Date: October 16th, 2007
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Zalman USA
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CONCLUSIONS AND AFTERTHOUGHTS
Zalman went back to their roots, so to speak, and came up with a very nice product in the CNPS8700 LED CPU cooler. While the performance isn't earth shattering, it's plenty good enough for most users, better and quieter than the OEM Intel unit, and still allows some overclocking headroom. In addition it is all packed into a relatively compact package that will appeal to users with limited case room and also for HTPC/SFF enthusiasts. The 8700 can also be very nearly silent for the quiet PC crowd. It will, of course, look great in a windowed case of any size thanks to the copper construction and blue LED fan. An excellent user's guide and a superbly designed mounting solution make installation a breeze. The included Fan Mate controller allows the user to tailor fan speed and noise to suit their particular application, and the design does a good job of keeping motherboard components cool.
While I was expecting better performance, the 8700 LED is still an impressive product for everything else it brings to the table. And, it won't break the bank, either. Widely available online for around $55.00 US, this cooler is affordable and a pretty good value. I can highly recommend it for its size, ease of installation, performance and value.
Pros:
- Good cooling
- Easy installation
- Excellent fit and finish
- Very quiet
- Compact
- Blue LED fan
- Fan Mate 2 included
Cons:
- Cooling could be a bit better
If you have any further questions about this review, please feel free to post them in our forums HERE.
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