# Zalman 9500 overrated?



## SK-1 (Feb 1, 2007)

I have read a few postings to that effect.I want the best s939 CPU air cooler I can buy.
There is a 120mm fan mod I saw for the 9500 but I do not think I can squeeze it in unless I go vertical with my Zalman and blow hot air up into my PSU.
What do you guy's suggest?


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 1, 2007)

Zalman = overrated IMO. There are better coolers out there like the Scythe Infinity 120mm big cooler. 
I have the BigTyphoon from thermaltake and I'm not impressed. When you use a heatpipe cooler choose one that keeps the pipes short.


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## ace80 (Feb 1, 2007)

I also think the zalman is a little overrated but i have done the 120mm fan mod and it did shave a few degrees off idle and load temps. Whats stopping u from squeezing it in, the ram?
As u can see from my pic i clear the ram by about 2mm, and this is the only way it would fit back in the case.


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## pt (Feb 1, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> I have read a few postings to that effect.I want the best s939 CPU air cooler I can buy.
> There is a 120mm fan mod I saw for the 9500 but I do not think I can squeeze it in unless I go vertical with my Zalman and blow hot air up into my PSU.
> What do you guy's suggest?



there are lots of better cooler than the zalkan ones, schyte is a good example
i would suggest a thermalright ultra 120 with 2 fans as the best cooler on the market


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## Ketxxx (Feb 1, 2007)

The 9500 is deffinately over rated. The Arctic Freezer 64 Pro is a much better alternative, and if your good with lapping, the Freezer can quite comfortably outdo the 9500, even more so if you mount a fan on the other side of the Freezer sucking hot air away.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 1, 2007)

pt said:


> there are lots of better cooler than the zalkan ones, schyte is a good example
> i would suggest a thermalright ultra 120 with 2 fans as the best cooler on the market



That's a good one too. But can you beat 10 pipes on the scythe? Also the scythe has a "mini heatsink" in the middle. That helps with that "heat soak" issue I mentioned. I wonder if a little fan would cram in there?  Scythe=Air Flow: 46.5CFM... as in... THATS IT? Put a 120mm fan doing 60-90cfm on it and I think it will do much better then only 46.5. The quantity and short lenght of the heatpipes also sold me on it. I didn't know about it when I bought my Big Typhoon.  I'm ordering one soon. I will post the results.


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## pt (Feb 1, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> That's a good one too. But can you beat 10 pipes on the scythe? Also the scythe has a "mini heatsink" in the middle. That helps with that "heat soak" issue I mentioned. I wonder if a little fan would cram in there?  Scythe=Air Flow: 46.5CFM... as in... THATS IT? Put a 120mm fan doing 60-90cfm on it and I think it will do much better then only 46.5. The quantity and short lenght of the heatpipes also sold me on it. I didn't know about it when I bought my Big Typhoon.  I'm ordering one soon. I will post the results.



the best cooler in the world ain't certain, some sites say it's x, some say it's y, no one can be really sure, i have a thermalright si-128 and couldn't be happier with it


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## DOM (Feb 1, 2007)

Lazzer408 on your system specs. 59C is that idle or on load ??

im happy with my BT but i changed my fan to a blue smart fan from Thermaltake


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## Random Murderer (Feb 1, 2007)

i have the cnps 9500 you speak of and i love it. i dont know why you all say its overrated...
it keeps my smithfield(known for running excessively hot when oc'd) oc'd from 2.8 to 3.8 at 48 load... i'd say thats pretty damn good.


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## lufrey (Feb 1, 2007)

I have my old Zalman 9500 and the new Zalman 9700, I must say the 9700 is far better at cooling than the 9500. Both the 9500 and 9700 are far better than all other coolers I've used so far, even better than my AC Freezer64 pro.

I get 42C running at full load, on my A64 x2 4600+ OC'd to 2.67GHz.


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## tofu (Feb 1, 2007)

Ketxxx said:


> The 9500 is deffinately over rated. The Arctic Freezer 64 Pro is a much better alternative, and if your good with lapping, the Freezer can quite comfortably outdo the 9500, even more so if you mount a fan on the other side of the Freezer sucking hot air away.



And Freezer's only cost half the price of a 9500.


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## stevorob (Feb 1, 2007)

I can keep my 4200 @ 2.7 at 40 load on my freezer...  I'll say they can outperform the zalman.

And the fan mod really helps out.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 1, 2007)

DOM_ATI_X800XL_PCI-E said:


> Lazzer408 on your system specs. 59C is that idle or on load ??



That's full load with 2 prime95 running with affinity assigned one to each core. About 15min worth. I didn't let it run all night or anything but I have pretty good airflow in the case so I don't think it would accumulate much higher. Maybe 1 or 2 deg. It shot up to 57 within seconds and 59 in a few minutes then just sat at 59 the rest of the test. I'm not too impressed with the Big Typhoon. That's why I'm interested in hearing about how other coolers are holding up.

EDIT - One thing overlooked about the zalman is how tightly the fins get near the center of the cooler. Dust can and does pile up in there quickly leaving only the outer area of the fins left for cooling. Just a note. So zalman owners check that area closly after awhile and make sure it's free of dust.


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## lufrey (Feb 1, 2007)

Well, my personal experience as I have the 9500, 9700 and AC 64 pro, the 9700 keeps my CPU running the coolest of the three, and that is with lapping and good quality thermal paste. 

I like all three coolers, but based purely on thermal performance, the 9700 is on top.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 1, 2007)

lufrey said:


> Well, my personal experience as I have the 9500, 9700 and AC 64 pro, the 9700 keeps my CPU running the coolest of the three, and that is with lapping and good quality thermal paste.
> 
> I like all three coolers, but based purely on thermal performance, the 9700 is on top.



How loud is it at full speed though? I can hardly hear the 120mm ones.


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## lufrey (Feb 1, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> How loud is it at full speed though? I can hardly hear the 120mm ones.



Very loud. As my setup is a HTPC, when I'm not running it on games etc, I usually have the fan on minimum.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 1, 2007)

lufrey said:


> Very loud. As my setup is a HTPC, when I'm not running it on games etc, I usually have the fan on minimum.



Ah... Yeh get this. I found a 110cfm (or was it 120?) 120mm fan at an electronics shop the other day. I'm going back to buy it. hehehe. I'm going to have to build a PWM controller with thermal feedback to use it. I better pick up a 3525 IC while I'm there. =) I hooked it up to a 12v battery they had there and MAN does it blow and MAN is it LOUD! Upside down it floated on it's own air like a hovercraft across there floor. It ran on a 6v battery too but still loud.


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## lufrey (Feb 1, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> Ah... Yeh get this. I found a 110cfm (or was it 120?) 120mm fan at an electronics shop the other day. I'm going back to buy it. hehehe. I'm going to have to build a PWM controller with thermal feedback to use it. I better pick up a 3525 IC while I'm there. =) I hooked it up to a 12v battery they had there and MAN does it blow and MAN is it LOUD! Upside down it floated on it's own air like a hovercraft across there floor. It ran on a 6v battery too but still loud.



I'd love to see some pics of it once you're done!


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## newtekie1 (Feb 1, 2007)

There are certainly better coolers out there than the 9500, but I have one on my 4400+ and I wouldn't use anything else.  The thing just looks so damn good and it does such a good job while doing it.  It is like when you take your car to get your car washed.  Who do you want doing it?  The hot girl with just a hose a bikini and a sponge or the scruffy guy with a full detail kit?  I know I would pick the hot girl, even though I know the guy would probably do a better job.

I guess if you don't have a window on the side of your case you can stick any ugly cooler on there and be happy, but not me.  Now that I have moved up to the 9700 on my E6600 I can't be happier, it looks just as good as the 9500 and cools even better.  I love it.


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## ktr (Feb 1, 2007)

Gigabyte makes so pretty desent coolers...check out frostytech...


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## sneekypeet (Feb 1, 2007)

I'd say it works better than stock...but really you're paying for the EYE CANDY!!!!!


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## lufrey (Feb 2, 2007)

newtekie1 said:


> I guess if you don't have a window on the side of your case you can stick any ugly cooler on there and be happy, but not me.  Now that I have moved up to the 9700 on my E6600 I can't be happier, it looks just as good as the 9500 and cools even better.  I love it.



I agree, the 9500 and 9700 are very impressive to look at. I don't have a transparent case or case cover, so I don't get to see the thing, but the thermal performance is better than most, and that's a fact.  

If you're not convinced, then check this website for yourself for a comparison against other coolers:
http://www.frostytech.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=2045&page=4


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## SK-1 (Feb 2, 2007)

Once again,..I can count on many quick and honest opinions here on TPU Thanks to all.
I do have a window,I like the look of the Zal,and that 9700 looks like a winner on the Frosty chart.
So,...is any one looking for a very gently used{3mts.} CNPS9500 led?


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 2, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Once again,..I can count on many quick and honest opinions here on TPU Thanks to all.
> I do have a window,I like the look of the Zal,and that 9700 looks like a winner on the Frosty chart.
> So,...is any one looking for a very gently used{3mts.} CNPS9500 led?



Remember to note the fan speeds and dB on those reviews. For example. If one hsf keeps a cpu at 55c and another at 57c dont run out and buy the 55c cooler bassed on that alone. The 55c cooler might need fan at 4500rpm 48dB all the time where the 57c cooler might be at 1200rpm 26dB. Follow? To me it's not worth the noise of a cooler running full speed all the time for a 2c gain.


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## SK-1 (Feb 3, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> Remember to note the fan speeds and dB on those reviews. For example. If one hsf keeps a cpu at 55c and another at 57c dont run out and buy the 55c cooler bassed on that alone. The 55c cooler might need fan at 4500rpm 48dB all the time where the 57c cooler might be at 1200rpm 26dB. Follow? To me it's not worth the noise of a cooler running full speed all the time for a 2c gain.



Got it,..and I agree with that thinking.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 3, 2007)

ace80 said:


> I also think the zalman is a little overrated but i have done the 120mm fan mod and it did shave a few degrees off idle and load temps. Whats stopping u from squeezing it in, the ram?
> As u can see from my pic i clear the ram by about 2mm, and this is the only way it would fit back in the case.



Just quoted this for the sake of the picture and I was wondering if a duct around the fins directing the airflow thru them would help. I can imagine alot of the air is flying off the sides of the fan rather then straight out forward and thru the fins. I've wondered this about alot of the larger coolers with open sides.


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## lufrey (Feb 3, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> Just quoted this for the sake of the picture and I was wondering if a duct around the fins directing the airflow thru them would help. I can imagine alot of the air is flying off the sides of the fan rather then straight out forward and thru the fins. I've wondered this about alot of the larger coolers with open sides.



I often wondered this myself. If it would be more efficient to put a duct around the 9700, to direct the heated air out of the case.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 3, 2007)

Oh sure. If the duct ran all the way back to those rear fans? Absolutly. That heat wouldn't be recirculating around inside the case.

Hey ace80, why don't you go to the hardware store and grab a piece of 2-3" flu pipe. It's split down the middle so cut to lenght and it would slide right over that cooler. See if there's a drop in cpu or case temps. Your cooler will look like the flying nun! Don't forget to post pics.


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## SK-1 (Feb 3, 2007)

ace80 said:


> I also think the zalman is a little overrated but i have done the 120mm fan mod and it did shave a few degrees off idle and load temps. Whats stopping u from squeezing it in, the ram?
> As u can see from my pic i clear the ram by about 2mm, and this is the only way it would fit back in the case.



My Corsair is really tall,otherwise I would do the 120mm.mod in an instant.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 3, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> My Corsair is really tall,otherwise I would do the 120mm.mod in an instant.



Your ram MIGHT work in slots 1 and 3 (counting slots as 0,1,2,3) if your only using the 2 modules. You can try it anyways with no ill effects.


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## ace80 (Feb 3, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> Oh sure. If the duct ran all the way back to those rear fans? Absolutly. That heat wouldn't be recirculating around inside the case.
> 
> Hey ace80, why don't you go to the hardware store and grab a piece of 2-3" flu pipe. It's split down the middle so cut to lenght and it would slide right over that cooler. See if there's a drop in cpu or case temps. Your cooler will look like the flying nun! Don't forget to post pics.



Sounds like a good idea, prob give it a try soon.
I have experimented a little, 1st i ducted some cold air from outside into the case resting in front of the zalman, obviously this reduced temps considerably.
2nd i thought that the centre of the 120mm fan is quite large, so maybe there's a dead spot running straight through the cooler where the fins meet the heatpipes. So i took the fan out and just had the ducted cold air blasting the zalman, indeed my temps dropped about another 5°C - no lie!

Posted pic of air duct and fan,


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## s1rrah (Feb 4, 2007)

ace80 said:


> I also think the zalman is a little overrated but i have done the 120mm fan mod and it did shave a few degrees off idle and load temps. Whats stopping u from squeezing it in, the ram?
> As u can see from my pic i clear the ram by about 2mm, and this is the only way it would fit back in the case.



good for you for modding that sucker. it's not very good for overclocking otherwise.

i put an FM121 on mine when i was using it; the FM121 has a very small spindle/hub and 9 blades pushing 110CFM ... dropped my temps about 9 degrees at load. there's a link in my sig. 

... 

and to answer the original posters question? is the 9500 overrated? 

1 for serious overclocking? WAY OVERRATED!

2 for stock speeds or very mild overclocks? NOT AT ALL.

...

it's a supremely well built cooler ... has a fantastic mounting system ... but just isn't a real overclockers air cooler.


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## lufrey (Feb 4, 2007)

s1rrah said:


> i put an FM121 on mine when i was using it; the FM121 has a very small spindle/hub and 9 blades pushing 110CFM ... dropped my temps about 9 degrees at load. there's a link in my sig.



Holy!   How loud is your system with that running at full speed?!


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 4, 2007)

s1rrah said:


> good for you for modding that sucker. it's not very good for overclocking otherwise.
> 
> i put an FM121 on mine when i was using it; the FM121 has a very small spindle/hub and 9 blades pushing 110CFM ... dropped my temps about 9 degrees at load. there's a link in my sig.
> 
> ...



3.6ghz @ 55c eh? I'm looking at the Scythe Infinity as a replacement for my Big Typhoon. How was the Scythe Infinity with the stock fan? Could it's keep the 6400 cool? I have a 6600 @ 3.5ghz but I'm reaching 66c @ 1.45v. I'd like to drop that at least 15c if I can and hopefully get it to 3.6 (400fsb) Somewhere I read a review and the Scythe Ninja did as well if not better then the infinity. Any opinion on the Ninja?


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## Mediocre (Feb 4, 2007)

If this is still about the 'best' cooler you can buy right now...

Scythe.

You can put ANY (normal thickness) 120mm fan on it, Pointing in ANY direction. 10 heat pipes.

You don't even NEED the fan if you don't load the processor. It's the shizzle


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## lufrey (Feb 4, 2007)

Mediocre said:


> If this is still about the 'best' cooler you can buy right now...
> 
> Scythe.
> 
> ...



All I can say to that is - Thermalrite Ultra-120:  
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article646-page1.html

Although the Scythe Ninja's and Infinity's perform quite well also.


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## WarEagleAU (Feb 4, 2007)

I have a TT Big Typhoon and it keeps my system nice and cool


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## Mediocre (Feb 4, 2007)

lufrey said:


> All I can say to that is - Thermalrite Ultra-120:
> http://www.silentpcreview.com/article646-page1.html
> 
> Although the Scythe Ninja's and Infinity's perform quite well also.



Tis a nice cooler, and I'm sure it works great, but looks like it only has 4 heatpipes, and it doesn't look as massive as the infinity. With the infinity you can mount the 120mm fan on any of the four sides (I.E. Heatsink is square 120mm). That one looked like 120 x ~70ish. It also looked like the infinity also has more copper on it and the fins are closer together. 


Infinity is the shit..only has 5 pipes though. It looks like 10, but they go all the way through the copper core and up the other side.

EDIT: not to mention being able to put a 110 cfm 'turbine' style fan on it as well:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811999344


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## s1rrah (Feb 4, 2007)

lufrey said:


> Holy!   How loud is your system with that running at full speed?!



well, real loud. but i'm not using the zalman anymore. retired it for an infinity. now i'm using *two* FM121'!

as i said. real loud at full speed but i never run it at full speed.


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## s1rrah (Feb 4, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> 3.6ghz @ 55c eh? I'm looking at the Scythe Infinity as a replacement for my Big Typhoon. How was the Scythe Infinity with the stock fan? Could it's keep the 6400 cool? I have a 6600 @ 3.5ghz but I'm reaching 66c @ 1.45v. I'd like to drop that at least 15c if I can and hopefully get it to 3.6 (400fsb) Somewhere I read a review and the Scythe Ninja did as well if not better then the infinity. Any opinion on the Ninja?



yup. 3.6ghz at 54-55 full orthos load. that's with 22C ambients, mind you. summer time, i've got more like 24C or 25C ambients and the loads will be closer to 58C or so.

the infinity rocks. out of the box i don't think it's as good, the push-pin mounting system bites ... but if you do a bolt-thru modification of the mounting system then it's as good as it gets on air cooling, especially considering you can mount dual fans on it for ultra silent, low fan speed operation that will cool better than a single fan at full speed. i did a single/dual fan review of the infinity that you might find interesting: Infinity single/dual fan review

and no, the ninja will not be as good as the infinity, most reviews place it a few degrees behind the infinity ... but it too is a good cooler if you do the bolt-thru modification.

the infinity seriously smoked my FM121 modified zalman ... there's a link in my sig. the zalman worked really well with a good fan on it ... but just couldn't compete with the infinity's surface area.

also, to second another user's opinion ... if you want to skip the modification process involved in getting the most from the scythe coolers ... then just purchase a thermalright ultra-120. it works just as good (damn close, anyway) right out of the box. it's a bit pricey, though and doesn't come with a fan.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 5, 2007)

The attached picture is from this page:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article658-page4.html

They show the Ninja performing better then the Infinity. Does anyone see any tricks that may have given those results? Maybe the amount of heat dissipated comes down to the fan with these coolers. They both used the same fan so they both move the same amount of air over the heatsink. Sound right? But the Infinity, having more surface area, should perform better then the Ninja IF a larger fan was used (more cfm). The Ninja is slightly smaller so I may choose it over the Inf. just to keep the weight down. They both seem to be great coolers. My TTBT has bolt-thru mounting so I'm all set in that department.


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## lufrey (Feb 5, 2007)

Mediocre said:


> Tis a nice cooler, and I'm sure it works great, but looks like it only has 4 heatpipes, and it doesn't look as massive as the infinity. With the infinity you can mount the 120mm fan on any of the four sides (I.E. Heatsink is square 120mm). That one looked like 120 x ~70ish. It also looked like the infinity also has more copper on it and the fins are closer together.
> 
> 
> Infinity is the shit..only has 5 pipes though. It looks like 10, but they go all the way through the copper core and up the other side.
> ...



I must say, the Skythe units are the most impressive HSF that I've seen. They look like skyscrapers on the motherboard city.


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## s1rrah (Feb 5, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> The attached picture is from this page:
> 
> http://www.silentpcreview.com/article658-page4.html
> 
> They show the Ninja performing better then the Infinity. Does anyone see any tricks that may have given those results?



among the majority of online reviews showing ninja vs. infinity results ... that particular review is a bit of an exception. 

by and large, the majority of reviews will place the infinity a bit better than the ninja. that particular review is interesting as well, in that it shows results in the realm of 'rise over ambient' as opposed to a particular celsius reading. 

i happen to like the design of the ninja a bit better than the infinity ... the 'gothic' star shape is cool looking ... but i don't think it's quite as good at cooling; close, but just not on par with the infinity.


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## SK-1 (Feb 7, 2007)

*Another contender*

If I could justify the price,I think I know what I would buy now.
http://ultraproducts.com/product_details.php?cPath=17&pPath=571&productID=571


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## SK-1 (Feb 7, 2007)

Well it's decided.I noticed Newegg had $20.00 off the 9700.Plus,I put my 9500 on Ebay and sold it for $44.00.So my net upgrade cost is about 20 bucks.I can live with that.
It should be here by Friday. 
I wonder if I will need to remove my MB for the install.When I put the 9500 in I don't think I did so I am keeping my fingers crossed.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 7, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Well it's decided.I noticed Newegg had $20.00 off the 9700.Plus,I put my 9500 on Ebay and sold it for $44.00.So my net upgrade cost is about 20 bucks.I can live with that.
> It should be here by Friday.
> I wonder if I will need to remove my MB for the install.When I put the 9500 in I don't think I did so I am keeping my fingers crossed.



http://www.overclock.net/1564869-post1.html read this Infinity vs. Zalman 9500 (+modified)

PS: the Infinity is $44 ironically. lol


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## SK-1 (Feb 7, 2007)

Hey Laz believe it or not that is the article that started my quest for a better cooler. 
I love the Scythe and the bigger 9700 performance wise,and the looks are almost equal.
The past luck I have had with Zalman,from the Reserator 1 that helped keep my PC room warm on the cold winter nights,to the other fans and CPU coolers I have bought from them,really helped made up my mind on this one.I will post the temp difference after I get some experience with it.I hope that Frosty review site is right about this one!


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## SK-1 (Feb 7, 2007)

lufrey said:


> I have my old Zalman 9500 and the new Zalman 9700, I must say the 9700 is far better at cooling than the 9500. Both the 9500 and 9700 are far better than all other coolers I've used so far, even better than my AC Freezer64 pro.
> 
> I get 42C running at full load, on my A64 x2 4600+ OC'd to 2.67GHz.



Was it easy swapping out the 9500 for the 9700?


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## lufrey (Feb 7, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Was it easy swapping out the 9500 for the 9700?



Yeah, was very easy. I had plenty of room on my DFI mobo, and it certainly made my 9500 look tiny. The temperature difference was significant, and I thought my 9500 was good, the 9700 is just so much better.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 7, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Hey Laz believe it or not that is the article that started my quest for a better cooler.
> I love the Scythe and the bigger 9700 performance wise,and the looks are almost equal.
> The past luck I have had with Zalman,from the Reserator 1 that helped keep my PC room warm on the cold winter nights,to the other fans and CPU coolers I have bought from them,really helped made up my mind on this one.I will post the temp difference after I get some experience with it.I hope that Frosty review site is right about this one!



Someone on the forums is selling a 9700 also. Check the BigTyphoon thread. I think it was there I was offered one.


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## ace80 (Feb 7, 2007)

SK-1 keep us posted on the temp differences, the 9700 tempted me a while back but since i got a tube running from the window its prolonged the life of my 9500 

To answer your question on the flu-tube Lazzer, i've kinda tried it and wow!!! I only used paper but the results, another 5°C drop  
Some pics:
Unfortunatly imageshack isn't letting me upload but here's a pic of the new temp


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 7, 2007)

ace80 said:


> SK-1 keep us posted on the temp differences, the 9700 tempted me a while back but since i got a tube running from the window its prolonged the life of my 9500
> 
> To answer your question on the flu-tube Lazzer, i've kinda tried it and wow!!! I only used paper but the results, another 5°C drop
> Some pics:
> Unfortunatly imageshack isn't letting me upload but here's a pic of the new temp



Sweet man.  5c is a great improvement considering the cost.   I bet it ducts the air thru the fins much better then just leaving it open like they did. Do you have before and after case/system temps? I'd like to know how well it's keeping the hot air out of the case. Is your "paper duct" long enough to reach the rear fans? Post pics!  In fact why don't you write up a whole review about the mod with all your results, clock speeds, and temps listed straight-forward. I'm sure other Zalman owners would like to try that.


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## ace80 (Feb 7, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> Sweet man.  5c is a great improvement considering the cost.   I bet it ducts the air thru the fins much better then just leaving it open like they did. Do you have before and after case/system temps? I'd like to know how well it's keeping the hot air out of the case. Is your "paper duct" long enough to reach the rear fans? Post pics!  In fact why don't you write up a whole review about the mod with all your results, clock speeds, and temps listed straight-forward. I'm sure other Zalman owners would like to try that.


I wish i could write up a small review of what i did but unfortunatly i just don't have the time recently.
Here's a sort of brief history with pics: All temps are @ idle



Zalman 9500 completly stock@4.8Ghz 40°C






After 120mm fan mod@4.8Ghz - dropped 2-3°C 38°C






I dont have any pics of temps after using the tube but there's a 92mm fan at each end  4.9Ghz(i think ) 32-33°C

No pics for this stage i'm afraid, removed 120mm fan on zalman and repositioned inlet tube better 4.9Ghz 29-30°C







As per Lazzers request  added a folded sheet of paper around zalman big enough to go completly around it and cover inlet tube, 2nd sheet of paper to back of zalman directing airflow into 2 exhaust fans 4.92Ghz 25°C

I've put the side panel back on which increased 1°C but its meant to snow here tomorrow, woo hoo!! 5Ghz benching time  
If i find a smaller tube i shall try the same with my x1800gto.
I wish i could try this on a 9700 but i hope it gives others some ideas, even without the cold air tube.
Happy modding, especially when its free!!


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## SK-1 (Feb 7, 2007)

Ingenious Ace ,..I have some non-conductive clear plastic sheeting that is way easy to bend and form.Think I may give that a go when the 9700 arrives.Time to move some drive cages around to make some room.I should have a semi-strait shot from my upper front case fan to the start of the new 9700 duct.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 8, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Ingenious Ace ,..I have some non-conductive clear plastic sheeting that is way easy to bend and form.Think I may give that a go when the 9700 arrives.Time to move some drive cages around to make some room.I should have a semi-strait shot from my upper front case fan to the start of the new 9700 duct.



ACE? Hey who's getting credit for my ideas here? 

I wasn't thinking you'd duct the inlet but hey...if it works right? 

You'll have to let us know how that works out on the 9700 SK-1. Don't forget before/after results. Can't wait to see.  Hey I'm up here at the border in Antioch! Howdy local.


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## SK-1 (Feb 8, 2007)

OOopp's...Sorry Laz,..my bad I see it is your idea.I guess kudos to you 
I am in the armpit of Illinois,...Peoria. lol!!Looks like either of us could just stick our rigs outside for the next few days and out perform a phase-change unit!!
I hope Mr.Punxsutawney Phil is right this time!


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 8, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> OOopp's...Sorry Laz,..my bad I see it is your idea.I guess kudos to you
> I am in the armpit of Illinois,...Peoria. lol!!Looks like either of us could just stick our rigs outside for the next few days and out perform a phase-change unit!!
> I hope Mr.Punxsutawney Phil is right this time!



Mr. Whodawattahuh?  Yup... it is damn cold out there. I can't smoke in the house and 5 minutes out there is hell. We're on a hill and the wind seems to always be tunneling into my back yard. It's now allowed to be this cold unless two variables are present. #1 12+" of snow and #2 I have a running snowmobile.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 8, 2007)

You know... you bring up a good point about outside cooling. If you think about it, the ground is always about 50-60f (10-15.5c) a few feet down. I bet one could burry a coil of copper tubing about 3 feet down and have a pretty damn cold cpu. Geo-thermal cooling?  Beats regular liquid cooling because the radiator is cooled with ambiant air. hmmmmm  Ace80, get on that!


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## SK-1 (Feb 8, 2007)

You know that damn critter that hides for 6 weeks due to a longer winter comming if he sees his shadow.
I Like the idea of a "Heat Pump" for a cooling solution!That is how my house is heated and cooled.


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## BigD6997 (Feb 8, 2007)

im diggin my zalman 9500

its a great cooler, a little pricy but a great cooler...


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## lufrey (Feb 8, 2007)

ace80 said:


> I wish i could write up a small review of what i did but unfortunatly i just don't have the time recently.
> Here's a sort of brief history with pics: All temps are @ idle
> 
> 
> ...




Holy cr@p!! You actually did it, you ran some ducting around and out the window!! Nice!


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## lufrey (Feb 8, 2007)

BigD6997 said:


> im diggin my zalman 9500
> 
> its a great cooler, a little pricy but a great cooler...



Yeah, all Zalman coolers are pretty pricey, but I wouldn't trade them for anything as they do a great job in my system. Your cooling is similar to my setup from what I see.


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## BigD6997 (Feb 8, 2007)

lufrey said:


> Yeah, all Zalman coolers are pretty pricey, but I wouldn't trade them for anything as they do a great job in my system. Your cooling is similar to my setup from what I see.



yeah it is pritty similar... i did just pick up a new opteron 170 (duel core) tho and @ 3ghz its actually cooler than my 3500+

i love the zalman


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## noneed4me2 (Feb 10, 2007)

lufrey said:


> Well, my personal experience as I have the 9500, 9700 and AC 64 pro, the 9700 keeps my CPU running the coolest of the three, and that is with lapping and good quality thermal paste.
> 
> I like all three coolers, but based purely on thermal performance, the 9700 is on top.



which is the better mounting setup for s939 or AM2, the 9500 or 9700, and do both come with a backplate considering they are overweight for the mobo spec?


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## Random Murderer (Feb 10, 2007)

noneed4me2 said:


> which is the better mounting setup for s939 or AM2, the 9500 or 9700, and do both come with a backplate considering they are overweight for the mobo spec?



they both have a backplate, and as far as i know, the mounting brackets are the same between the 2.


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## lufrey (Feb 10, 2007)

noneed4me2 said:


> which is the better mounting setup for s939 or AM2, the 9500 or 9700, and do both come with a backplate considering they are overweight for the mobo spec?



Not sure, have never owned an AM2 based system yet. With the 939, a backplate is supplied, and does not seem to put any excess pressure on the MB from what I have seen so far.

I plan to go to AM2, maybe later this year, tho I'll have to sell or get rid of one of my existing systems (as my wife won't allow it  ) before I do so.


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## noneed4me2 (Feb 10, 2007)

thanks for the replies I am leaning towards the 9700 versus other cooling, does the base need lapping? some of the reviews show a mirror polish, others pretty shinny but not mirror like.


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## lufrey (Feb 10, 2007)

noneed4me2 said:


> thanks for the replies I am leaning towards the 9700 versus other cooling, does the base need lapping? some of the reviews show a mirror polish, others pretty shinny but not mirror like.



It's a pretty smooth and shiny finish, but lapping will ensure good results, in my opinion anyway.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 10, 2007)

noneed4me2 said:


> thanks for the replies I am leaning towards the 9700 versus other cooling, does the base need lapping? some of the reviews show a mirror polish, others pretty shinny but not mirror like.



If you can wait till Monday, if you didnt buy one already, I will have the results of the Scythe Infinity with stock fan, mod fan, lapped, unlapped, white paste, and AS5. Looks like a busy day for me so check back Monday evening. It's almost 1/2 the cost of the Zalman. I have a thing against Zalman anyways.


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## s1rrah (Feb 10, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> If you can wait till Monday, if you didnt buy one already, I will have the results of the Scythe Infinity with stock fan, mod fan, lapped, unlapped, white paste, and AS5. Looks like a busy day for me so check back Monday evening. It's almost 1/2 the cost of the Zalman. I have a thing against Zalman anyways.



are you going to use the stock mounting or the modified bolt thru?


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## SK-1 (Feb 10, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> If you can wait till Monday, if you didnt buy one already, I will have the results of the Scythe Infinity with stock fan, mod fan, lapped, unlapped, white paste, and AS5. Looks like a busy day for me so check back Monday evening. It's almost 1/2 the cost of the Zalman. I have a thing against Zalman anyways.



That is great Laz,...I spent last night recording all my temps using the 9500 while running Prime,Folding,a few 3D mark benchies and a few matches of 2142 and a few other FPS games.
I am using only AS5 for the 9500 but I will try a few thermal pastes with the 9700 on Monday.
That is when I get the 9700


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 11, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> That is great Laz,...I spent last night recording all my temps using the 9500 while running Prime,Folding,a few 3D mark benchies and a few matches of 2142 and a few other FPS games.
> I am using only AS5 for the 9500 but I will try a few thermal pastes with the 9700 on Monday.
> That is when I get the 9700



Switching to AS5 from my usual paste didn't help me any. I think proper application and mounting is more important imo. I don't even know the specs of the stuff I usually use. I'll go look that up now...........................................(dramatic delay here)..........................................ok it looks like...well here you read it.

http://www.nteinc.com/specs/300to399/pdf/nte303.pdf SPECS

http://www.nteinc.com/MSDS/MSDS_NTE303.pdf DATA SHEET


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## noneed4me2 (Feb 11, 2007)

I am waiting abit to get it as I still haven't ruled out other cooling solutions yet. I got an opteron 170 that does 3ghz  at 1.55v maybe lower once i test it further but one core is wildy high and with high ambient temps I gotta make sure it does the job.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 11, 2007)

s1rrah said:


> are you going to use the stock mounting or the modified bolt thru?



Thru-bolt. I don't care much for those press-in clips. My PCB is rather thin anyways.


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## s1rrah (Feb 11, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> Thru-bolt. I don't care much for those press-in clips. My PCB is
> rather thin anyways.



looking forward to your findings.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 12, 2007)

See this thread for the Infinity Reviews.

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=24774

I'll update shortly.


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## SK-1 (Feb 13, 2007)

Well I got the Flu Sat night and the Zalman 9700 Monday.I loaded up on medicine and started the installation.Through my medicine head stupor,I lost the L-clip that holds the HS to my MB!
Either it did not come with it or it just disappeared.I spent an hour looking.I hit the net and found it is going to be VERY hard to get another clip soon.Time to be resourceful
Looking through my tool box I found some plumbers strap.This is some thin steel "tape"with holes placed along the length.It was unorthodox,...I was sic,...and it worked!
When I feel a little better I will post some pictures for all of you to laugh at.
Until then,,,here are some early numbers,even with my goofy mounting,I am really impressed 
Room temp=78F
CNPS 9500 With fan's on full= Idle,37C   
                                         Prime95 5 hours,50C to 51C
                                         Folding  5 hours,50C
                                         BF 2142 4 rounds,52C
                                         3Dmark06' looped,52C,53C

CNPS 9700 With fan's on full= Idle,32C
                                        Prime95 44C
                                        Folding  43C

I will post more 9700 results tonight.I am impressed so far with the 9700.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 14, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Well I got the Flu Sat night and the Zalman 9700 Monday.I loaded up on medicine and started the installation.Through my medicine head stupor,I lost the L-clip that holds the HS to my MB!
> Either it did not come with it or it just disappeared.I spent an hour looking.I hit the net and found it is going to be VERY hard to get another clip soon.Time to be resourceful
> Looking through my tool box I found some plumbers strap.This is some thin steel "tape"with holes placed along the length.It was unorthodox,...I was sic,...and it worked!
> When I feel a little better I will post some pictures for all of you to laugh at.
> ...



You have a warm room. 78? What CPU are you using and what's the speed? overclocked?


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## SK-1 (Feb 14, 2007)

Hey Laz,...nice review on the Infinity.What kind of camera did you use?I hope to do a review on something of your caliber one day.
I did all tests with the Opti 165@2835 and 1.50v.My room is warm.I have been ill, so I have the heat up a little higher than normal.Still feels cold to me though


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 14, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> Hey Laz,...nice review on the Infinity.What kind of camera did you use?I hope to do a review on something of your caliber one day.
> I did all tests with the Opti 165@2835 and 1.50v.My room is warm.I have been ill, so I have the heat up a little higher than normal.Still feels cold to me though



 It was my first "review". Just my own experience with a few heatsinks. I figured I might as well contribute my data for everyone else to benifit. The "real reviewers" get paid for this shit. lol No one donated anything to me. Maybe I should tell Scythe about the thread and beg for a freebie!  
 The camera is an old Fuji finepix a360. 4.1mp. It's a great cheap camera. Shoots video with sound too. Even has a speaker in it.  It takes great closeups with the macro function. Hope you feel better SK. Is that name after the Casio SK-1 keyboard?


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## s1rrah (Feb 14, 2007)

Lazzer408 said:


> It was my first "review". Just my own experience with a few heatsinks. I figured I might as well contribute my data for everyone else to benifit. The "real reviewers" get paid for this shit. lol No one donated anything to me. Maybe I should tell Scythe about the thread and beg for a freebie!
> The camera is an old Fuji finepix a360. 4.1mp. It's a great cheap camera. Shoots video with sound too. Even has a speaker in it.  It takes great closeups with the macro function. Hope you feel better SK. Is that name after the Casio SK-1 keyboard?



BTW ... where did you find the springs? i've got some springs but yours look better (bit more thicker) than mine.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 14, 2007)

s1rrah said:


> BTW ... where did you find the springs? i've got some springs but yours look better (bit more thicker) than mine.



ACE hardware has them. There actually compressed all the way but probably didn't need to be. It's very secure. The hardware cost me about $8  but it's stainless.


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## aijuswannasing (Feb 14, 2007)

IF you guys had to choose between a Zalman 9500 aluminum or the 7700-cu,  which would you go for?  I can't find a copper 9500 in my area and the aluminum was all i can find.

I know that the 9500 copper wins over the 7700-cu, but does that go the same for the aluminum one?


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 14, 2007)

aijuswannasing said:


> IF you guys had to choose between a Zalman 9500 aluminum or the 7700-cu,  which would you go for?  I can't find a copper 9500 in my area and the aluminum was all i can find.
> 
> I know that the 9500 copper wins over the 7700-cu, but does that go the same for the aluminum one?



Are you limited to the size? I stayed away from Zamlan just bexcause there overpriced. There are cheaper coolers they work better. The Infinity is $42 for example. Zalman is just a "designer name"


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## rick22 (Feb 14, 2007)

friend has a 9500 and likes it..i'm getting one .they are big but they work...


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## SK-1 (Feb 14, 2007)

Newegg Zalman 9700 "designer series" for $59.00,... including the new paint on,"designer" super thermal grease.
$17.00 more won't break the bank will it?


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## aijuswannasing (Feb 14, 2007)

Thanks guys.

Yeah i just went to my nearest london drugs and picked them up from there.  Where i live there's not too much variety in stores that carry these and I need it right away and can't wait for web-delivery.

Anyways though - i decided to install the 9500.  I was decieved by the color but it turns out its copper core.  The 7700 just seem a little too big right now, even compared to the 9500.  There's no 9700's avail in my area, but i was able to pick up the 9500 for $70CDN.

Thanks a bunch guys =)


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## SK-1 (Feb 14, 2007)

Let me know how it works out for you.Watch out the fins can be sharp during install.


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## SK-1 (Feb 16, 2007)

The thermal grease must take a while to cure,...my room is cooler and this results in some of the coolest temps I have monitored at this OC ever.The 9700 seems to be MUCH better at cooling.
36C to 37C PRIME.
35C to 36 C Folding.
41C to 43C BF2142 5 rounds. And this is with plumbers strap and sheet-metal screws holding it in place! 
My new hardware to mount it the right way will be here an a few days.Then I can orient it to blow out the back of my case instead of up into the PSU like it is now.
I guess this new designer series is living up to the hype,form plus function.


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## SK-1 (Feb 17, 2007)

I said I would post this,..not proud just resourceful.It will do for a few more days.


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## Lazzer408 (Feb 17, 2007)

SK-1 said:


> I said I would post this,..not proud just resourceful.It will do for a few more days.



Git-er-done!


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