Zalman CNPS 9900 DF (Dual Fan) Review

If there is one thing Zalman is know for it's their cooling solutions for CPUs. And although over the years they business model changed a lot with several products, their heatpipe coolers are definitely still going strong. The one that everybody remembers and still is going strong where the initial CNPS (Computer Noise Prevention System) CPU cooler, the copper somewhat rounded "butterfly" based coolers. That model has been the biggest success of all their coolers. Anno 2012 Zalman is still using that concept, though changed and styled different.

As such Zalman decided to reintroduce the CNPS 9900 with a DF model, an updated model hinting to that older design yet now with two fans. The minute you'll see it you know you are looking at high-performance cooling (within the air based cooling segment of course). "DF" stands for dual-fan, a concept using two fans in push-pull configuration. The "push" fan is merged in the first copper fin stack, while the "pull" fan is located between the two fin stacks.

Once you peek at the cooler you'll notice that the CNPS9900DF is based on a nickel-plated copper base, from which four nickel-plated copper heat pipes pass. The surface area for heat dissipation is 6,800 cm². Measuring 140 (L) x 100 (W) x 154 (H) mm, the CNPS9900DF weighs in at 850 g. The 120 mm "push" fan spins at 1000 RPM, while the 140 mm "pull" fan spins at speeds between 900 to 1400 RPM.