Components and Design

Zalman CNPS10X Flex Heatsink Review - Cases and Cooling 29

The CNPS10X Flex weighs in at 700 grams, which is pretty average for most modern CPU heatsinks I’ve reviewed lately. Some have even been closer to 900 grams, but that usually includes a decent-size fan too. This heatsink uses five U-shaped copper heatpipes and a copper base to dissipate heat from the processor. This is a pretty standard heatpipe design, but what makes the CNPS10X unique is its aluminum fin design.

 

Zalman CNPS10X Flex Heatsink Review - Cases and Cooling 30

The aluminum fin design has been engineered in a unique shape to accommodate two 120mm fans and includes a thin strip of anodized fins across the middle of the fins, which adds a lot to the aesthetics of the heatsink, but not much in terms of performance.

 

Zalman CNPS10X Flex Heatsink Review - Cases and Cooling 31

The top of the heatsink is plastic, but secures all the fins and heatpipes together. Our readers can also see from this photo how the fins are shaped, which is very odd to say the least. I think it looks cool though, and the 120mm fans should fit snugly in their pre-configured positions.

 

Zalman CNPS10X Flex Heatsink Review - Cases and Cooling 32

The copper base has a mirror finish with absolutely no traces of milling. This is a great sign that Zalman takes pride in how they manufacture the base on their heatsinks. I don’t think I’ve ran into one Zalman heatsink over the past three years that didn’t have a copper base with a mirror finish. These “attention to detail” items are what enthusiasts look for in their high-performance components.

 

 

Zalman CNPS10X Flex Heatsink Review - Cases and Cooling 33

Lastly, I wanted to show our readers how the base and heatpipes are connected at the bottom of the heatsink. This photo also does a great job of showing where the mounting brackets are positioned and how they are secured to the heatsink. It also looks like these heatsinks are made in Korea, so maybe I can visit their manufacturing plant when I visit there in March.

 

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