Wesley's Tool-Box

• Getting the Parts

With the basic component decisions made, I then went onto buying the parts needed. I initially wanted to get a motherboard with DDR-SDRAM support, but they were rare, and the DDR SDRAM themselves were even rarer, which is something I hated because my country makes 1/3 of world's memory chips and probably half of that is made from that Samsung factory a few miles away from my dormitory. I heard most are immediately shipped to United States. Anyhow, with DDR out of question, I looked into getting a KT133A chipset motherboard, as these boards were reported to put out admirable performance compared to DDR counterparts due to the support 133MHz FSB, which was officially missing in other Athlon chipsets.

Having enjoyed some good Asus boards lately, my first consideration was A7V133. Alas, it was carrying a hefty price tag. Then I saw a website planning to do a group purchase (and thus cheaper compared to buying normally) on Abit K7TA, another well reviewed board. I was highly anticipating this, but the purchase was cancelled due to local distributor's supply problem. Frustrated, I searched for any KT133A boards that could fit my bill. It was then I found Soltek's SL-75KAV. I was never much of a fan of Soltek, but I didn't have much against them either, so I bit the bullet and ordered it online.

Looking at the motherboard, I could see that I needed a power supply that would somehow have to fit within the board without making the case thick. This is impossible with a normal ATX power supply, so I needed something different. Most of the places only sold the normal ATX versions, but Seventeam's Korean distributor was selling lots of different power supplies online. I browsed through the list and found just the thing I need; the slender micro-NLX power supply. It's longer, but also much thinner and narrow. It would fit perfectly over the expansion card slots, which would never be used. The only problem was that their most powerful version, ST-150SL, had maximum output of 150W, far below what would be normally considered for an Athlon-type system. Still, I didn't have much choice; I clicked on the order button.

SL-75KAV motherboard's design brought me some luck. There was enough space for a 3.5" hard disk on either the expansion slot area or over the RAM slot area. Since the power supply was to take the expansion slot area, the hard disk was to be placed over the RAM's, right next to the CPU. IDE cable doesn't have to be twisted or take a long trip, so the location seemed to be good enough. What with the money I have, I bought a 30GB version of the IBM Deskstar 75GXP model, one of the highest performing ATA100-compliant drives that was on the market at the time. It's still a good performer as of the time of the writing.

Yet another luck I had was that there were indeed some slim video card that didn't use an outdated chipset. LEOTEC's line of GeForce2 MX cards were one of these. They follow the reference design, but did not use the upper vacent space for putting words like 'GeForce2 MX' across and instead just cut it off entirely, possibly for saving costs. They just put that identification in a form of a sticker and put it on the RAM. The cost-saving part was pretty valid, as they were one of the cheapest MX card I could buy. They did have a 5.5ns rated RAM, so they didn't skimp on the actual parts inside. I was happily surprised that this RAM could be clocked up to 248MHz (almost 4ns) easily without any modifications.

To make some room for the hard disk to be placed over the RAM, I went on to look for some 'slim' RAMs. KingMax RAMs are such an example, as the chips used in the module are made in the form of Small Ball Grid Array chips, making the module up to 1cm shorter than other modules. A 128MB PC150 version was on sale and I got myself one of these.

Of course, this doesn't end here...

• CPU Considerations

Though in the coming months it may become different, 'Athlon' of today and 'Portable' are some sort of oxymoron. The T-bird Athlon's maximum power dissipation is already around 70W, comparable to an ordinary light bulb. Actual power consumption is higher than that. This is is a bit too much, even for a desktop system, considering high-end CPU's of half a decade ago usually consumed 1/10th of this. T-bird is arguably one of the fastest desktop PC CPU's, but it certainly shows this was done in a very 'brute force' manner. Some 'mobile' Duron notebooks have come out, but we know that it's just our usual Durons that've been underclocked and under-voltaged. Its power consumption is still more than twice that of a competing product. 'Palomino' revision of Athlons, which promise to consume far less energy while delivering more computing power, may change all this, but I couldn't sit around waiting for this chip, and I think it was relevant, considering the release of this CPU has been pushed back already somewhat.

You might be thinking at this point, 'then why don't you just use an Intel CPU, which consumes less power yet performing similar to AMD chips?' This was because my main systems were already using AMD platform, as apparent in my other articles. I needed to buy parts as I made money, using parts from my original system in the mean time. Going straight to Intel platform was not viable. Therefore, I decided to use the Duron as the CPU. They perform nicely and don't consume power as much as T-birds.

• On-board Video Sucks!

On to other things, I planned to use as much normal desktop components as possible to ensure best performance. However, to make the system portable, the casing had to be kept low-profile. One of the biggest thing that hinders this is the card in the expansion slot. Most of these could be replaced with external versions, but video card cannot. So the on-board video had to be considered. But this thought was thrown out almost immediately; I'd rather buy a notebook with Rage Mobility video chip than on-board video, and motherboards with on-board video for AMD platform was nearly non-existent in Korea at the time. The video card had to be kept in somehow, just as I chose a Duron for CPU despite the power consumption. Besides, if I wanted a unit with on-board video, there are already some low-profile systems, even a bare-bone one that I can equip with components of my choice, that utilize this sort of motherboards inside. I would have no point in making this. I had to find a video card that isn't so tall.

Another thing that had me rolling in my bed for another day was the hard disk. The big question was wheter I should use a 2.5" notebook hard disk or a normal 3.5" hard disk. This had to be thought of carefully because a 3.5" hard disk is about 1/4 of the size of a normal motherboard. You might think this isn't so large, but considering the fact that I have to cramp it in somewhere that won't interfere with a power supply, a CPU, or a video card meant that it would be a real tough job. Since you can fit 4 of those 2.5" hard disks into an area that a 3.5" counterpart takes up, it seemed to be a better solution. But there are obvious setbacks: they are expensive, slow, and small in capacity. I also needed a converter so I could plug it with a normal IDE cable. I decided that I would think of this one as I go along because a slight design change would make all the difference.

Don't be bored yet, guys. There are still more to come...

• Asking Too Much?

I had a dream. I dreamt there would be a portable computer that was just as good or better in terms of all areas of performance compared to a real desktop system. Sure, we've seen many state-of-the-art notebook computers that touts themselves as 'desktop replacements'. I do not doubt they would indeed be a desktop replacement in business sector, as the high-end spectrum of these machines sport components that challenge many mid-to-high performance desktop models, such as mobile 1GHz CPU.

However, there are shortcomings. Lots of them, actually. First of all, the prices go shooting up the stratosphere, in a much bigger proportion than a normal desktop version, as you add features, be it for usability or performance. Also, to make it compact, notebook computers sacrifice performance and it cannot outperform desktop counterpart even if similarly equipped. The most notable area of this would be 3D acceleration, as today's 3D enabled video chips require too much power compared to a 'normal' notebook video chip, which hindered the release of powerful 3D enabled notebook video chips. Yes, there has been releases of GeForce Go and mobile Radeon chips which claims to come close to their famed desktop counterparts, but notebook units that use these chips are still hard to find.

• Taking the Plunge

Besides, I would have never been fully comfortable even if I had given a 1GHz notebook computer with GeForce Go video chip. As my other articles profoundly show, I'm an overclocker who build my own system from ground up and push around the limits of what I've made. Pushing around a notebook computer, let alone 'making' a notebook is unlike anything desktop-ish. Notebook designs are not standardized, hence limiting customization and tweaking. You run on pretty much what you've initially bought, give or take a few options and many tweaking programs out there won't function well in a notebook system. You can't simply buy a notebook casing like you would with a middle-tower desktop, nor could you buy a notebook motherboard off the shelf.

Still, I wanted to carry my main system back and forth my dorm room and my home some 400km away(for those that are not metric-centric, it's 250 miles), which I do on a regular basis, and that huge chunk of a middle tower system with 17-inch monitor just won't cut it, not to mention risking bone fracture. All these thoughts hit me while I was rolling around my bed in early February, in the midst of the winter vacation. And so, I was set out to make things right. I wanted an Athlon system. Portable.

• System Configuration

CPU:	AMD Duron 650@945 & AMD Athlon(T-bird) 750@1113
M/B:	Asus A7V (VIA KT133 chipset) - VIA 4-in-1 v4.27 -
Cooling:	PAL6035 & CNPS3100
RAM:	256MB x 1 OCZ PC150 CAS2 SDRAM
Video:	SUMA GeForce2 GTS 32MB - NVIDIA Det. v6.34 -
OS:	Windows 2000 - Version 5.00.2195 SP1, English -
Else:	Motherboard Monitor 5.03, Seventeam ST-301HR PSU

  Update: Kyle of HardOCP is concerned that the temperature reading of Alpha you see here looks wrong. I'm quite aware of the situation and I do believe it is related to the A7V's temperature sensor being a bit inaccurate. But the readings have been quite reproduceable in this system, and since this can be seen as relative comparison, you can still validly determine which one is better.
  Update 2: I've confirmed that my temperature reading is actually more representative of the truth since I use external temperature sensor attached directly to the core instead of using temperature sensor inside the CPU socket.

• The Benchmark

Chart data was assessed by using interval log option of Motherboard Monitor in steps of 30 seconds for one hour of boot time, then entered into Microsoft Excel to produce the actual chart.



  First test was done with Duron 650 overclocked to 945MHz. It is easily recognizable that CNPS3100-Gold pulls ahead of PAL6035 by a comfortable 2 degrees in normal mode. This means that, despite the fan's airflow is distributed to the mainboard in general instead of focused on the heatsink itself, CNPS3100 is effectively cooling the hot overclocked Duron with ease. Silent mode operation is another matter, though. Being 11 degrees higher than normal mode, it is unsuitable for overclocking. However, the fan was very quiet, so it can be useful in non-overclocked environments and CPUs that dissipate less heat than AMD chips, such as Intel Celeron.



  Another round of tests were performed with 'Thunderbird' Athlon 750 running at notably high 1113MHz. The CNPS3100 again beats PAL6035, this time in a slightly larger margin. Silent mode of CNPS3100 could not be completed and was not listed here because it promptly caused halting of system within 10 minutes due to overheat.

• Conclusions

 The ambient temperature was closely monitored with thermometers such as this Hydro-Quebec thermometer that's been rolling around since my Canadian days and I've taken care to make sure that the temperature remained constant during testing to prevent measurement errors.

 The verdict of this comparison is clear. While both heatsinks provide good cooling, CNPS3100-Gold comes out superior all the time, winning this round of match. Also, looking at the performance delta between CNPS3100 and PAL6035 and then comparing the results from other hardware sites, while the comparance may not be really so linear, we can safely assume that it can take on the all-copper 'hedgehog' cooler or the monstrous GlobalWin FOP38, both of which are currently taking the performance crown, pretty well. Since FOP38's delta fan is notorious for its near-unbearable noise levels, CNPS3100 with its low-noise fans may be a better alternative.

 Finally, I end this review-comparison with testimony from 'Schpankme', a regular at MadOnion's forums and chatrooms(where I am working as a moderator) who is probably the first American to get his hands on the CNPS3100. Yes, I've shipped him the product personally because Zalman doesn't have foreign offices/distributors outside Korea. He is seeking to form a distributor of this product in the USA and I'll be attempting to arrange this with him imminently. Anyone who are interested may contact me.

  Update 3: I have now set up international order page for this heatsink [HERE]. Those who were thinking of ordering Zalman heatsinks can rest easy now.

WDSoft,

Thought I'd drop you a quick update on my newly acquired FHS unit from Zalman. The quality is awesome, the size is just right and the clip is easy to install and remove, the fan bracket is a very useful idea for any HSF. I however am NOT impressed with the FAN that came with my unit, and wonder if it actually functions properly or is broke! I am plugging up with the 4-pin adapter, yet it barley puts out enough air to even feel it on your hand. I have replaced the fan with Sunon 80mm x 25mm, 12v, .16 amp, 2.0 watt, 4500 RPM, 36 CFM, 32 dBA, 3 pin. This fan is very quiet inside the case, and as you can see by picture attached to this email, it really does a lot for the cooling potential of this setup. The temps listed are for average usage, which consists of email, web-surfing, and Microsoft cards type game play. Load testing was accomplished using Prime95, ran for 24 hours in conjunction with other apps and games; and at NO times did my temps get above 40C. I must say I really enjoy my newly found prize, and I owe a big thanks to you for trusting me enough to order me one. Now your thinking to yourself, ok pank has a more powerful fan blowing substantially more air across the heat sink surface, so naturally it will be some what cooler. Well, yes you could think that, and it would be correct, but I have also disconnected my 2-side 92mm blow holes, and am running with full covers on the case. I also attribute my understanding of how to lap the Heat Sink, as well as applying the proper ratio of COPPER thermal compound before installation of Heat Sink to CPU Core.

Understand, I am in no-way holding you responsible for the units fan performance or the lack thereof. I would like to know if your fan has what I term the same lackluster performance. One last final note, I wasn't able to send you the sanding cloths we spoke of. It seems the store was out of the assorted packs, and just got them in today. I will however be mailing them off first thing Monday morning ad hopefully you will receive them a few days later!

Thank you again for making me aware of this fantastic FHS Gold-3100. I have decided to import these units into the States for sale, could you be of assistance in knowing the quantity and price breaks I could receive.

Blue Skies;

Schpankme Verimuch

• The Contender - Zalman CNPS3100-Gold

 CNPS3100-Gold is a socket HSF from South Korea's Zalman Tech Co., Ltd.. This company is relatively unknown to the computing world because it is an upstart; it was founded in 1999 and started marketing their products for only around 10 months, generally limited to Korean markets. Their flagship product is the patented Flower HeatSink(FHS) as shown above. By forming the heatsink in the likes of a 'flower', it is meant to achieve effective cooling without a fast and noisy fan. This is the basis of their product concept, actually. CNPS in the name of the product stands for 'Computer Noise Prevention System'. This heatsink is the part of Zalman's line of products targeted for low-noise computer systems. Other products they market include FHS for video cards, NP(Noise Prevention) PSUs, and NP Hard Disks. They claim that noise-less computer systems can be built once the person uses all of the products Zalman provides in his/her system. Zalman does sell fully configured systems, also.

 CNPS3100 is the latest in the product lines of the Zalman HSFs, just released in the December of 2000. You can read its news release here in Korean (English product page is here). Zalman has yet to revamp its site to provide multilingual support, so the English page is my translation of the Korean counterpart. FHS was initially made in aluminium with a few fins, but over time, to increase its cooling performance, the recent models are made in pure copper. Pure copper rusts over time, so the latest FHS included in CNPS3100 is coated in either pure gold or chrome to prevent rust. The model tested here is the more expensive(and good-looking) version, the CNPS3100-Gold. The Gold version costs about US$10 more than the Chrome coated version. The shape of the heatsink, the FHS, should no doubt be an eye-catcher for most of you.

 It is without doubt that the shape of the FHS has intrigued a lot of people. Since it is supposed to operate with slow/silent fan or no fan at all while most heatsinks must have fast fans attached, either the company selling it is out of mind or the heatsink must possess cooling performance that is worth (literally) gold. Let's take a look at its key specs:

Specification
Dimensions(mm):	110 x 52 x 65
Mass (grams):	296
Cooling Fan:	Adda 80mm
Fan Speed(rpm):	3000 ~ 1500(Silent)
Fan Power(cfm):	38.6 ~ 20.2(Silent)
Thermal Resistance:	0.28 ~ 0.35(Silent) C/W

 The specifications are already impressive. On their rated thermal resistance, it already beats Alpha PAL6035 in any mode. You will have to see the benchmarks to see if this claim can be backed up, but it would actually be a shame if this massive heatsink weighing in at 70% heavier wouldn't perform at least as good as the competitor. Now the thing that many of you are wondering would be in the form of, "where's the 80mm fan that's listed here? How are you going to install that on the contraption?" Read along and that will be answered.

• CNPS3100's Packaging

 The image on the left is the original package that CNPS3100-Gold comes in. In case you're wondering what those words at the left-top corner are supposed to say, it means, "Powerful... Silent..." Open the box and you see the contents, as shown on the right. You get the instruction booklet(all in Korean just yet), the heatsink itself, and the clip to attach it on(see left of the heatsink). Like PAL6035, it also comes with thermal paste. It comes in an easy-to-use syringe rather than tube, however. At the bottom of the box, you see the fan that was not seen in the initial photo attached to a metal holder with two sets of screws for attaching the holder onto the system case. Just how is all this going to fit into a system? Watch.

• CNPS3100 Installation

 Installing the FHS part of the CNPS3100-Gold is not unlike installing a normal heatsink. Put the clip into the FHS(it slides into place) and push the right edge of the clip to snap on. You can use a flathead or philips screwdriver to help installing/uninstalling it, for there are holes on the clip to accomodate such things. Now comes the peculiar part you'll never see while installing conventional heatsinks. Cooling fan comes attached on a metal holder, which is in turn installed onto the case. This is obviously because the FHS does not have a place to attach fans on(actually, fans can be installed directly onto FHS with a small adaptor screwed in place, but Zalman has no plans to market the adaptor yet). You attach the holder by unscrewing top three screws holding the expansion cards, putting the holder in, and screwing them back.

 You may notice two things of concern here. For one, the fans don't seem to be aligned with the heatsink well. This is not to worry, as the cooling performance is not affected by the location of the fan once it is almost as close to the FHS as shown in the picture. This is mentioned in the instruction booklet and I have moved around the fans closer/farther and confirmed this. In fact, the cooling fan is intended to double as the northbridge chipset fan, so the installation shown in the picture is rather optimal. You can see the northbridge covered in a small green heatsink below the FHS in the left picture. This chip gets very hot during operation and since most mainboards do not actively cool this important chip, CNPS3100's fan setup is well thought up.

 Another concern is that the metal holder leaves no room for installing case fans. This is not so much of a trouble because you can simply attach the case fan on the opposite side to provide same case cooling.

 The two heatsinks looks fine now, but how do they really perform?