Zalman or Thermalright?

Tiamat

Lifer
Nov 25, 2003
14,068
5
71
I can obtain a Zalman CNPS 7000A Al-CU and a Thermalright SLK 900A for the same price. Which should I get?
I have a spare 92mm Enermax variable speed (manual) fan which is 28db for decent cfm already which I could mount onto the Thermalright.

Requirements:
1. Very Quiet
2. Can cool a Tbred-B 1800+ @ 10.5x206mhz better than a Coolermaster Aero7+

My temps now are 39 Idle and 44 Load

Temps are ok now, but the turbine on the coolermaster makes an annoying noise.


EDIT: Sorry for the premature post. I just went to zalman's website, and the CNPS 7000 series does NOT fit on the ABIT NF7-S motherboards. Thermalright is the choice...
 

BoomAM

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2001
4,546
0
0
You have good temps now.
In theory, The Zalman will be quieter, but an SLK-900A with a silent 92mm will be just as quiet, if not quieter, and cooler far better.
 

hytek369

Lifer
Mar 20, 2002
11,053
0
76
both are good choices. i think the zalman will have edge since it includes a fan, use your other fan for something else or sell it
 

BoomAM

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2001
4,546
0
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Originally posted by: RussianSensation
Originally posted by: BoomAM
You have good temps now.
In theory, The Zalman will be quieter, but an SLK-900A with a silent 92mm will be just as quiet, if not quieter, and cooler far better.

That's not necessarily true.

SilentPC REview Heatsink Heavyweights considered

Yes, I know they used an 80mm fan, but using 92 will not decrease the temperatures by an extra 5*C.
Actually, the SLK-900s have been proven to be pretty crap with a 80mm fan. They perform far worse than a SLK-800 when both armed with the same fan. The SLK-900s come into their own propely, and outperform everything else, when used with a 92mm fan.
 

Rumpltzer

Diamond Member
Jun 7, 2003
4,815
33
91
I was really leaning towards the Zalman for the noise suppression, but it's not compatible with some of the Abit motherboards (the NF7 series specifically). I'm in the market for the SLK900A now. Best price I find is at excaliburPC ($35 shipped)... I bought a Zalman 92mm fan to mount on it.
 

klocwerk

Senior member
Oct 23, 2003
680
0
76
Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
I was really leaning towards the Zalman for the noise suppression, but it's not compatible with some of the Abit motherboards (the NF7 series specifically). I'm in the market for the SLK900A now. Best price I find is at excaliburPC ($35 shipped)... I bought a Zalman 92mm fan to mount on it.


Why the 900? why not the SP97?
far better performance, not much more expensive...
 

RalfHutter

Diamond Member
Dec 29, 2000
3,202
0
76
Originally posted by: BoomAM
Originally posted by: RussianSensation
Originally posted by: BoomAM
You have good temps now.
In theory, The Zalman will be quieter, but an SLK-900A with a silent 92mm will be just as quiet, if not quieter, and cooler far better.

That's not necessarily true.

SilentPC REview Heatsink Heavyweights considered

Yes, I know they used an 80mm fan, but using 92 will not decrease the temperatures by an extra 5*C.
Actually, the SLK-900s have been proven to be pretty crap with a 80mm fan. They perform far worse than a SLK-800 when both armed with the same fan. The SLK-900s come into their own propely, and outperform everything else, when used with a 92mm fan.


Here's a direct comparison of the SLK900U (among others) with a 92mm Panaflo L1A and an 80mm L1A.
 

BoomAM

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2001
4,546
0
0
Originally posted by: RalfHutter
Here's a direct comparison of the SLK900U (among others) with a 92mm Panaflo L1A and an 80mm L1A.
???
Are you ment to be backing me up here? Or.... :confused:
 

tracerbullet

Golden Member
Feb 22, 2001
1,661
19
81
From the article: "Is there a bottom line? Not really. These are all excellent heatsinks. Any of them would do a fine job quietly cooling a P4 system. One might be a little cooler, another a little quieter, another easier to install. It's pretty much down to individual preference"

Seems like, for me anyways, it would come down to price, and perhaps looks in case I put a window in someday. Performance looks like a wash, the results are so close that I'd call them "the same". A different reviewer on a different day would quite possibly get them in a different order from each other.
 

hytek369

Lifer
Mar 20, 2002
11,053
0
76
Originally posted by: klocwerk
Originally posted by: Rumpltzer
I was really leaning towards the Zalman for the noise suppression, but it's not compatible with some of the Abit motherboards (the NF7 series specifically). I'm in the market for the SLK900A now. Best price I find is at excaliburPC ($35 shipped)... I bought a Zalman 92mm fan to mount on it.


Why the 900? why not the SP97?
far better performance, not much more expensive...

very true, but overclockers.com disagree