Genre: Promotion

The 10X Extreme is a rather sharp looking cooler . Overall it does n't look or feel like it 's been fabricated from a tin can . Many CPU coolers have made the mistake of using low quality , thinner aluminum for their fins . It 's unlike many of the performance tower coolers in that it comes assembled with a mounted 120mm blue LED cooling fan of Zalman's choice . Many enthusiasts like to use fans of their own choice . However , if the 120mm fan used here is of decent quality , we see no reason why it will ever be an issue even amongst DIY enthusiasts . Overall , the 10X Extreme rather solid cooler . It 's roughly 5 inches wide by 6.25 inches tall x 4 inches deep . Most of that size comes from the fan frame which is actually more of a " cap " of sorts sitting on top with two small screws holding the fan in place . Basically , just for show but does add a nice finished quality to the product . Mentioned earlier , the cooler contains a controller known as the PWM Mate . The unique thing about the PWM Mate is that it can be disconnected from the cooler and act as a wired remote when coupled with the included extension cable . Users can allow the Mate to hang or mount on the back of their computer case for easier control . It saves you time from having to open and close the chassis . The entire cooler is made from or covered in what Zalman has dubbed " Black Pearl " Nickel Plating . We counted 5 full length U-shaped heat pipes running the full length and most the width of the cooler . The fins are noticeably thicker and make a rather tight fit , or connection , against the heat pipes than many other tower coolers . This should better help transfer heat from the pipes to the fins . Despite appearances , we definitely noticed the superb mirror like finish on the non-copper colored base . Copper has always proven to be the best material for heat sinks . And , the mirror finish ensures that there 's maximum transference of heat from the CPU to the base as well as through the heat pipes . We think you 've patiently drooled long enough . Let 's see what this beauty can do . Installation Notes and Test Setup First , our test system was thoroughly cleaned and prepped using Artic Clean's products . To eliminate any variables between test coolers , a third party compound from Artic Silver 5 was used in place of Zalman's thermal compound . No doubt that Zalman's would be the ideal choice over any generic compounds , but we want to present the most uniform test experience . The manual was clear on which LGA1366 components to use . The black bracket was a little loose even with the washer and screws thoroughly tightened . We figure the motherboard's PCB is just a little thinner than the boards Zalman's engineers used in development . While it should n't affect performance , we did n't want to take a chance , so an extra washer was added to each bottom bolt to tighten it up nicely . The only sticky point was getting the top chrome fastening plate oriented properly while setting the cooler on the CPU . It can be tricky so take your time , eye the placement as best you can as you set it in place . After tightening the screws , it was extremely secure without any movement . Just what we like to see . Our hexa-core processor is a beast of a processor . It can get pretty warm pushing any cooler to its thermal limits . If this performance grade CPU cooler can cool the Core i7-980X , it will easily cool any other processor available , including AMD's upcoming Phenom II X6s . Image Gallery