skirt” doesn’t go outside the area of the plastic frame. Zalman specifies the installation requirements for each platform with the following pictures:

According to them, there should be no elements on your mainboard taller than 39mm within 61.5mm from the center of the CPU.

Inside a system case the Zalman CNPS8700 LED looks like this:

It is very small in comparison with tower-like coolers. A soft blue light from the cooler’s fan will be visible at night.

The recommended price of this cooler is $40-50.