CES 2013: Zalman Fanless Cooler & CI Water Cooler Win Innovation Awards

Just as the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show was winding down on Friday, I was finally able to hit the show floor for the first time. After several days of meetings with manufacturers, it was nice to meander through the massive Las Vegas Convention Center at my leisure. One of the first stops was Zalman, who showcased over 120 products including everything from coolers, cases, video cards, power supplies to desk lamps.

Two Coolers Take Home Innovation Awards

Zalman is well-known for their focus on unique design and quiet (or silent) cooling solutions. This year they unveiled two brand-new coolers that fit that mold quiet, I mean quite, nicely. Both the CI Water Cooler and Fanless CPU Cooler captured coveted 2013 CES Innovation Awards.

First up is Zalman’s response to new all-in-one water coolers from Corsair, Thermaltake, Swiftech and others, the CI Water Cooler. Aside from it looking sleek, the cooler’s radiator is based on the traditional round CPU cooler design with copper fins. This particular radiator has a groove pipe, like a heatpipe, to maximize cooling performance. The cooler boasts a 400w power tolerance and blue LED lighting effects (which let you know the pump is running). Pricing has yet to be determined, so it’s difficult to gauge where this product fits into the hierarchy of all-in-one water coolers. However it should be available in late March, so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out about performance.

Next up is the strange-looking Fanless CPU Cooler, which features 10 heatpipes and a different design than standard heatsinks. The cooler is engineered to maximize long distance heat transfer, allowing for more dissipation. It’s completely fanless and silent, but a 92mm fan can be used for improved performance. Again, no pricing information is available, but the Fanless CPU Cooler should be released in March.

As you can see from the second photo, the cooler requires quite a bit of clearance. This is to be expected with a fanless cooler as more fins are necessary to dissipate the heat without the assistance of airflow. There is ample room is this shiny new Zalman case!

Other Products on Display

Zalman had its full product lineup for all to see at CES this year. Here are more photos:

Visit Overclockers.com throughout the year for updates and reviews on the latest Zalman products.

– Matt Ring (mdcomp)