Zalman CNPS9700 LED (LGA775)

Verdict: Great cooling for all types of CPU.

The CNPS9700 LED is Zalman's latest high-end CPU HSF. It supports every type of modern desktop CPU and looks great too.

Bearing more than a striking resemblance to the earlier CNPS9500 LED, the CNPS9700 LED has been scaled up to support a 110mm fan. This is supplied with a Fan Mate 2 rheostat, so that its speed can be adjusted between 1,250rpm and 2,800rpm. At the lower setting, the fan is barely audible, but it's quite noisy at full speed. Heat is transferred away from the CPU by three massive copper heatpipes that curl around the large, hollowed-out copper heatsink - a complex and great-looking arrangement.

Fitting the CNPS9700 LED to a Socket AM2 motherboard is very easy, as it simply clips onto the standard mounting bracket. At minimum speed, the CPU was 14ûC cooler than it was with the reference AMD HSF, and 20ûC cooler at maximum speed, which is a great result. Unfortunately, the CNPS9700 LED has to be screwed through LGA775 motherboards, so you'll have to dismantle your PC to install it. However, this is worth doing; at minimum speed, the Core 2 Quad ran 6ûC cooler than it did with the reference Intel HSF, and 10ûC cooler at maximum speed.

Thanks to its innovative design, all-copper construction and blue LEDs, the CNPS9700 LED looks great. At £45, the CNPS9700 LED is expensive for a CPU HSF but, considering its excellent cooling ability and low noise levels, it's definitely worth shortlisting.