HARDWARE

Scythe Katana 4 And Thermalright TRUE Spirit 90 (Part 1)

5/11/2013 7:15:55 PM

We discuss the features and performances of two CPU coolers which have very reasonable prices. What are the capabilities of these moderate-looking products?

Air CPU coolers testing is taking a lot of our time in the X-bit labs. In 2012, 26 of them are tested and judged by the new product announcements. The year of 2013 is going to be not that diligent. However, we have to admit that what we are mostly focused on are expensive and large coolers, whose performances and efficiency highly exceed most of the users’ need for their practical applications.

Less costly and fairly small coolers, which are able to ensure the acceptable CPU temperatures compared to those so-called boxed ones with the lower noise level, would be more popular. In this part, therefore, we will consider two of such products, which are called Scythe Katana 4 and Thermalright TRUE Spirit 90.

The coolers

The coolers

Although just being launched recently, they are available in many stores. Their heatsinks have similar size and type, as well as their cost. That is why we choose them to make our comparison.

Testing components

Scythe Katana 4 (SCKTN-4000)

Our first cooler Scythe Katana 4 (SCKTN-4000) is transported in small cardboard on which there are all kinds of information about this Japanese brand.

Scythe Katana 4 (SCKTN-4000)

Scythe Katana 4 (SCKTN-4000)

There is one compartment of the box containing many screws, fasteners, thermal grease, a special key and detailed installation instruction.

Accessories containing box

Accessories containing box

Manufactured in Japan, the cooler’s price is $29 with the 2-year warranty.

The fourth version of Katana still have the tower-shape but much larger than the third one. With the dimension of 143x102x100 mm and the weight of 480 gram, the cooler is less tilted than before.

The key enhancement in Katana 4 is the triple-array heatsink and each of those does have its dedicated heat pipe.

The triple-array heatsink

The triple-array heatsink

This solution improves balance of the heat distribution between the heatsink fins and optimizes the air flow, although the resistance to this airflow is more likely to be higher.

Each part of the heatsink includes 42 aluminum plates. Each is 0.3 mm thick and the gap between the press-fitted on the heatpipes is 2 mm.

Three heat pipes

Three heat pipes

The three heat pipes’ diameters are all 6 mm. Their ends are covered with figure caps and soldered to a 38x38 mm nickel-plated square of copper in the base of the cooler.

The 38x38 mm nickel-plated square of cooper

The quality of the finished products is so perfect that everything could be reflected in it like a mirror.

The contact surface of the cooler is flat, but it is strange that the thermal grease suggests the opposite thing that it does not press down on the CPU uniformly.

The thermal grease

The thermal grease

It must be because of the pressing mechanism, which is not very powerful. However, the CPU heat-spreader is almost entirely covered by the cooler.

The Scythe Katana 4 is equipped with a 7-blade 92x25 mm PWM-regulated fan.

The Kama Flow 2 fan

The Kama Flow 2 fan

Through the shape of the blades, it is the Kama Flow 2 fan but its notable difference from what we can see from what is showed on the official website of the company: SY9225SL12M-P. In the range of 300 to 2,500, the fan’s rotation speed is set automatically to create the air flow from 6.7 to 55.6 CFM and still pressure of 0.75 to 2.29 mm of water at the noise level of 7.2 to 31.1 dBA. The heat-spreader has enough space for the second fan, but there are no additional screws for them in the box. The usage life of the fan is unidentified.

Despite its low price, Scythe Katana can be installed on any contemporary platform. It supports the mainboards with the processors of Intel LGA775 and AMD’s Socket 754/939/940, so it really is a wide-spread cooler.

The process is very simple, starting with the mounting bracket attachment into the cooler’s base:

The attachment on the AMD | Intel 775/1155(6)/1366 and Intel LGA 2011 respectively

The attachment on the AMD | Intel 775/1155(6)/1366 and Intel LGA 2011 respectively

After that, you just need to install the cooler and fasten its steel or plastic fasteners. If you have already had the LGA 2011 platform, a cooler which is secured by screws.

The steel or plastic fasteners

The steel or plastic fasteners

It is because of the pressure force and reliability that screws become preferable, but as you can see in the picture about the thermal grease, the perfect fastening is not always ensured.

The gap between Scythe Katana 4 and the mainboard is 42mm, which is adequate to avoid the conflict with the tall heatsink on the power components or memory modules.

The gap between the last edge and the mainboard

The gap between the last edge and the mainboard

The cooler looks surprisingly neat and compact with the system.

Scythe Katana 4 (SCKTN-4000) specs

·         Dimension of the cooler (fan): 143x103x100 (92x92x25 mm)

·         Weigh: 480g

·         Heatsink material and design: Tripe-array tower heatsink of aluminum fins on three copper heatpipes 6 mm in diameter going through the nickel-plated copper base

·         Heatsink fins: 126 (42 x 3)

·         Heatsink fin thickness: 0.3 mm

·         Gap between the fins: 2 mm

·         Fan type and model: Scythe SY9225SL12M-P

·         Fan rotation speed 300 – 2500 RPM (PWM)

·         Airflow: 6.7 – 55.6 CFM

·         Noise: 7.2 – 31.1 dBA

·         Static pressure: 0.75 – 2.29 mmH2O

·         Fan bearings: 1 slide bearing

·         Nominal/ startup fan voltage: 12V

·         Fan current: 0.18 A

·         Approximate max fan power consumption: 2.2 W

·         Supported CPU sockets: LGA 775/1155/1156/1366/2011, Socket 939/AM2(+)/AM3(+)/FM1(2)

·         Additional: Fan with PWM control, Scythe thermal paste

·         Recommended price: $29

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