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Product:
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Zalman ZM80C-HP Heatpipe VGA Cooler + ZM OP1 |
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Price:
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$46 (CDN) / $35 (U.S) + ZM OP1 $13 (CDN) / $10 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Zalman Tech
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Author:
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Shennon
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Date:
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October 16th, 2002
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Using the larger of the two heatsink bases on either side of the card, as recommended by Zalman, I placed
them on the card and made sure that the arrows pointed down and that the heatsink base labeled "Front"
was indeed on the front of my video card. The next step is the installation of the gold plated heatpipe.
I made sure that a thin layer of Ceramique was applied to the heatsink base and that the heatpipe was
slipped into place. I deviated a little bit from the instructions at this point, since I felt that
applying the thermal paste across the whole base would help more than what the instruction manual
suggested, which was just in the middle.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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I applied a little bit more of the Ceramique to the heatsink plate and screwed them into the bases.
Interesting to note is that the whole spacing is different from front to back, so if one didn’t pay
attention, they couldn’t line up the holes properly and complete the installation. There are two channels
along the top of the heatsink plates, one per each, which the link plates are installed, keeping both
halves properly secured. If the optional ZM-OP1 is used, it is installed in the same manner. There are
two screw heads that fit into the channel, which keeps it in place.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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One of the problems I ran into is the placement of the fans on my side panel. I had originally placed
them as shown to cool both the graphics card as well as the CPU, but they interfere with the installation
of the optional ZM-OP1, or vice versa. As the fans on the side panel due essentially the same service
as the ZM-OP1, I have opted to not use the optional fan kit with the VGA heatsink. Again, use of the
ZM-OP1 is entirely optional.
Testing:
In order to gauge the performance of the modified MSI GF4 TI4200 video card, I ran the card in its stock
configuration and new modification using Powerstrip v3.45
from EnTech Taiwan. This application program allows consumers to increase engine and memory clock speeds
for optimal performance. The latest release includes per-application cruise controls, in-game clock hotkeys,
clock power management, an OSD of current clock speeds, and simultaneous clock control over multiple display
adapters. By default the XFX GF4 TI4200 video card is capable of running with a memory clock of 445 MHz
and engine clock of 240 MHz. A successful overclock of this card includes having no reported artifacts
or visual abnormalities along with stability using normal application programs. No temperature results
of the GPU where taken in this test, but ambient case temperature was reported at 31°C. With the stock
cooler, I was able to push the memory clock to 506 MHz and the engine clock to 320 MHz, which matched
Hi-TEK’s MSI for the Thermaltake Giant II. With the
Zalman ZM80C-HP, I was able to further increase the memory to 536 MHz and the engine to 330 MHz, almost
the maximum Powerstrip would go. I also played with Future Mark’s 3DMark2001SE, the freeware version to
the popular benchmarking program and was able to go from a score of 7675 to 8026. While not exactly a
tremendous leap, I did have a few programs running during the benchmarking and I did break the 8000
mark that I didn’t think I’d make.
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Click image for larger view
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Conclusion:
One of these days, ATI or NVIDIA will create a graphics card with a thermal probe. I don’t know why they
don’t now since temperature monitoring provides a good indication on how well a product of this nature
performs. During installation, I relied on the manual to guide me through the assembly, but I did have
to refer back to the page with the actual sized pictures of all the small components. A few of the
picture references in the manual make the smaller pieces undistinguishable from each other and the
description of the parts on each was a bit unclear, such as Bolt-B, or nipples & plate nipples. I was
amazed that Zalman included the right tool to assemble the kit, a small Philips screwdriver! And if you
happen to loose a screw or two during the install process, Zalman includes a few spare bits and pieces
just in case.
One of the disappointments is the included thermal grease. Using a higher quality paste such as Arctic
Silver 3, or Ceramique, CoolingFlow or Nanotherm would help improve cooling performance. My main
complaint lies in the HX08 configuration which didn’t allow any room for the optional ZM-OP1. Consumers
should keep this in mind when purchasing this kit or planning case mods with the ZM80C-HP and the ZM-OP1.
Consumers using or purchasing any NVIDIA GeForce FX 5800 or the Matrox Parhelia are required to use the
ZM-OP1 by default. Overall, I'm rating the Zalman Heatpipe VGA Cooler ZM80C-HP and ZM-OP1 a
9 out of 10 and would recommend this product
to any individual looking to cool overheated graphics cards. If you have any questions regarding this
review be sure to visit the Zalman website for
more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Included Phillips screwdriver!
- Easy to install
- Clear and concise manual
- Includes two sizes to accommodate most video cards with mounting holes
- Good cooling properties
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Cons:
- Generic thermal paste
- Optional 80mm fan may not work with all configurations
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