When it comes to top-tier air coolers, they all tend to be similar in that the majority utilize dual-cooling towers and typically 2x 140 mm fans. This applies to the NH-D15, R1 Ultimate, Assassin III, Dark Rock Pro 4, and so on. In that regard, the CNPS20X from Zalman is no different. It is a behemoth dual-tower design that mixes things up a bit with some electroplated fins in the middle of the two heatsink arrays, which likely doesn't make much of a difference in terms of performance, but is still a nice touch visually. That said, looking at performance, the CNPS20X proved to be a solid match for any high-end air cooler on the market as it tied the Deepcool Assassin III in the OC FPU test, which is a worst-case scenario and where it showcased that it has plenty of headroom for further overclocking. Granted, it managed this feat at the expense of more noise as the CNPS20X ended up hitting 48 dBA. Looking at the data, the Noctua NH-D15 might be 2°C behind, but it is 5 dBA quieter. Meanwhile, Deepcool's Assassin III is 2 dBA quieter with the same performance in that test.

To make things a bit fairer and verify the performance of Zalman's interesting fan design, I put the NH-D15 fans on the CNPS20X and did a quick check of noise and FPU OC test performance. With the Noctua fans, I saw the same temperatures, but the noise level dropped from 48 dBA to only 46 dBA. While the NH-D15 is still quieter yet with those fans at 43 dBA, the Zalman fans with their far more open frame do output more noise. Some of that noise was from the motor itself, with it making a slight ticking noise. While not annoying, it did register on the sound pressure level meter. Furthermore, I did find that when I set the Zalman CNPS20X to the same noise level as the Noctua NH-D15, performance remained similar. So in all fairness, the two are fairly equal, with the Zalman offering having slightly more headroom at the expense of more noise. It also shows that the Zalman fans, while somewhat different from the norm, do perform well in this particular situation, being a good match for this heatsink design. I was in all honestly blown away by how good they performed. My previous experiences with open-frame fans have not been stellar by any means, but the ZM-SF140 RGB fans performed well even against Noctua's NF-A15, which is impressive.

When it comes to build quality, I can't say I found any real issues—the copper fins are a nice touch, and everything is as it should be. However, I can say that memory and graphics card clearance is not good. It is not just an issue with the CNPS20X, though, as many top-tier air coolers have these issues as well, to where it is expected due to their size. It is one of the trade-offs users have to make when going for big heatsinks over all-in-one liquid coolers. I should also mention that while I can't fault the unit's build quality, I can certainly say the mounting hardware needs some serious improvement. It is not overly complex, but lacks captive bolts on the heatsink for mounting, and I consider that a major oversight. They are just heavy enough not to stay situated on a magnetic screwdriver, which means they will fall off if you are not careful, and you will have to fish them out from wherever they land on the motherboard. The use of captive bolts solves that problem and makes the lack of an included tall screwdriver more palatable. Also, there is the fact that the current fan-mounting mechanism doesn't play nice with alternative fans, as the current fan mounts are useful on Zalman's fans only.

Wrapping things up is the RGB lighting. While it is a love-it or hate-it feature, I do like the unique approach Zalman has with their fans. I just wish the lighting were a bit more even as it tends to die out near the corners, which is pretty much unavoidable here. The design also results in the individual LEDs being visible when set to red tones, whereas the blue and greens are bright enough to have them hidden due to how bright they are. In general, its not a bad setup, and you are not going to notice it when the system is sitting in a proper chassis.

I should also note that the warranty of just a year feels a bit short for a high-end air cooler considering other brands offer slightly more robust support. With that said, air coolers typically don't fail. Sure, fans do die, but they can be swapped out relatively easily. In this case I think Zalman could be a bit more generous, but it's not the end of the world, either. Unlike with liquid coolers, chances of catastrophic failure are pretty minimal.

Overall, the Zalman CNPS20X is a solid top-tier cooler that—with a custom fan profile—can remain very quiet. However, it is not the Noctua killer the Internet has made it out to be. Instead, while a good cooler, it doesn't outright flatten the competition, although it does at least go toe to toe with them and stands out in regards to visuals. That said, the biggest surprise here are Zalman's fans, and considering their surprising performance, they have earned our Innovation Award.