Installation :

This heatsink can be installed on all current Intel and AMD platforms like most of Scythe previous CPU cooling products, so I was expecting plenty of mounting hardware pieces, much to my surprise all I needed for installation on AMD Socket 754/939/940 is this:



They clip on at each side of the heatsink and with them installation was extremely easy, quite an improvement over the previous methods used by Scythe which consisted of screws, a back plate and even more screws.




Performance and Noise :

Let’s see how it does compared to the stock A64 cooler



First thing which I noticed was the quality of the included 92mm fan; it performs better than my reference Delta fan which is already quite high up the performance/noise ladder.

The temperature of CPU shows an improvement of almost 5°C, and this at a lower noise level, the dBA meter displayed a healthy 10dBA drop.



For the Overclocked and Noisy test I added the Vantec 92mm fan in the mix, and as you can see there’s a reason why it should never be considered for any “silent computing”. 71dBA at 50cm from the case it’s deafening. Coupled to the Samurai Z it offers excellent performance (no surprise); the other results all show similar drops in temperature compared to Setup1, this is of course thanks to the extra case ventilation.



At stock speeds I was able to reduce the fan speed of the Delta and Stock fan to 50%, this caused a system crash with the previous test setups, but now the CPU is running a lot cooler. But this reduction in fan speed is sadly to no avail as the PSU is too loud and the drop in noise can not be noticed.

In my sound tests with the Samurai Z in setup1 I recorded a 34dBA noise level with the stock fan running at 50%; If you are not overclocking your CPU and have a quiet PSU this fan/heatsink combo will perform well and do it silently.



The Verdict:

The new Samurai Z is surely an improvement over its predecessor, the silent operation (even with the fan running @ 100%) combined with easy installation will make it an interesting choice for those looking for an all-around performer. While in my tests it does not come out on top performance wise, its plug and play installation for all platforms is a welcome and unique asset.

PRO
Included 92mm fan offers excellent noise/performance ratio
Extremely easy installation
Offers decent cooling
Compatible with all current AMD and Intel sockets
Fair price

CON
fan mounting clips don’t work with bridged fans

Where to buy?