Scythe NCU2000:

In a world of 100+Watt CPU’s it is hard to imagine a passive cooler being sold this day, say hi to the Scythe NCU2000, aimed at very silent computing. But in order to achieve this goal you better have sufficient airflow inside your case. Let’s take a closer look at the unit.

Specifications:

This heatsink can be installed on:



* Passive cooling!
* Copper base, aluminum fins, Heatlane heatpipe technology
* no fan support
* 505gr without fan :-)


Construction:





In the top right picture you can see that the heatsink’s design is similar to that of the FCS-50, the Heatlane heatpipe once again transfers it heat to the fins which are placed at each side of the pipe. The finishing on the heatsink is top notch and the copper bottom plate is very smooth!



Installation:



First thing you need to do is assemble the NCU2000, after spreading a thin layer thermal compound on the base you screw on the copper bottom plate for P4. A64 users have another route to take. Both installation methods are described step by step in the included manual and it won’t take long before you are ready to install the unit. Utilizing the Intel retention bracket I was looking forward to some plug and play action. Unfortunately it takes a bit longer to get secure the heatsink in its place, the best method I’ve found was to turn the screw halfway through two metal strips and then placing them under the lips of the retention bracket, making sure the bottom of each screw is aligned with the little “cup” cutout in the copper bottom plate. A few turns of the screwdriver later the NCU2000 sits securely on your CPU.


Problems and issues:

The whole installation method is not exactly pick up and play, it requires some time and concentration, seeing as the bottom plate is not integrated into the base of the heatsink by default it will have a negative impact on performance, as thermal compound can only do “so” much. Scythe traded in performance for cross-platform compatibility and I can only applaud this, but if the performance hit is not too big.

Performance:

In the test below the heatsink was tested with active cooling installed, later in the review you will find performance numbers of a more passive setup. How did I attach the Papst 120mm fan? Take a look at the picture in the installation section :)



Although the NCU2000 was not meant to work with active cooling installed, it still delivers impressive numbers, 47°C with the 120mm Papst fan running at high speed, which is still fairly silent! Dropping to the fan speed has only a minor effect as it increases temperature by a mere 3°C.