Zalman CNPS10X Optima II White RGB

Zalman was also kind enough to send us the CNPS10X Optima II cooler in white. It ships in a full-color cardboard box with the usual imagery and information we would expect for a cooler.


The unit is essentially ready to go with the exception of the separate fan. The general fin-stack shape reminds somewhat of the now defunct Prolimatech Megahalems coolers. Zalman placed a very sturdy cover on the cooler, which also houses the lighting elements in the top. The sides are also part of the extra layer and used to secure the fan with classic screws. Four direct-touch copper heatpipes have been embedded in the base and run up the cooler's fin stack in the classic U-shape to draw heat away from the CPU. If you look closely, the lighting elements are powered by a single 3-pin fan connector. This is unfortunate as it means there is no way to adjust or synchronize the built-in lighting elements via a motherboard or controller. I would even go as far as to say that the use of the term "RGB" in the name could be quite misleading. On the box, Zalman even calls this implementation "Spectrum RGB LED."


You will naturally receive a full set of mounting hardware for both AMD and Intel sockets. On top of that, Zalman includes a bag with thermal paste and an RPM fan splitter cable so that you may power both the illumination and fan from a single motherboard header.


The fan bundled with the Zalman CNPS10X has the same multi-color LEDs, which are hub-mounted.


The cooling unit sports Zalman's patented dual-blade design meant to improve the flow of air across the cooler. Rubber pads on all corners of the fan act as anti-vibration measures as well.


Installing the cooler is pretty straightforward. You simply need to prepare the unit with the right mounting brackets before screwing the bracket on to the mounting frame you add to your motherboard. The only downside is that you need to install your fan with a classic screw driver after mounting the cooler and before adding memory or placing the board inside your system. This could be quite detrimental when swapping coolers as you may have to disassemble the whole system. On the upside, the fan is held in place perfectly and fits the overall design of the cooler beautifully.