Conclusion
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Installing the Scythe Katana II CPU Cooler was a fairly straightforward process; definitely one of the less complicated installations I�ve had to perform.The motherboard does not have to be removed, nor does the stock cooler retention bracket that comes with most motherboards.
After installing the AMD-specific bracket and removing the old cooler, I installed new thermal compound on the CPU, sat the new cooler into place.The last step is where it got difficult; I had to really push hard to get the clips to engage.Not sure why they had to make this step so difficult; I always worry that this will cause damage to the CPU and/or the motherboard.
Though this is a large cooler, as expected I had no clearance issues.The cooler�s height did not interfere with the case, and there was plenty of clearance around the base, thanks to the raised set of radiator fins.No concern with this cooler hitting any of the capacitors, RAM, the Northbridge cooler, etc.After turning it on, I was a little disappointed that there is no LEDs installed on the cooler; it seems like most of today�s coolers add that little stylish touch.
Testing:
Test System:
AMD 64+ 4000+ S939 Winchester
Biostar T-Force Motherboard
Corsair 1GB ValueSelect PC3200 DDR RAM
GeForce 7600GS
Western Digital 250 GB 7200 rpm harddrive
Idle temperatures were taken running Windows and full loads were taken while running SiSandra�s Burn-in Module.Temperatures (in degrees Celsius) were recorded, with the results compared with two recently reviewed air coolers: the new Thermaltake V1 CPU cooler and the Evercool Buffalo cooler, both of which are vertical coolers.Ambient temp was about 20C.
2400+ Stock speed:
Results after overclocking to 2200 MHz-
2400@2640:
As seen in both tests, the Katana II actually outperformed the both coolers in certain conditions, which was surprising given what I thought was a smaller amount of cooler surface area..The fan noise was pretty low for a cooler with no fan controller; the large fan performs quieter than most thanks to the lower RPM settings.Overall I thought the cooler had solid performance.
Conclusion:
I was pleasantly surprised with the solid design and performance of the Scythe Katana II CPU cooler.This simple-yet-effective cooler packs a punch when it comes to cooling performance, and its extremely simple installation make it perfect for the user looking to improve their computer�s cooling ability without dealing with the added hassle of a more sophisticated cooling solution.While it lacks some of the fancy features other coolers provide and is takes a little force to install, this cooler delivers where it matters the most.
Pros:
+ Simple installation with complete set of accessories
+ Compatible with a wide range of processors
+ Good cooling/sound performance
+ No clearance issues around the cooler
Cons:
- Takes a little bit of force to install
- No LEDs on the fan
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Pages: 1 2
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