Fatal1ty FS-C77 CPU Cooler

The Zalman Fatal1ty FS-C77 cooler is certainly a force to be reckoned with. World-famous for producing some of the quietest CPU coolers available, Zalman have taken a new approach with the FS-C77 and used the innovative efficient heatsink design of the CNPS7700-CU to produce maximum cooling instead of minimum noise. This modification has produced a high-performance CPU cooler which is being marketed under the Fatal1ty brand name, aimed at the gaming market.

This cooler is very similar to the CNPS7700-CU, but it uses a high-speed fan to get the best possible performance. This provide a greater amount of airflow over the CPU and surrounding components, and will ensure the minimum possible processor temperature. The downside is that the noise level of this product is very high. Please ensure you are happy with this before purchasing!

Motherboard Cooling

The image above shows the 120mm fan providing cooling to other sensitive areas around the vicinity of the CPU. Important components like the Northbridge chip, RAM, VGA and FET circuitry now receive a share of the airflow. The benefit of this airflow is that the expected life of the components receiving the airflow is increased because their operational temperature is reduced.

All of these factors makes the Fatal1ty FS-C77 the best choice for a high-performance high-noise CPU cooler.

Product differences

The specifications of the Fatal1ty FS-C77 cooler are identical to the Zalman CNPS7700-CU, except that the cooler comes with a higher speed fan, and no FANMATE2. The thermal resistance of the FS-C77 is 0.02°C/W lower than the CNPS7700-CU, which means the CPU will run cooler. Finally, the FS-C77 has a special ceramic coating which maximises heat transfer and minimises oxidation. Not only that, but it looks cool too!

Installation considerations

Please be aware that because the weight of this product exceeds Intel and AMD’s recommendations, we strongly suggest that you remove the CPU cooler before transporting your PC by courier. Neither we nor the manufacturer can be held responsible for any damage to a system or a CPU which occurs when a PC is transported with an overweight heatsink in situ.

Compatibility Issues

Due to the large diameter of the Fatal1ty FS-C77, there are a few things to consider before purchase. Zalman state that no motherboard components with a height greater that 39mm as well as the PSU, disk drives, VGA card, and RAM should be present within a 68mm (2.68 inch) radius from the center of the CPU.

Zalman have released a comprehensive list of compatible motherboards. Please follow these links depending on your motherboard socket type: Pentium 4 (LGA775), Pentium 4 (S478) and AMD (S754/939/940). If you cannot determine if your motherboard is compatible with the FS-C77 then you are asked to measure your motherboard to ascertain compatibility.

PLEASE NOTE: Your motherboard may need to be removed from the chassis to be able to install this cooler. Also please note that the FS-C77 is incompatible with Athlon XP (socket A, 462) and Pentium 3 (Socket 370).