Scythe Katana Heatpipe CPU Cooler

I have high hopes for this cooler, not just because it looks great, but because the design could really allow for some awesome cooling. Here is the system that the cooler is being tested in:

To test, I used a variety of programs. First, I simply turned on the PC and let it idle for about 10 minutes, which gives a clear result for our idle temps. To stress the CPU, I first open up Prime95 and let it do a Small FFT continuous test. I let that go for a few minutes, then I open up SuperPi and select a 32 Million test. Just to add to the fun, I also open up BurnK7 and let it do it’s thing. I let the process continue for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes is up, I record the temps. Simple tests, but they work well.

Comparing the Katana to both the Stock and Titan, it took a nice 4ºC off the idle temps. For the load temps, the Katana proved itself 4ºC cooler than the stock cooler, and 2ºC cooler than the Titan.

I should mention that these temps all around could be better, if my ambient temps were not high. Even so though, a load of 49ºC is certainly nothing to worry about and can give a great piece of mind. Overall, the cooler does a better job than the stock cooler, although that’s not a real surprise.

If you insist on sticking to air cooling, then I would recommend the Katana. It didn’t blow my mind as I hoped it would, but it did do a great job of keeping the CPU cooler than even the Vanessa. Since my ambient temp is always high, it’s great to know that my CPU still won’t go above 50ºC.

This no doubt is a great looking cooler, and has good potential to keep your CPU cooler than the competition. A couple great bonuses is that it’s also extremely lightweight and very quiet. It’s a great cooler overall, and for that we award it an 8/10.

Thanks to Scythe for sending us the Katana to review. I look forward to seeing future designs that they will come up with, and maybe even improve on this current design.

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