Zalman Fatal1ty FC-ZV9 VGA Heatsink

Heat has become a real concern for PC enthusiasts as video card GPUs have become more powerful. Many manufacturers have even begun to overclock their video cards at the factor, adding to the heat issue. Even though OEM heatsinks have become more robust, they are not nearly as efficient as many aftermarket VGA heatsinks. Zalman is one aftermarket heatsink manufacturer that has consistently provides excellent quality products to subdue the heat monster in our rigs. Zalman’s newest offering, the Fatal1ty FC-ZV9 VGA cooler is aimed at the extreme gaming enthusiast, bearing the elite “Fatal1ty” brand.

As a PC enthusiast, you should be more than familiar with Zalman already. Many of their products offer excellent heat dissipation and near-silent operation. They became famous with their noiseless “flower” coolers, which led to the CNPS (Computer Noise Prevention System) line of coolers.

The Fatal1ty FC-ZV9 should look familiar, at it’s an updated model of the VF900. Zalman has received a lot of mileage out of their flowered heatsink concept, and with reason, as it’s an excellent design with a proven track record of performance. Zalman has started to incorporate heatpipe technology into their heatsink models to further improve cooling efficiency. While this sounds good on paper, other manufacturers have failed to impress just by using the latest buzzword: the heatpipe.

From the onset, the most obvious difference in this cooler is its unique color and shiny mirror finish. The Fatali1ty FC-ZV9 is made from full-copper, and implements a dual-heatpipe design just like its predecessor, but sports a bright red LED fan and a chrome-like shiny finish. Here are some of the features:

The cooling fan is more powerful than previous models. While it is not as quiet as its predecessor (1.5dB louder in “silent” mode), it provides more cooling potential (by moving more air across its many fins, which are fed heat by the heatpipe core).