The new Zalman VF700: active cooling for your graphics card

[MegaWorks]

Check the new cooler from Zalman for Vid cards, it looks awesome.

What do you guys think?

 

[Operandi]

awesome indeed, too bad it dosn't have a duct like the Arctic Cooling units though.

 

[Mrvile]

Whoa, looks a bit too weird for me. Also aren't Zalman heat sinks known to be heavy as sin? All-copper...looks like it'll rip the vid card right outa the slot but what do I know? Then again, there are those huge passive VGA coolers, I don't even wanna think about those.

I'll just stick with what I have

 

[kiranv]

Both the Cu and AlCu variants are listed on their website: VF700

I read on the Zalman forums that the US ETA for both products is Dec. 23rd.

 

[otispunkmeyer]

loooks nice....can it beat the massive lump of copper on my LEADTEK 6800g tho?

if my agp port + case can handle my 6800gt then it can handle that zalman

 

[Spike]

That looks pretty nifty, though I am also not sure about weight. My card is a little flimsy in my slot as it is, I cannot imagine putting that beast on it.

-spike

 

[travd]

First impression: looks like a CNPS 7000 AlCu that's been in a fight! Looks good though, and must be quiet. Does lack the ducting of the arctic coolers though, like operandi said, so more hot air blowing around.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Here's something I'm not sure I quite understand. True: You have to be careful moving your box when you have a ZM80D-HP (or even the ZM80B or C) installed -- just like you have to be careful moving your box when you have a CNPS-7000/7700-Cu installed. Sheesh! Even ThermalRight's tech-support told me to be careful moving your box with an XP120 installed -- even with a relatively light fan.

Now. I think we've gotten over the medievalism of notions that "heat-pipes are all hype." Yet, here's a company that is moving in reverse. They had a great product with the ZM80-line, and now they want to transfer the CNPS-7000-"flower" design to the video card. And since the heatsink components of the ZM80(x) are aluminum, this just adds a fan and more weight. Maybe it DOES cool -- I'm sure it does, since the CNPS-7x00 models DO . . . WORK.

But . . . go figure. I guess each company believes that more different designs = more consumer choices= more profitability given consumer faddism.

To me, the question is "Does it lower GPU temps in the same test-bed more than the ZM80D-HP?" Because -- if it only lowers the temperatures to the same level (or even less) -- something else is going on with the "new-product debut."

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
Here's something I'm not sure I quite understand. True: You have to be careful moving your box when you have a ZM80D-HP (or even the ZM80B or C) installed -- just like you have to be careful moving your box when you have a CNPS-7000/7700-Cu installed. Sheesh! Even ThermalRight's tech-support told me to be careful moving your box with an XP120 installed -- even with a relatively light fan.

Now. I think we've gotten over the medievalism of notions that "heat-pipes are all hype." Yet, here's a company that is moving in reverse. They had a great product with the ZM80-line, and now they want to transfer the CNPS-7000-"flower" design to the video card. And since the heatsink components of the ZM80(x) are aluminum, this just adds a fan and more weight. Maybe it DOES cool -- I'm sure it does, since the CNPS-7x00 models DO . . . WORK.

But . . . go figure. I guess each company believes that more different designs = more consumer choices= more profitability given consumer faddism.

To me, the question is "Does it lower GPU temps in the same test-bed more than the ZM80D-HP?" Because -- if it only lowers the temperatures to the same level (or even less) -- something else is going on with the "new-product debut."

I think they are aimed at slightly different markets. The ZM80(x) series is designed primarily as a passive cooler and hence totally silent. The problem is not even the ZM80D can handle the top cards without the assistance of a fan.

I don't know of any tests yet but I'm guessing this new cooler can handle anything out there with minimal noise levels, but not 0 dBA like the ZM80(x). Personally I'd like to see a ZM80(x) series VGA cooler with a optional fan and duct similar to the arctic coolers for the high end cards.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

But they do, they do. Zalman adamantly recommends the use of their OP-1 "option fan" -- an 80mm job -- for certain recent-model graphics cards, and I think the recommendation straddles the nVidia/Radeon divide.

The OP-1 is very quiet -- as quiet as a Sunon 40mm mag-lev fan. [but you can monitor its rpms -- that's nice . . . ]

The ZM80C and D models have slots in the front and back heatsinks to retain the screws for securing the fan.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: BonzaiDuck
But they do, they do. Zalman adamantly recommends the use of their OP-1 "option fan" -- an 80mm job -- for certain recent-model graphics cards, and I think the recommendation straddles the nVidia/Radeon divide.

The OP-1 is very quiet -- as quiet as a Sunon 40mm mag-lev fan. [but you can monitor its rpms -- that's nice . . . ]

The ZM80C and D models have slots in the front and back heatsinks to retain the screws for securing the fan.

Yeah, I have the "C" model, the only problem is the fan kinda seems like an after thought (it just hangs there). Since the heatsink already takes up two slots it would be nice if they could work a duct system into it, not a huge deal though.

 

[logansan]

Hi there,

Any reviews out yet?

thx

 

[cisco kidd]

For 6600GT owners the VF700 is a good cooler. I have spoke with one owner who has done quite a bit or reveising since he got it. It is a solid cooler. Arctic Cooling is to relase an NV6 in late Jan/Feb 05 but at this time the VF700 is a very good cooler even though it does not vent out, the way it works it cools the entire vga card and comes with great ramsinks as well.

The way I look at it, it is better than a stock cooler including the Leadtek card imho as I have had 2 6800nu cards and it is near silent. They have a great setup with how it works expanding off there cpu cooler line.

You can get for $24.95 or 29.

CK

 

[nickymouse]

I emailed Arctic Cooling about the NV6 and they are only making it for PCI-E card at this time.

 

[CraigRT]

GPU cooler only?
I dunno, the NV5 covers the RAM as well.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
GPU cooler only?
I dunno, the NV5 covers the RAM as well.

It comes with RAM heatsinks.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: CraigRT
GPU cooler only?
I dunno, the NV5 covers the RAM as well.

It comes with RAM heatsinks.

Oh, excellent.. I should have known

then yeah might be sweet

 

[hwan]

It's instock at newegg now but there's a note saying it cannot be used with NVidia PCI-E cards I was hoping to get it for my 6800GT

 

[kiranv]

I just bought the all copper version from Newegg and I am very pleased with its performance given my needs, and noise, or lack thereof, output. I actually get 4 - 5 degrees centigrade cooler temps with my FX5600. Highly recommended for the quiet PC enthusiast.

 

[Azndude51]

Here's a comparo of the VF700 alcu/cu, AC5, and some passive cooler.