X-bit labs

Little Coolers for a Big Processor: AURAS TwinW, APACK ZEROtherm CF900 and Scythe Shuriken (page 8)

Category: Coolers

by Sergey Lepilov

[ 05/07/2008 | 08:21 PM ]

Design and Functionality

Scythe Shuriken is only 64mm tall, which is just a little more than a common matchbox:

In fact, the cooler measures 105 x 116 x 64mm, which is a clear indication that it is intended for low-profile compact system cases.

The key feature of this newcomer is the use of Uneven Parallel Heatpipe technology. It determines a specific way of placing the heatpipes beneath the heatsink. Unlike Scythe ZIPANG, all three 6-mm heatpipes in this cooler are not piercing the heatsink array, but lie right beneath it:

This way only the top part of the heatpipes contacts the cooler heatsink, which will hardly have a positive effect on the overall cooler performance. The whole thing is cooled with a 100 x 100 x 12mm fan:

The fan rotation speed is adjusted automatically using PWM method and may vary from 650 to 2000RPM. If you are unhappy with the default fan for some reason, you may replace it with a standard 92-mm fan using the same Scythe Shuriken wire retention clips.

The copper plate I the base of the cooler where the heatpipes are soldered is covered with nickel alloy. Besides, it is polished pretty well:

The surface is very even, which we verified by checking the thermal compound imprint from the cooler base on the glass plate.