Date: October 18th, 2010
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited By: Nathan Glentworth (Owner / Head Editor)
Product was submitted by: Zalman
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PRODUCT COMPOSITION
The 9900 MAX comes in a black box with bold graphics and features a window through which the cooler can be viewed. Inside…
…the MAX is protected by a plastic clamshell cover and another plastic ring to protect the cooler from any damage during shipment. A large plastic zip-bag contains the manual, mounting solutions and thermal compound.
PRODUCT PICTORIAL AND WALKTHROUGH
After removing the protective plastic ring, we get our first good look at the MAX. While similar in appearance to the previous coolers in Zalman's 9900 series, the cooler is physically larger with numerous radial fins that give the MAX almost six square feet of total surface area. A steel ring fits into a groove in the fins providing support to the outer edges of the individual fins adding strength and stability to this otherwise vulnerable area.
Zalman equips the MAX with an eleven-blade fan featuring PWM control, blue LEDs and a “long life bearing.” The fantail is generous in length and terminates in a four-pin connector. “But my mobo doesn't have any four-pin headers,” you might exclaim. No worries. The fan will work perfectly fine when connected to a three-pin header, you just won't be able to take advantage of the PWM control.
Mr. Bones is impressed, but not surprised, at the quality as well as the fit and finish of the 9900 MAX. “After all,” he says, “it is a Zalman product.” He's also impressed by the size of the cooler, but he doesn't subscribe to the old adage that “size matters.” Will the MAX exhibit cooling performance commensurate with its size? We'll see.
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