Socket-A Cooler Roundup: September 2001

Zalman CNPS3100 and CNPS3100 Gold

Do all CPU coolers look alike? No - Zalman proves this, with their "flower" coolers: the CNPS3001 and CNPS3001Gold. They are made of copper plates, that are tightly screwed together and then spread out. Only the heatsink itself is fixed to the CPU, the fan is mounted to the case, using the same screws that hold the first AGP/PCI cards.

The difference between the CNPS3001 and the CNPS3001 Gold is that the "Gold" version features a gold (yes, real gold) plating.  Why gold? Gold doesn't conduct heat particularly well, and the plating is way too thin to affect performance. But unlike copper or silver, it doesn't oxidize over time - so the "Gold" version will keep its cooling performance over many years.

Here's the CNPS3100: