A Closer Look

Much like its larger sibling, Zalman's CNPS17X has a unique fin design that creates airflow channels. Other than that, the bottom line is that this is still a single-tower design. Unlike other coolers, Zalman opted for copper-colored fins in the middle. Sadly, they are not actually copper but instead just electroplated, which is a shame. Still, it's an interesting design element that captures one's attention.


The 4D stereoscopic corrugated fins work quite well, creating air channels that do actually direct the airflow through the heatsink. The fin design works hand in hand with the fans, and it did far better than I expected on the CNPS20X, so I see no reason why it wouldn't be the same with the CNPS17X.


A quick look at the top shows the heat pipes are relatively clumped together, but this is fairly normal for coolers of this type. Typically, you need a larger heatsink to further space out the heat pipes and thus more evenly distribute the heat to the fins. As for the base, Zalman calls it "RDTH" (Reverse Direct Touch Heat pipes), but that is just fancy marketing for a copper cold plate that transfers heat to the heat pipes. I commend them for coming up with a fancy term for it, but that's all it appears to be. Other than that, the base has a near mirror finish up close, which is quite nice compared to some of the rougher bases I typically see.


The fans are Zalman's ZM-SF140 RGB spider-inspired dual-blade fans. It spins at 800–1500 RPM, which is fine, but a wider PWM range that allows the fans to drop lower would have been a nice inclusion to help further lower noise levels at idle.