Topic Zalman CNPS9700 NT CPU Cooler Review

Just bought this one, and I'm very impressed so far!

The original/stock CPU fan/cooler that came with my new Intel E6600 wasn't very good (to say the least), and was very noisy so I quickly decided to get a new one and my choice, after reading several reviews, was the Zalman CNPS9700 NT.

With the original cooler the idle CPU temp was around 35-40C, and on high loads it went as high as 55C (and a bit over at times).

With the Zalman CNPS9700 NT it's around 25-28C idle, and not much over 40C at full load (long Super Pi and OCCT torture tests), and that's even better than some water cooling systems I've seen on the E6600...

At full speed this fan is a bit noisy (around 35dB), but if you don't plan on heavy overclocking it's no problem to set it at 60% speed and you get it virtually "silent" (19dB +/-).
At low speed the cooling is more then enough for stock speed and slightly overclocked CPUs, but I wouldn't keep it there on heavy OCed CPUs.

One other great benefit you'll get from this one is that you mount it sideways so the airflow goes directly towards the back of your case, and to the fan(s) there if you have any, so it also helps to reduce the case/system temperature as well.
Mine fell from 45C to 35-38C after I installed the Zalman CNPS9700 NT and a small 80mm case fan at the back.

But the downside of this one is the price...
It's quite expensive compared to many other CPU coolers, and costs around $100 here in Norway.
Other things to be aware of is the size; 90(L) X 124(W) X 142(H) mm
It's quite big, and may not fit in some cases and on "crowded" motherboards, so check that before you buy.
The other thing to be aware of is that it comes with a 4 pin contact, and not all motherboards supports that.

Overall it's (yet another) quality product from Zalman that I would recommend to anyone who wants a great CPU cooler but doesn't want to go for water cooling