Introduction
After testing the aluminium-copper hybrid Zalman VF700-AlCu cooler, I wasn't particularly impressed with its performance. The VF700-Cu I am testing today is essentially the same as the AlCu version, except that the heatsink is made completely from copper.
The Zalman VF700-Cu is essentially the deluxe version of the new Zalman VF700 series of graphics card coolers. If you have not read our review of AlCu version, I suggest that you have a look here.
The installation process is 100% identical, so I won't be touching on that in this review. If you wish to learn more about the installation process of the Zalman VF700-series coolers, please click here.
The key differences between the two models are in the material used and the weight of the heatsink. The copper version is 270g; 90g heavier than the hybrid AlCu model. On the packaging, the box states that the Cu model improves on the performance of the stock cooler by 7-10°C, while the AlCu only claims a drop of 5-8°C.
So, will we end up with only 2°C of difference between the two coolers? Well, we'll find out soon enough.
Specifications
VF700-Cu |
VF700-AlCu |
|
Dimensions | 91 (L) x 126.4 (W) x 30 (H) mm |
|
Base Material | Pure Copper |
Copper & Aluminium |
Weight | 270g |
180g |
Bearing Type | 2-Ball |
|
Rated Voltage | 12VDC |
Packaging
As expected, the packaging is 100% identical to the VF700-AlCu model. The VF700-Cu comes in a transparent plastic box which doesn't offer much protection during handling or delivery.
Front |
Back |
The box was quite difficult to open without using additional tools as it was sealed with two 'stamps' at the top.
Like the VF700-AlCu, I had to use a Swiss army knife to pry it open.
Contents
These are the components that were included with Zalman VF700-Cu cooler.
- Main heatsink
- 8 RAM heatsinks
- Assembly parts
- Thermal grease
- Multi connector
- User Manual
If your graphics card has 16 RAM chips, you will need to get extra 8 RAM heatsinks, which have the model name of ZM-RHS1. But most high-end cards use only 8 RAM chips per card, so this should not a big issue for most people.
If your card has RAM modules on the back of the card, these RAM modules will not receive any airflow, since the fan is located at the front of the card.