Introduction
Scythe Co., Ltd, began its operation and business in November 2002 as a distributor and a manufacturer of passive and low-noise PC components. Since then, Scythe is recognized for their excellent & affordable products.
Official product link:
http://www.scythe-eu.com/en/products/cpu-cooler/choten.html
Packaging and accessories
The cooler is packaged in a two-tone standard cardboard box. The front side showcases the cooler with a profile image of the heatsink and fan assembly while the upper part is occupied by the name of the cooler alongside the manufacturer’s emblem. The left side features the main features of the cooler and all of the compatible sockets.
The side of the packaging presents the features and specifications of the cooler in 7 different languages, while on the right the name and a small diagram are printed.
The back side of the packaging presents the warranty policy in 3 different languages. On the top side, there are the contact details for the tech support of the manufacturer.
Accessories
The product comes with the following accessories:
– 1x Installation guide for Intel
– 1x Installation guide for AMD
– 1x User manual
– 1x Thermal compound bag
Specifications
Model: SCCT-1000
Supported sockets:
Intel: LGA775, 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1366
AMD: Socket AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, AM4, FM1, FM2, FM2+
Heatsink:
Materials: Nickel-plated Copper (base and heat-pipes), aluminium (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Dimensions: 130 x 120 x 130 mm (including fan)
Heatpipes: 4x – Ø6 mm
Weight: 550g including fan
Fan(s):
Model: Kaze Flex 120 PWM
Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 27 mm
Bearing type: Sealed Precision FDB
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%): 300 ~ 1.200 rpm (PWM-controlled)
Airflow: 16,6 ~ 51.17 CFM
Static pressure: 0,076 ~ 1,05 mmH²O
Acoustical Noise: 4 ~ 24,9 dBA
Connector: 4-Pin PWM
MTBF: 120.000 Hours (25°C)
Warranty: 6 Years
Features:
– Kaze Flex 120 PWM Fan: The Kaze Flex 120 PWM fan uses a proprietary design with a FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) for a quieter and more reliable operation with over 120 000 hours of lifespan. The corners of the frame are covered by a rubber spacer to eliminate the transfer of any vibration inside the chassis and any unwanted sounds from the blade movement.
– Asymmetric design and low height: The Choten CPU Cooler features a top flow design with the advantage of providing active cooling to the CPU power delivery components on the motherboard. The radiator is offset to improve the RAM compatibility while also maintaining a balanced shape for the cooler. In addition, the cooler has a height of only 120 mm with the fan installed, thus being compatible with a wide range of PC chassis.
Visual inspection
The Scythe Choten is a top down style CPU cooler that uses a 120mm Kaze Flex PWM fan part of the new Scythe Kaze Flex series of fans as standard. The cooler also integrates both aluminum and nickel plated copper for its overall construction and components. The heatsink layout is asymmetric to increase the RAM memory clearance.
On of the main features of the Choten is the asymmetric top flow heatsink design, one of the advantages of this type of design being that the airflow being generated by the fan is pushed on the power delivery components of the motherboard that are around the CPU sockets, the VRM, phases, capacitors. In addition, the asymmetric design of the heatsink and heatpipes allow for more clearance for the RAM modules and for the first PCIe x1 slot.
Like many other models from Scythe, the Choten uses four nickel-plated copper heatpipes that measure 6mm in diameter. The base of the cooler has the same construction but it is polished to a mirror like reflection.
The mounting system is simple, the cooler used both the Intel and AMD factory mounting systems for cost reduction and ease of installation. Both systems do not require any introduction, being on the market for years.
On the underside, the aluminum fins of the cooler are shaped to better direct the airflow downwards while also creating more space for both the RAM modules and for the motheroard’s heatsinks.
The single 120mm fan included in the package uses a 4-pin Molex connector for power delivery, which is controlled through the PWM function by the motherboard. This fan is part of the new Kaze Flex series, and features a Sealed Precision FDB bearing with an RPM range of 300 ~ 1.200 RPM. In addition, the corners of the fan are rubberized to mitigate the vibrations produced by the rotation of the blades.
Testing
The following system was used to test the cooler:
– Processor: Intel i5 6600K @ 3.9 GHz and overclocked to 4.5 GHz
– Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z270 Professional Gaming i7
– RAM: Ballistix Tactical Tracer 16GB DDR4 @ 2666MHz
– GPU: GeForce GTX 1070 Founder’s Edition
– SSD: Samsung 840 EVO 120GB
– HDD: WD 1 TB Blue
– PSU: SeaSonic Snow Silent 750W
– Case: Phanteks Enthoo Luxe White
– Thermal compound: Arctic Cooling MX-4
Software used for testing the cooler:
– AIDA64 Extreme Version: 5.98.4800 (9/19/2018)
– Intel Burn Test v2.54
– Prime95 29.1
The cooler was tested with the CPU at the default turbo frequency of 3.9 GHz and overclocked to 4.5 GHz with a core voltage of 1.296 V.
Also, the included fans have been used at their maximum speed.
The room temperature was approximately 26°C (78°F), with 2°C margin of error.
The idle test consists of the CPU sitting idle at the desktop for 30 minutes, the temperature was measured at the end of the test.
The settings of the software used are the following:
Intel Burn Test v2.54 – Stress level: Maximum
Prime95 29.1- small FFT
AIDA64 Extreme Version – Temperature monitoring.
Each test was conducted for 40 minutes.
The test results are as follows:
Idle
Full Load
The noise level was measured at three different distances from the fans (10cm, 20cm, 30cm.) the noise was measured with a margin of error of ± 5 db.
The Choten offers a good RAM and motherboard heatsink compatibility due to the shape of the top down heatsink. The asymmetric design allows for a better clearence for all four RAM slots as well as for the Power delivery heatinks around the CPU Socket.
Final thoughts
The Scythe Choten is found on the affordable price bracket of the CPU cooling market, it also uses the standard Intel and AMD mounting clips. However, the cooler delivers a good performance, the Skylake i5 used in the testing process was also overclocked to 4.5 GHz, yet only reached 77 degrees Celsius. This is on the same level of performance as CPU coolers that not only have a proprietary mounting system but also use bigger fans or more heatpipes.
The main advantage of a top down cooler apart from the good RAM and motherboard heatsink clearance offered is the direct airflow generated by the fan that will actively cool the power delivery components of the motherboard, the VRM, MOSFETs and Chokes.
In the case of the Choten, the build quality is identical with that of the high end coolers such as the Ninja 5, there are no sharp edges on the heatsink and both the base and heatpipes have a good exterior finish, the base being polished to a mirror like reflection.
In conclusion, The Scythe Choten is a good affordable top down CPU Cooler that is able to perform well above its price range, the included Kaze Flex 120mm fan is silent and also PWM compatible. The inconvenient of this product would be the factory Intel and AMD mounting systems that are not as sturdy, however during the testing period, no problems were encountered.
Scythe
