Scythe Ninja Plus CPU Cooler Review

Cooling/CPU Cooling by jmke @ 2006-08-21

The Ninja is dead, long live the Ninja Plus! Scythe stopped selling the Ninja without a fan some time ago, we evaluate the performance of the Plus version which comes bundled with a 1200rpm 120mm model.

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Introduction, Specifications and Up Close

Scythe SCNJ-1000P Ninja:
Supplied by: Bacata

When we first tested the Scythe Ninja in May 2005 we were quite impressed with its performance/noise balance, it took the top spot and found its way into silent PC systems all over the world. We received the ?barebone? Ninja which came without a fan, however Scythe has stopped offering this heatsink without a fan, and they are now only selling the ?Ninja Plus? which includes a 120mm 1200rpm model.

The package has only been slightly revised to fit the 120mm fan at the top:

Madshrimps (c)
Left: old package ? Right: Ninja Plus Package


So after more than 1 year is the Ninja still the undisputed ?silence? king of the hill? We set to find out in the coming days/weeks as we test and compare the latest offerings from Thermalright, Silverstone, Titan and many more to see if the king can be dethroned.

While in our last roundup we saw the Tuniq Tower 120 take the performance/noise lead with active cooling, it?s very low availability in shops world-wide, doesn?t make it a valuable alternative. What good is a killer product if you can?t buy it?

Today we start out by re-evaluating the Scythe Ninja Plus, to see how its included fan stacks up to our golden oldie; the Papst 4412 F/2GLL (40CFM)

Specifications Ninja Pus :

Compatibility:
  • Intel: Socket 478/775
  • AMD: AthlonXP/64/64+ Socket754/940/939

    Madshrimps (c)
    Mounting gear for the different platforms, note that AM2 is missing, but using a custom retail bracket you can make it fit on the new AMD platform.


    Heatsink Dimensions: 110x110x150mm
    Fan Specs: AD1212DS A73GL(6TCL3) 120x120x25mm 23.5dBA/46.5CFM/1200RPM

    Madshrimps (c)


    Ninja Plus weight (with fan): 815gram

    Ninja up close :

    The design of the Ninja is targeted for low airflow environments, six U shaped heat pipes are joined at the base, and they dissipate the heat through a series of aluminum fins which are spread out over the height of the heatsink. The Ninja is basically a square and the 120mm fan(s) can be mounted on each side easily. Its massive size can cause compatibility issues if you have memory banks close to the CPU socket, as mounting the fan will make them unusable, moving the fan up slightly higher can solve this, but it does come with a slight performance impact as less air is then directed through the fins.

    Madshrimps (c)


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