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Holy crap!

S

scrawnypaleguy

Golden Member
!!!!!!!!!!!

That just about says it all right there. For those who don't want to read the whole thing, here's the condensed version:
It cools just as well as the current cream of the crop, the Scythe Ninja and XP-120, but does so at the cost of noise; this is not the best choice for a silent system.
 
Bah another crappy fan used by Zalman - their fans are as always a let down.

Still rather nice results. AT 7V you get some very nice numbers.
 
They say it matches the performance of the XP120... which is good, because the XP120 matches the performance of the XP90 basically.. not quite, but almost the same.

XP90 > all 😛

I prefer coolers that don't cramp your case just because of their size!
 
Unless it can keep my CPU at 35C or lower I see no need to upgrade from my 7000B-Cu which keeps it at 37 - 39 at full load and 29 - 32 idle.
 
Originally posted by: WobbleWobble
At least now I don't have to worry about when I can get one, because I don't want it anymore 🙁
Click to expand...


Agreed. I'm all over that scythe ninja now. It would look sooo sweet in a P180 with the top fan blowing in and a fan on the ninja blowing the fresh air straight through to the back exhaust.
 
Can you say Nexus 92mm real silent fan swap?

I can't imagine it being that hard to swap the fan out? Maybe those fins make it harder than it looks

Thats what EVERY zalman product lacks is a quality fan - at full speed my 7000B sounds like a airplane in my P180. I run it at 1500 RPMs and you can still hear it over my Nexus case fans.

I've been contimplating swapping my 7000B fan, but I'll just wait till this drops in price, or maybe just get a Scythe Ninja 😀
 
While I also don't think a fan swap would be very hard, I think that you may as well go another route. The extra cost and work would make getting the Zalman 9500 pointless.

I wonder how much the 9500 will actually retail for though.
 
I like what I see/read, but the estimated cost turns me off. Would rather get the Scythe Ninja or even a Tt Sonic Tower (for quiet).
 
Would it be possible to switch that fan to a Panaflo? If I could, I'd have quite possibly the best cooling-noise ratio of any air cooler.
 
Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
!!!!!!!!!!!

That just about says it all right there. For those who don't want to read the whole thing, here's the condensed version:
It cools just as well as the current cream of the crop, the Scythe Ninja and XP-120, but does so at the cost of noise; this is not the best choice for a silent system.
Click to expand...

Your condensed version is comes accross as a slight exageration of the truth!
although its not a bad condensed version...yet the article does need to be read....

Since when is 22dba to 37 dba considered loud?
Actually it doesn`t just about say it.....you would be doing the zalman 9500 as well as the thermalright XP120 and the scythe Ninja a disservice to not read the article!!


The article in and of itself was not a bad review of the 9500!
Before we go on....noise has never been an issue!
****and no I am not trying to be argumentative!!****
Its only been a real issue if its about say 45db for me!

Anyways the article stated several points--
It was compared to the scythe Ninja; the thermalright XP120 as well as the zalman 7700!
The Ninja we should say appears to be in a class by itself!Even if only by a few degrees!!Where as the XP120 and the 9500 appear to be almost exactly the same result temperature wise in the test!
Of course the 7700 still came in 4th but..in all fairness still a good heatsink!

One thing I noticed is you could take alot of things and really confuse alot of issue...

Such as noise....I agree alot of people are looking for super cooling with less noise...
thus the XP120 with a 120mm fan added.....

Then there are those who are looking for super cooling and noise is not really an issue....thus...the 9500.....

Then if you check the hesatsink compasrison at similar airflow speed chart...you will see some interesting results...

Again noise is the mitigating factor.....The table above makes it quite clear how good the Zalman 9500 is: At roughly the same airflow it significantly outperforms every other heatsink we've tested. However, that is only part of the story. At the tested level of airflow, the Zalman 9500 is far too loud for use in a conventional case. The heatsinks that use 120mm fans have the advantage here because they have a much better noise / airflow ratio than the smaller 92mm fan in the Zalman heatsinks.--SPCR


I sort of suspected thats what a reputable site would say....
Its only common sense that the quality of fan used would be the telling story as far as noise is concerned!
Thats another reason I ordered the thermalright zp120....so I could see for myself!

I will also be ordering the Zalman and maybe even the Scythe Ninja....we will have to see!!

One thing is certain...
I was not let down by that review!
Even though it was a slam dunk as far as the noise issue they made such statements in the review as--
It's safe to say that the Zalman 9500 is the most efficient of all heatsinks that use a 92mm fan. The basic design is brilliant, but it cannot completely escape the limitation of fan size.

Yet if you take the heatsink comparison by noise chart.....

In my opinion albeit hard to state....
It appears Zalman has a brilliant design but scrimped for lack of a better word on the fan part of there cooler...

Hope fully Zalman being the company that they are will read such reviews as this excellent review from the SPCR people and comeout with a version2 of the 9500 that has more attention to airmovement as well as the sound issue!!!:
ZalmanBoy

My 2 cookies worth!!
:cookie::cookie:




 
Originally posted by: Bona Fide
Since when is 22dba to 37 dba considered loud?
Click to expand...

Its only been a real issue if its about say 45db for me!
Click to expand...

Thats what makes SPCR such a good source!!
They take everything seriously!!
Click to expand...

Nice...contradiction of opinions? 🙂
Click to expand...

Not really a contradiction at all...
personally noise doesnt bother me....I consider anything under 45dba to be tolerable....

Yet....
I also respect the SPCR review!!
Yet as we see more reviews we will see where noise will not be the issue.
Even the french review--didnt mention the noise issue..
http://www.matbe.com/articles/refroid/zalman-cnps-9500/page1.php

Come to think of it I don`t belive the xbit`s review which gave a glowing review of the 9500 even mentioned the noise issue....
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/other/display/zalman-cnps9500.html
Without the Fan Mate 2 fan rotation speed manager, the fan works at 2600-2700rpm generating not very loud but pretty distinct sound. Once Fan Mate 2 is connected the fan rotation speed starts to vary between 1350 and 2400rpm. Moreover, when the fan rotation speed is maximum, you don?t hear it at all, as it vanishes behind the noise from the graphics card and PSU fan. We decided to run our tests in this particular operation mode.
So yes the xbits review did mildly adress the sound issue!!

So we will wait and see!

Even though noise has actually never been an issue with me!!
Come to think of it I have only replaced one fan becuase it was too noisy!

So I fail to see the contradiction.....but I could be blind and not know it..lol 🙂
 
I'm sorry, maybe I'm not so good at the whole reading comprehension thing, but one more time yoda: what exactly is your opinion on this heatsink? You say that noise isn't an issue, and yet you really like SPCR's reviews because they take everything seriously, even though that they say that the heatsink is far too loud for a conventional case. You've spent the past few weeks busting eveyone on this forum's chops whenever they say that something is better than a Zalman product, and then you go out and buy an XP-120 after declaring yourself Zalmanboy. I just don't get it. Please explain, so that all of us can better understand the reasoning behind your arguments and actions.
 
Finally! A review that proves something of performance! It proves the Zalman 9500 is "second-best."

First, the review itself is inconsistent. Unless it is just a limp-wristed fan, the CNPS-9500 does NOT best the XP-120, but comes in second place and even with the XP-90.

The Thermal Resistance numbers reported on the CNPS-9500 in this review are at a minimum -- probably with the greatest CFM throughput -- 0.18. The XP120 shows 0.167. And the SI-120 beat both of them -- with a C/W value of 0.14.

Get the ThermalRight SI-120. Do not -- I say -- DO NOT believe Zalman when they tell you their cooler is as good as water-cooling.

Here is another point. The Zalman is limited to a 92mm fan. Now, at best, the test results only show this fan having been run to produce about 25 CFM. This is in "honor" of a "low-noise" priority, but you don't need low CFMs to reduce noise in other ways. But the review doesn't push the CFM's through the test XP120 that it was designed for!! it was designed for a low-noise 120 mm fan producing noise in the high-20s to mid 30s of dBA. To reach the thermal resistance limit of the XP120, you need to push at least 70 or 80 CFM -- not "25 CFM", from which the comparison was made. This is ridiculous. I can get 22 CFM from four 40mm Sunon Mag Lev 12V 0.12A fans. Any 120mm fan should be at least capable of 60 CFM or higher without noise!

Second, they are comparing apples to oranges -- with the CNPS-9500 using a 92mm fan, and an XP 120 with a 120mm fan. So? You need up to some limit of CFMs to produce minimal thermal resistance!! THAT'S WHY they call it "AIR--COOOLING."

The author wrote the review to choose test conditions that make the Zalman look "good" and the XP120 look "bad."

That fact is, the SI-120, ThermalRight's successor to the XP-120, beats the reported thermal resistance for the Zalman by almost 0.04 C/W -- enough to produce a load temperature maybe three degrees Celsius or 5.5F lower than the Zalman, depending on processor choice and processor thermal leakage.

If the Zalman really worked as promised, the reviewer would've pushed enough air through it to get a minimum thermal resistance value, without handicapping the XP-120 or failing to even mention the SI-120.

It would seem that the Zalman cooler is only CAPABLE of 0.18 C/W.

But again:

Zalman CNPS-9500 -- only results available so far given the reviewer's test conditions:
-- Thermal Resistance =0.18 C/W
Zalman CNPS-7700 -- Thermal Resistance = 0.19 C/W
ThermalRight XP-90 -- 0.18 C/W
ThermalRight XP-120 -- 0.167 C/W
ThermalRight SI-120 -- 0.14 C/W

THESE, Ladies and Gentlemen, are the minimum thermal resistance numbers one obtains by running fans with low noise at a REASONABLE CFM throughput. But don't come tell me that "the XP-120 has a thermal resistance of 0.24 C/W" because you are only pushing 25 CFM through the fins!! That's about what you get with a low-noise 80mm case fan -- and that with more noise than getting 60 CFM from a low-noise 120mm fan!!

Anyone who thinks this review is telling the truth about Zalman's competition: be my guest. It's your money. [But you've been snookered, folks!]
 
Epilogue:

I concede that I got "hot" with my last post, but here's my problem with both the cooler and the review. The review should have tested both the Zalman and other coolers (including the XP120) -- with maximum airflow. In this case, either the Zalman fan was not capable of that airflow, or the cooler tops out at 0.18 C/W. Without a test oblivious to the noise factor, we won't really know how the Zalman really stacks up against the others, and especially, the XP120 and XP90.

But that is a moot point. We DO know how the ThermalRight SI-120 stacks up against the ThermalRight XP-120. And you can expect to get that 0.14 C/W performance with the SI-120 using a 120mm fan spinning between 1,900 and 2,500 rpm. Not exactly "noisy."

So -- I say to Zalman and (their) reviewer: "Where's the beef? Show me the performance figures again with the upper limit of CFM where the cooler no longer shows an increase in performance. Show me "maximum performance." Then, let me be the judge as to how much of that I am willing to give up to go "noiseless."
 
Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
Without a test oblivious to the noise factor, we won't really know how the Zalman really stacks up against the others, and especially, the XP120 and XP90.
Click to expand...

I guess that'll be the limitation to any review at SPCR because low noise is what they are all about. The readership they cater to won't care about tests that may interest people on this here "overclocking" forum.

As an aside, I wonder how much of the improvement from the XP-120 to the SI-120 comes from better quality control. I always thought that my XP-120 didn't perform as well as "what everyone was saying" and indeed performed not much better than my Zalman 7000AlCu or Thermaltake Silent Tower (a misnomer) while using a 120x38mm Panaflo. Since I sold the XP-120 I've read a few reports of people not getting "expected" results and suspecting that flawed assembly may be the culprit, such as bad contact between the heatpipes and the rest of the unit (especially base). I seem to recall thinking there were gaps between the heatpipes and surrounding metal, indeed I would touch the top fins of the heatsink while the system was running and it didn't feel too hot while the bottom felt hot. Perhaps the SI-120 fixed those occasional flaws while making it easier to install.
 
Yes, what you say is possible, Zap. There were also a lot of people who couldn't get the hang of the installation, and had three out of four hooks secured in the Intel heatsink clips, or the installation was otherwise out of kilter.

I measured the Thermal Resistance of my XP120, knowing what the manufacturer of my processor reported as TDP and maximum heat leakage. I come up with what the reviewers reported -- 0.167. In earlier posts, I said that there was a limit of CFM beyond which this minimum remained minimum, and no further advantage was gained at using faster and more powerful (and noisy) fans.

What is established is the SI-120's thermal resistance at whatever limit higher CFMs take the cooler, as 0.14 C/W. But, like the XP-120, this would be achievable in the 1,900 to 2,900 rpm range, just like the XP-120. That's not really a god-awful lit of noise from a 120mm fan.

 
In real-world performance, another very important variable is the temperature of the intake air. With traditional front air intake case, the intake air temp at the CPU cooler is usually 4 to 7C higher than ambient air temp. This is because of the heat from the hard drive and other components on the motherboard.

Unlike the Zalman 7000Cu/7700Cu, the 9500 cannot directly benefit from the use of room temp air via a side intake duct. Without a side cooling duct, the 9500 will probably beat the 7700Cu by about 2C. With a side cooling duct, the 7700Cu will probably out-do the 9500 by 1 or 2C.

As always, the most efficient mean of lowering the CPU temp is to start out with a cold room and a side duct that directs room air at the intake fan on the CPU cooler. Pros don't need fancy CPU cooler. They just put the PC in a temperature-controlled room. It's all about DELTA T!
 
Originally posted by: scrawnypaleguy
I'm sorry, maybe I'm not so good at the whole reading comprehension thing, but one more time yoda: what exactly is your opinion on this heatsink? You say that noise isn't an issue, and yet you really like SPCR's reviews because they take everything seriously, even though that they say that the heatsink is far too loud for a conventional case. You've spent the past few weeks busting eveyone on this forum's chops whenever they say that something is better than a Zalman product, and then you go out and buy an XP-120 after declaring yourself Zalmanboy. I just don't get it. Please explain, so that all of us can better understand the reasoning behind your arguments and actions.
Click to expand...

You did`nt read what I said thus you expect me to read and comment on what you posted??
I stated that SPCR was a site that is respected for there reviews!!
Yet--on this very thread it was stated by--
Originally posted by: Bona Fide
It's SILENT PC REVIEW. Every decibel matters.

It was also stated and I agreed that the Ninja is in a class by itself!!

It also stated that the xp120 and the 9500 were almost identical in the temps.....

In the final analysis I would venture to say that we will have unbiased reviews and biased reviews!!

The bottom line has to several factors....
1-- ambient temperature...
2-- was the Heatdink tested inside a computer?
3--was the heartsink tested on a testing rig with no walls oe negative or positive airpreessure to contend with?
The list goes on and on.....

yet in the final analysis its all personal preference....in the cesspool called life it all boils down to the fact that reviews are just that reviews meant to be a guide for us...

There will be fantastic reviews and there will be less than flatering reviews!

There will be people who will get the 9500 and proclaim it the best heatsink they have ever used!

The will be others who will proclaim it a waste of money!

In the end it a personnal choice and we live with our choices!!

Thats my 2 cookies worth!!
:cookie::cookie:

 
okay so there goes somebody spouting those immortal words-- thermal resistace.....thats a crock and you know it....given various variables that applie to the physics of the subject....

The author chose test conditions that made the xp120 look bad......sounds like sour apples to me!!

So let me guess when a review comes around that slams the 9500 I guess somebody could post that the author chose conditions that made the 9500 look bad?? rofl...a laff a minute....

You talk about thermal resistance yet you can`t even talk about the physics of thermal resistance...what gives?

Iether you learned a few new words or we can go head to head talking physics......

I see you using the word FACTs---whose facts yours? Corroberated by who? you.....hmmmmm

thus ladies and gentlemen said person needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

What is being said sounds all well and good until you research and find thats all it is words with no corroberating evidence!

Just my 2 cookies worth!!
:cookie::cookie:


 
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