Zalman's CNPS11X Extreme Gets V-Shape Design
Zalman's new CNPS11X Extreme features a custom heatpipe and a V-shaped dual heatsink design.
Thursday during CES 2011, Zalman introduced a new CPU cooler using a V-shaped dual heatsink design. Called the CNPS11X Extreme, the heatsink is made of pure copper and aluminum, weighs 600g and measures 135 (L) x 80(W) x 154(H)-mm.
According to the company, the V-shape design dramatically increases cooling performance by increasing the "Thermal Control Area" of the heatsink which in turn increases airflow and reduces noisy turbulence. The design also uses denser heatsink fins which prevent loss of surface area for maximum heat dissipation without sacrificing cooling efficiency.
The Zalman CNPS11X Extreme series CPU cooler also features the company's "Composite Heatpipe" design. This utilizes two combined components: a "Sintered Metal" type wick that generates outstanding capillary pumping performance, and the high thermal conductive design of the "Axial Grooves" which increases the heat transfer rate by 50-percent compared to ordinary heatpipes.
In addition to the design and custom heatpipe, Zalman's new V-shaped CPU heatsink also sports black-pearl nickel plating, an ultra-quiet 120-mm blue LED PWM fan, high-performance super thermal grease ZM-STG2M, and a heat dissipation area of 7,600-cm2.
Although Zalman did not provide pricing or availability, the heatsink joins other featured products at the show including the CNPS7X Performa/LED heatsink, the CNPS5X SZ, the Z9 and Z9 Plus chassis, the hefty-but-tasty GS1200 chassis and more.
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Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
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blackjellognomes Why would a typical air cooler's shape create more turbulence? Air flows between the fins, not directly against them; there shouldn't be turbulence in the first place. Seems like a gimmick.Reply -
kcorp2003 You'll think heatsink creation will reach its limits by now or 5 years. spend $50 more for 1 or 3 degree's cooler than yours. while your CPU can operate well under yours.Reply -
gsacks blackjellognomesWhy would a typical air cooler's shape create more turbulence? Air flows between the fins, not directly against them; there shouldn't be turbulence in the first place. Seems like a gimmick.Reply
All surfaces generate friction. Air traveling horizontally across the surface of the fin creates friction, which (I think) would generate turbulence. The shaping of the fins in the picture appears to lessen the amount of time that the air is blowing across the fins at the edges, so that should reduce turbulence. Of course, it has been over 20 years since I took a physics course, so I could be totally wrong. But I think that is what is going on. -
JamesSneed I suspect this works like an airfoil. The air on the outside of the "V" is going faster due to less resistance because there is less fin surface to cause friction. The air to the middle of the "V" is moving the slowest since there is more fin suface to pass over. Im guessing here but the faster air should move towards the slower moving air due to the small pressure drop which would cause more air to pass over the back part of the "V" to achive more cooling with a given CFM fan.Reply -
aaron88_7 Hey Tom's, since we are about to have a whole new socket from Intel with a new chip architecture released onto the wild in a few days now, could we perhaps get you guys to do an updated review of some popular CPU fans? Perhaps with a few tested on some of those overclocked Sandy bridge k series chips?Reply
If you did, that would be muy bueno! :D -
techcurious blackjellognomesWhy would a typical air cooler's shape create more turbulence?Reply
Turbulence (and noise) occurs when ever any forces act on air to move or redirect it. Thats why the spinning fins of the fan are curved, to reduce this effect by making the redirection of air smoother. But when the air is blown out the other side of the fan, it is blown out in a spiral, not straight and perpendicular to the fan. And most heatsinks (if not all) have their cooling fins arranged perpendicular to the fan. So this causes another redirection of the air flow between the fins. And that causes most of the turbulence noise in my opinion, especially at higher fan speeds. I bet if the heatsink fins were designed with a curve at the side facing the fan, to gradually redirect the air flow, we would have even quieter coolers :) But I guess it would cost too much to make such curved fins?