Do most pre-built CPU liquid cooler kits look the same to you? It's probably because they carry Asetek or Akasa design. Enter a refreshment in the pre-built arena: Zalman. The Korean PC cooling veteran unveiled Reserator, a liquid cooler which swaps the conventional-looking radiator for a high-performance heatsink with radially-projecting copper fins, in which the heat pipes are swapped with coolant channels. The contraption is ventilated by a 120 mm Zalman custom-design blue or red LED-lit fan, with PWM control. The CPU block features copper base with mirror finish, while its other parts are given aesthetic touches with chrome plating and LEDs. The cooler will be designed to handle thermal loads as high as 400W. It is slated for early-2013.

Zalman unveiled a pair of ATX mid-tower cases for stylish gaming PC builds. Measuring 207 x 533 x 541 mm (WxDxH), and weighing about 9 kg, the cases are made of steel and ABS plastic. Although packed with room for standard ATX and micro-ATX motherboards with graphics cards as long as 30 cm, the cases come with a support beam, which can be installed in three positions. The beam prevents bending of add-on cards.

Both MS800 and MS800 Plus feature six 5.25" and a common 5.25"/3.5"/2.5" bay, but while the MS800 has three fixed 3.5"/2.5" bays, the MS800 Pro gives them hot-swap capabilities using caddies. Both cases come with two 120 mm fans on top (LED-lit for the MS800 Pro), a 120 mm fan on the rear, a 92 mm fan bracket (MS800 Pro only), and a bottom 120 mm fan vent. Most fan vents are covered with dust filters. The front-panel includes two each of USB 3.0 (standard header), USB 2.0/1.1, HD audio jacks, and a 6-channel fan controller with a rotary knob and channel-selection feather-touch buttons. Slated for December, the MS800 is priced at US $88, and the MS800 Pro at $100.

Here is the first picture of Zalman's upcoming silent CPU cooler, the FX100-Cube. Classified in the large category of coolers, the FX100-Cube trades off its large size for silence. It appears to make use of multiple aluminum fin stacks intersecting each other, to which heat from the base is conveyed by four 8 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes. More details on this beast are awaited, the cooler is expected to be released in the weeks to come.

Zalman introduced the ZM700-SV, a 700-Watt (continuous) PSU for performance gaming PC builds. It boasts of 80 Plus Silver efficiency rating, single +12V rail design, dual-forward switching, interleaved active PFC, and Japanese-made components. Compliant with the latest PSU standards, including ATX 12V v2.3, EPS 2.92, and ErP Lot6, its protection IC covers most hazards, including over/under voltage/current/load and short-circuit. The ZM700-SV features fixed (non-modular) cabling that's sufficient for a gaming PC build with up to two graphics cards (four 6+2 pin PCIe power connectors). It is contract-manufactured by Enhance Electronics. Selling now, the ZM700-SV from Zalman is priced around US $120.

Zalman is working on two new micro-ATX cases designed to keep things roomy, yet compact. The ZM-T1 and TM-T2 (pictured in that order), made it to Overclockers Ukraine, which took them for a spin. The two cases differ with front design, and are otherwise identical. Zalman did away with a vertically stacked drive cage that adds to the length of a case. Instead, it created points along the front-inner wall along which two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drives can be mounted. Also included is a detachable drive tray, which mounts two additional drives (3.5-inch and 2.5-inch) along the plane of the motherboard. A single 5.25-inch bay is located above the motherboard tray.

Ventilation includes provision for a front 120 mm fan, an included 92 mm rear fan, mounts for two 92 mm fans on the side panel, and two 120 mm fan mounts on the top panel. The cases are made of SECC steel frames, and ABS plastic front-panels. The two measure 425 (H) x 170 (W) x 350 (D). Front-panel connectivity includes HD audio jacks and USB 2.0/1.1 ports. Expect the two to be priced under US $40. Find a complete review at the source.

Korean enthusiast PC components major Zalman announced a trio of closed-loop liquid CPU coolers, the LQ310, LQ315, and LQ320; which are designed to handle maximum thermal loads (Qmax) of 300W, 330W, and 340W, respectively. The USP for all three is an extremely dense copper micro-fin structures inside the main block, where heat is dissipated to the coolant. The three feature what is essentially the same block and pump, and differ with the size of the radiator.

The Radiator component of the LQ310 measures 153 x 120 x 25 mm, that of the LQ315 is slightly thicker, at 35 mm, and LQ320 at 51 mm. A Zalman-made 120 mm fan, with 900 to 2,000 RPM speed range, long life bearing, and 4-pin PWM control, is standard issue for all three models. All modern CPU socket types are supported by the three, including LGA2011, LGA115x, AM3+/AM3, and FM2/FM1. The LQ310, LQ315, and LQ320, are priced at US $85, $100, and $120, respectively.

Zalman entered the gaming keyboards market with a bang, by announcing no less than five new models of all shapes and sizes. These include the 94-key compact mechanical ZM-K500, ZM-K400G, ZM-K350M, and the all-purpose ZM-K300M and ZM-K200M (pictured below in that order). The five are designed with highly durable switches that can withstand up to 2 billion key presses. Measuring 352 x 169 x 36 mm (WxDxH), and weighing 850g, the ZM-K500 is priced at 5,480 JPY (US $70.5).

The ZM-K400G is the other red-illuminated keyboard in the series, and is decked with macro keys along its top edge, and a total key-count of 119. It measures 463 x 191 x 30 mm, weighing 700 g, and is priced at 2,980 JPY (US $38.35). Moving on, the ZM-K350M, ZM-K300M, and ZM-K200M are entry-level models with Windows shortcut keys that can be reprogrammed to serve as macros. The three are priced at 1,180 JPY (US $15.8), 850 JPY ($10.5), and 780 ($10) JPY, respectively.

Apart from the ZM-LE value PSUs, Zalman also introduced the Z5 and Z5 Plus cases. The two ATX mid-tower cases share a common design, with the exception of the Z5 Plus featuring a few extras. The Z5 series features an angled polygon shape which has been the rage for some time now. It features all-black exteriors and interiors, with matte finish. Made of SECC steel, it measures 205 x 460 x 490 mm (WxHxD). The motherboard tray is spacious enough to support graphics cards as long as 33 cm. Drive bays include three external 5.25-inch, one external 3.5-inch, three 3.5-inch, and two 2.5-inch. The case features 7 expansion slots.

Ventilation loadout for both the Z5 and Z5 Plus is common, with one 120 mm front intake, one 120 mm top exhaust, and one 120 mm rear exhaust. The Z5 features front and rear fans, while the Z5 Plus also includes a top fan. The Z5 Plus also includes a 2-channel fan controller. Other exclusives with the Z5 Plus include an acrylic window and USB 3.0 front-panel port. The motherboard tray features a cutout behind the CPU socket area, while the rear portion features valved inlets for liquid cooling tubing. The Z5 from Zalman is priced at US $67, while the Z5 Plus goes for just $3 more, at $70.

Zalman introduced the ZM-LE series of entry-level PSUs for gaming PCs. Available in 400W and 500W variants, the ATX 2.3-compliant PSUs feature dual 12V rail design and twin forward switching topology, with secondary protection IC that protects against a variety of conditions, such as over/under voltage/load and short-circuit. The PSUs meet ErP 2010 Lot 6 energy-efficiency guidelines.

Featuring fixed and sleeved cabling the ZM-LE variants provide enough connectivity for an entry-mainstream gaming PC with a single graphics card. The 400W variant features a single 6-pin PCIe connector, while the 500W ups that with 6-pin + 8-pin. The units are cooled by a 120 mm temperature-controlled fan. According to the source, the ZM-LE series is originally manufactured by Fortron. The ZM-LE 400W sells for US $36, while the ZM-LE 500W can be had for $46.

Zalman announced the ZM-NC3 notebook cooler in select markets. The cooler is designed to accommodate notebooks with screen-sizes as big as 17-inch, and features a direct-flow design using a single 200 mm manual-control fan that spins at speeds of up to 575 RPM. The cooler features a perforated, rubberized top with grooves that create air-pockets for better heat dissipation and grip with the notebook. It is powered by a USB connection, with a retractable cord. Measuring 380 x 308 x 42 mm (WxDxH), the ZM-NC3 weighs about 900 g. Slated for August 29, it is expected to be priced at 2,380 JPY (US $30).

Zalman's newest high-end CPU air cooler, the CNPS9900DF, has been on our radar since May. It was launched in select markets earlier this week. The Computer Noise Prevention System (CNPS) model 9900 heatsink has been leading Zalman's product line for years now, with several variations being launched from time to time. The newest one, the CNPS9900DF, in which "DF" stands for dual-fan, builds on the concept by using two fans in push-pull configuration. The "push" fan is nested in the first copper fin stack, while the "pull" fan is located between the two fin stacks. The design is otherwise similar to every other 9900 series cooler.

The design of the CNPS9900DF consists of a nickel-plated copper base, from which four nickel-plated copper heat pipes pass, making a capital-omega (Ω) shape, along which nickel-plated copper fins are arranged, which appear to project radially. 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. Both fans use fluid-dynamic bearings, and the total noise output of the cooler is said to stay within 27 dBA, according to Zalman. The Zalman CNPS9900DF is priced at an estimated US $89.90 a pop.

Zalman announced its newest notebook cooler, the Ultra-Slim ZM-NC2000NT. Designed for notebooks as big as 17-inch, the ZM-NC2000NT stays slim thanks to its two 60 mm lateral-flow fans. The fans, which draw power from a single USB connection, spin at speeds ranging 1,100 to 1,700 RPM, with noise output ranging 17 to 23.5 dBA. A simple rheostat fan speed control is available. The cooler also doubles up as a 3-port USB 2.0 hub. Measuring 303 mm x 418 mm x 38 mm (W x H x D), the ZM-NC2000NT is made of aluminum and ABS plastic, it weighs about 1 kg. It is available in silver and black color options.

Korean company Zalman is on the verge of launching its Goldrock series mid-capacity PSUs. Available in capacities of 550W, 650W, and 750W; the PSUs are 80 Plus Gold compliant, with 87% to 92% efficiency at 20% to 100% load. The Goldrock series PSUs strike a cost-performance sweetspot by providing high-end PSU features, and making up for it with fixed cabling.

The Goldrock series PSUs from Zalman pack high-grade Japanese capacitors, active PFC, LLC resonant circuit, DC-DC switching. A single +12V rail design is implemented, which can deliver 45A of current on the 550W variant, 54A on the 650W, and 62A on the 750W variants. A 5VSB green IC gives the PSU ErP Lot 6 compliance. A secondary protection IC gives it protection against over/under voltage/current, overload, and short-circuit. The 550W, 650W, and 750W variants are expected to be priced at US $134, $145, and $158, respectively.

Korean company Zalman added a new segment to its expanding lineup, that of USB 3.0 flash drives, with its new "SLC Series". As the name suggests these flash drives incorporate SLC (single-level cell) NAND flash memory. The drives are available in two capacity options, 16 GB (model: U3M16SLC) and 32 GB (model: U3M32SLC). Taking advantage of the USB 3.0 interface, the drives provide transfer rates of up to 155 MB/s reads, with up to 135 MB/s writes. Measuring 78 x 17 x 8.6 mm (WxDxH), the drives are built in conventional capped form-factor. Slated for an early-June release, the U3M16SLC is priced at 5,480 JPY (US $69), while the U3M32SLC goes for 8,980 JPY (US $113).

Zalman's Computex launch extravaganza includes three new Computer Noise Prevention System (CNPS) CPU coolers. These include the CNPS14X, a new aluminum fin twin-tower heatsink that's ventilated by a large central 140 mm fan; the CNPS9900DF, which retains the omega-shaped heat-pipe ring design of several of Zalman's iconic CNPS CPU coolers, nestled with two "ultra quiet" 120 mm fans; and a trio of closed-loop water-cooling solutions, the LQ310, LQ315, and LQ320. We will learn more about these at Computex.

Zalman wants to make serious inroads to the PSU market with three new product lines, with a total of six models. The three lines include the high capacity Platinum line with its only model, the ZM1250W Platinum (1250W), which is 80 Plus Platium compliant; the GoldRock-XG series with three models, the ZM550W-XG, ZM650W-XG, and ZM750W-XG, all of which are 80 Plus Gold compliant; to finish things up, there are two LE value series PSUs with two variants, the ZM400-LE and ZM500-LE.

Zalman entered the graphics card business in late 2011, by introducing its first products in the category, all of which are based on AMD Radeon GPUs. At Computex 2012, the Korean PC enthusiast components maker plans to launch its first GeForce graphics cards, along with a few new performance-thru-mainstream Radeon HD 7000 series parts. Among the GeForce parts launched Computex, are an NVIDIA reference design GeForce GTX 670 model, and custom-design GeForce GTX 550 Ti and GeForce GTX 560 Ti graphics cards. These parts appear to be using custom PCB designs, and Zalman's very own Z-Machine GV1000 GPU cooling solutions.

Among the new Radeon HD 7000 series graphics cards slated for Computex, are the already-unveiled VF3000-cooled HD 7950, a VF3000-cooled Radeon HD 7870, a GV1000-cooled Radeon HD 7850, a VF1000-cooled Radeon HD 7770, and a VF900-cooled Radeon HD 7750. All five Radeon parts use custom PCB designs that are colored Zalman's signature shade of blue.

Zalman slipped in a new variant of the Z9 gaming PC chassis, the Z9 U3. The new variant is almost identical to the original Z9, except for two additions: an acrylic window on the side-panel instead of fan inlet meshes, and front-panel USB 3.0 ports (standard header). Measuring 207 x 464 x 504 mm (WxHxD), and weighing 7.2 kg, the Z9 U3 is an ATX mid-tower made primarily of SECC-steel and ABS plastic. It features an all-black color scheme.

Drive bays include three 5.25", six 3.5" (one exposed, five internal), and one 2.5". The case is ventilated by one front-panel 120 mm blue LED-lit fan (provision for 140 mm), one rear 120 mm fan, one top 120 mm fan that's LED-lit, and one optional 120 mm spinner on the bottom. The case has enough room for graphics cards as long as 29 cm. The Z9 U3 is expected to cost US $70.

It's no news that Zalman is a graphics card vendor in its own might. The company is ready with its Radeon HD 7950 graphics card (model: ZALMAN HD7950-Z). The card uses a slightly customized AMD reference design PCB (customized with its color), augmented with Zalman's proven VF3000 VGA cooler. The VF3000 is a large aluminum fin heatsink to which heat is fed by copper heat pipes, ventilated by two large red LED-lit fans.

The cooler occupies three expansion slots, and is said to offer temperatures as low as 20°C below what the AMD reference cooler manages. This particular model sticks to AMD reference clock speeds, leaving it to end-users to take advantage of the cooler and overclock for themselves, although plans for an OC model are underway.

What happens when you send a PC cooling expert such as Zalman into the field of PSUs? You get PSUs with genuine innovation in cooling, which translates to quieter PSUs. Such is the case of the ZM750-HP Plus, an upper-mid range 750W PSU from Zalman. The PSU replaces aluminum cooling plates with copper heat pipes that draw heat away from hot parts (such as FETs), and onto aluminum fin stacks, which are ventilated by a large 140 mm fan. Since a lot of heat is dissipated passively by these large heatsinks, the fan has very little work to do, and so it spins at low speeds, resulting in very quiet operation.

The ZM750-HP Plus features modular cabling, enough to wire out a gaming PC with two graphics cards. The PSU is 80 Plus Silver-rated. It uses a quad 12V rail design, among which two deliver 28A each (for graphics cards), one delivers 25A (motherboard and SATA), one delivers 20A (CPU, dedicated to the EPS connector). It uses a dual forward-switching design, with active PFC. A secondary protection IC governs various safety features such as OCP, OVP, SCP, UVP, and OTP. The ZM750-HP Plus from Zalman, is expected to be priced at US $189,50.

Colorful is well-known for its highly innovative graphics card designs, it is one of China's leading graphics card brands. Some of its graphics card designs have captured our imagination. Its latest creation is a DIY mini-ITX barebones system for gaming, called Desert Eagle. The package consists of Colorful's own-design slim-form-factor (SFF) chassis, which bears a swanky combination of red and black, with ample perforations and and top handles; a custom-design, low-profile Colorfire AMD Radeon HD 6750 graphics card (Colorfire is Colorful's Radeon-selling brand); a mini-ITX socket LGA1155 motherboard based on the Intel H67 chipset (model: i-H67HD U3); and a 300W PSU.

Japanese built-to-order gaming PC maker Ark PC unveiled an AMD-powered variant of its Tathlum Gaming PC desktop (model: CY-AF8A99A-C2). The machine is built into a Cooler Master HAF 912 Advanced chassis, and is accompanied by a 23-inch full-HD monitor. In the driver's seat is AMD FX-8150 processor, seated on an ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX motherboard, with 8 GB dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory, and AMD Radeon HD 7970 3 GB graphics. The processor is cooled by a Zalman CNPS9900MAX Red. Other components of interest include a Hitachi DeskStar 1 TB 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s hard drive, onboard HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet. A SilverStone ST75F-SST-P 750W 80 Plus Silver PSU powers it all. Windows 7 Home Premium x64 is the OS of choice. The Tanthum CY-AF8A99A-C2 is priced at 167,800 JPY (US $2,175).

Zalman unveiled a trio of entry-thru-mid range PSUs for gaming PC builds, the 500W ZM500-GT, the 600W ZM600-GT, and the 700W ZM700-GT. The three feature uneventful fixed cabling, but offer 80 Plus efficiency. These PSUs feature two-forward switching circuit designs, are ATX v2.3 compliant, and conform to ErP 2010 Lot 6 power-draw standards (<1W standby power).

The ZM500-GT features a dual +12V rail design (each rail 18A), while the ZM500-GT and ZM600-GT feature quad +12V rail (each 18A) design. Internally, the GT series PSUs feature +5Vsb green IC, active PFC, and a secondary protection IC. The units are cooled by a 120 mm temperature-controlled fan. The ZM500-GT is 80 Plus compliant, while the ZM600-GT and ZM700-GT are 80 Plus Bronze compliant. According to the source, the ZM500-GT will be priced around $80, the ZM600-GT around $100, and the ZM700-GT around $125.

South Korean company Zalman has now introduced two new 'high performance' PC cases, the Z11 and Z11 Plus mid-towers. These models measure 260 (W) x 498 (H) x 525 (D) mm, they weight 7.3 kg, and have a steel structure, a black paint job, and support for ATX and micro ATX motherboards, as well as for graphics cards up to 290 mm long.

Zalman's cases feature four exposed 5.25-inch bays, one 2.5-inch bay, five 3.5-inch drive trays with tool-free mounting, an acrylic side window, an anti-vibration rubber stand for the PSU, two pre-drilled holes for watercooling tubes, and four fans - one 120 mm spinner with blue LEDs in front, another one on top, a LED-less 120 mm model at the back, and two 80 mm fans on the side.

The Zalman Z11 includes an I/O panel with four USB 2.0 ports and has a recommended price tag of 69.90 Euro, while the Z11 Plus offers two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports, and costs 79.90 Euro. Both are expected to become available in about two weeks.

Zalman released ZM-OC2011, a retention kit upgrade for WB5 and WB5 Plus water-blocks to support Intel's latest LGA2011 socket, on which Intel's "Sandy Bridge-E" Core i7 and Core i7 Extreme Edition processors are based. The kit consists of brackets that let you use the mount-hole spacing of all previous Intel LGA sockets, including LGA775, LGA1366, LGA1155/1156; nuts and bolts. In Japan it is priced at around $19.