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Zalman FX100-Cube Fanless Cooler

5/17/2013 5:38:10 PM

Zalman unleashes its new completely fanless and silent CPU cooler

Those interested in passive, silent cooling are used to using hardware that's a little underpowered compared to the top-end equipment that's available, as the more powerful something gets, the more heat it tends to produce, and the more it needs some noisy air or liquid movement to shift its heat.

Zalman FX100 Cube

Zalman FX100 Cube

Zalman seems keen to challenge this notion, however, with the release of the FX100 Cube, one of very few coolers with claims of being able to passively cool a CPU with a TDP of up to 95W, which includes Intel's latest generation of Ivy Bridge LGA1155 CPUs. Its industrial cuboid design with rounded edges and blackened metal actually looks rather funky, and it certainly stands out. The suggested $107 retail price is very steep, but passive cooling is one of those niche markets where prices unfortunately take an upwards turn.

Four heat pipes pass through the CPU baseplate, with another six soldered onto these at the cube's corners and working their way round the outside and through the four external aluminum fin stacks. An extra two fin stacks sit inside the Cube, and it’s possible to fit a 92mm fan here. No fan is provided but you'll need one for LGA1366 and LGA2011 CPUs. The cooler is designed to work using convection and has just a single recommended orientation. Naturally, it's also suggested to use it in conjunction with a well-ventilated case so that hot air can escape.

Zalman FX100-Cube Fanless Cooler

Getting the backplate and front mounting plate onto your motherboard is pretty simple as far as cooler installations go and doesn't require any tools. Where you will need to bust out a screwdriver is to attach the cooler itself, which is really rather fiddly. After removing the Cube's roof, you'll need to reach a long screwdriver between the inside and outside fin stacks to screw in a pair of bolts. Patience is a necessity, as it's likely to take a few goes before you get it right.

Once the cooler is in place, however, it's clear that it makes good contact with your CPU and sits in place nice and tightly. As the bottom of the cube is raised a fair distance, the vast majority of motherboards should have no issues with heat sinks getting in the way, but you'll still want to invest in some low-profile RAM, because anything larger would risk not quite fitting.

So can Zalman's cooler do what it says and cool a modern, high-end CPU without producing any noise? The answer, thankfully, is yes. In a low-noise, low-airflow and well-ventilated chassis, the FX100 Cube is capable of cooling an Intel Core i7-2600K at stock speeds. While this Sandy Bridge CPU runs a little cooler than the current generation of Ivy Bridge CPUs, there's enough leeway in the temperatures it produces to cater for this overhead, so LGA1155 users running at stock speeds should be well covered.

Impressively, the Cube is even able to keep the same CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz from reaching its thermal limit, although temperatures do get worryingly hot in this scenario. What this suggests, however, is that in the right case, the Cube can deal with a slightly higher TDP rating than it advertises.

Impressively, the Cube is even able to keep the same CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz from reaching its thermal limit, although temperatures do get worryingly hot in this scenario.

Impressively, the Cube is even able to keep the same CPU overclocked to 4.4GHz from reaching its thermal limit, although temperatures do get worryingly hot in this scenario.

The Cube does come with a few caveats, however. For starters, those who want a completely passive system with no air or water flow whatsoever will really need to ensure the Cube is installed in a well-ventilated system, and overclocking will be off the cards completely.

Its price is also a massive barrier to entry, as even super powerful and incredibly quiet air coolers like Noctua's NH-D14 can be had for around $32 less. Therefore, while the Zalman cooler can do what it says, regular, cheaper and better performing air coolers are the superior choice for the vast majority of people. Only those pursuing absolute silence should even consider forking out the $106.7 asking price.

Details

§  Price: Approx. $107

§  Manufacturer: Zalman

§  Website: www.zalman.com

§  Required spec: Intel sockets LGA775, LGA1155, LGA1156 (LGA1366, LGA2011 with fan); AMD sockets FM1,FM2,AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+

 

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