Zalman ramps up quiet PC push

Zalman is launching new fans aimed at overclockers and a totally silent barebones case for anyone that wants to build their own multimedia PC for the living room.

As you would expect from the company, the new products all have that Zalman unique look, and are designed for power users that don't want noisy fans cooling their system.

The latest in its 'super flower' range of silent fans is the CNPS9500LED (photos for all products in this story can be viewed here). Young Chan Choi, assistant manager for overseas marketing, said it is designed for maximum heat dispersion, with its three heat pipes working as if they were six because of their shape. Plus its vertical fan, which glows blue when it spins thanks to its LEDs, forces hot air straight out of the case.

It supports both AMD and Intel processors across their ranges of sockets and will cost around £40 when it comes out in early July. "It can cool the hottest CPU on the market in silent mode at 1350RPM," he said.

The Zalman TNN300 is the company's new silent barebones PC for the living room. Its look is a matter of taste, but the design again ensures that once running, it is totally noiseless. "A lot of companies focus on multimedia PCs, but the problem is noise. This is totally silent," said Choi.

Available with only the heat plug and power supply, it comes out in July, costing around £385. Choi said they recommend people use it with an AMD 3500+, because the processor generates less heat than equivalent alternatives.

Also just launched is its Reserator 1 Plus external fanless water cooler. The huge heat sink sits beside your PC and cools it using a blue coolant, which means the computer can run silently.

This is really aimed at hardcore enthusiasts, as anyone that has seen the product will testify. Its price, at about £175, is not for the faint-hearted.

Choi admitted that Zalman worked hard to overcome any fears users might have of pumping water around the internals of their PC. "We originally had some problems with leakages but changed the installation method. We now use bolts instead of twisting it [secure] and have tested it over 100 times and had no leakages."