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/katana-5.html
Packaging and accessories
The Katana 5 is packaged in an all-black cardboard box that is small in size. On the front side of the box there a general photo of the cooler as well as the supported CPU sockets. The name of the cooler and the manufacturer’s logo are placed on the right side of the box.
The side of the box presents the full specifications of the cooler in seven different languages. On the upper side there are 5 monochrome diagrams of both the heatsink and of the included 92mm fan.
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: SCKTN-5000
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), aluminum (cooling fins), soldered joints & nickel plating
Dimensions: 105 x 104 x 135 mm
Heatpipes: 3x – Ø6 mm
Weight: 560 g including fan
Fan(s):
Model: Kaze Flex PWM
Dimensions: 92 x 92 x 26 mm
Bearing type: Sealed Precision FDB
Rotational Speed (+/- 10%): 300 – 2,300 rpm (PWM-controlled)
Airflow: 6.75 – 48.878 CFM
Static pressure: 0.75 ~ 2.29 mmH²O
Acoustical Noise: 7.3 – 28.83 dBA
Connector: 4-Pin PWM
MTBF: 120.000 Hours (25°C)
Features:
– 92mm Kaze Flex PWM Fan: The new 92mm Kaze Flex PWM fan utilizes a self-contained Sealed Fluid Dynamic Bearing (Sealed Precision FDB) for quieter, more reliable operation with an extremely long lifespan of over 120 000 hours. The corners of the fan frame are covered with spacers made of rubber to prevent the transmission of vibration as well as reducing undesired operating noise.
– Easy Clip Mounting System II: The Katana 5 CPU Cooler features the E.C.M.S II (Easy ClipMounting System II) mounting system that supports AMD’s latest AM4 socket as well as a variety of other Intel and AMD sockets. The user-friendly Intel push-pin mounting is already pre-assembled, but can be replaced with the simple one-clip solution for AMD in a few simple steps.
– High Quality Structure: The Katana 5 CPU Cooler is also equipped with a high quality, nickel-plated copper base plate, as well as three perfectly fitted nickel-plated 6mm heatpipes to ensure maximum heat conduction.
Visual inspection
The Scythe Katana 5 is the latest addition to the Katana series of CPU coolers from Scythe, it uses a single 92mm fan and the classic Intel Push Pin mounting configuration. The heatsink itself is reduced in size and has an offset design to allow for more RAM clearance.
One of the features of the Katana 5 is the form factor that allows for better compatibility of memory and motherboard heatsinks. The heatsink of the cooler is shaped upwards towards the front and the fan mounts to the highest point.
For transferring the heat away from the CPU, the Katana 5 uses three 6mm heatpipes, these are made out of nickel plated copper just like the base of the cooler. The soldering between the base and the heatpipes is done under a plate above the base of the cooler.
The base of the cooler is made out of nickel-plated copper and is polished to such a level that the surface has a mirror reflection. A smoother surface lowers the risk of trapping micro air bubbles when the thermal compound is applied.
As with other budget CPU coolers from Scythe, the Katana 5 uses the standard Intel and AMD mounting systems. The Intel side is preinstalled and uses metallic brackets with plastic pushpins. The AMD system only uses a metallic bracket with clips.
The lower back side of the heatsink has its fins shaped to provide with more space for the motherboard heatsinks and also allows for easier access to fan headers that are in proximity of the CPU socket.
The fan included with the Katana 5 is part of the Kaze Flex series and has the following dimensions: 92 x 92 x 26 mm. The fan is also equipped with rubber pads on all corners to dampen the vibration caused by the rotor. The cable of this fan is completely sleeved and uses a 4 Pin Molex connector, in addition, the fan is fully PWM compatible.
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.
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 memory compatibility is very good, the Katana 5 does not cover the DIMM slots of the motherboard at all.
Due to its size and heatsink shape, the Katana 5 offers great PCIe slot compatibility, the first PCIe x1 Slot being completely accessible, in the case of this review, that space is taken by a SATA M.2 drive slot.
Final thoughts
The Scythe Katana 5 is an affordable CPU cooler that offers good performance in terms of cooling and low noise operation thanks to the PWM controlled fan. The offset heatsink and heatpipe design allows for great memory and PCIe slot clearance. The standard AMD and Intel mounting systems are cheap and easy to install, these type of mounting systems are chosen to reduce the overall cost of the cooler.
In terms of design and overall aesthetics, the Katana 5 does not look like a budget CPU cooler, it manages this due to the shared components from the high end coolers made by Scythe. These features include capped heatpipes at the end and the nickel-plated copper base plate and heatpipes.
In conclusion, the Katana 5 is one example of a cheap CPU cooler that is made with quality components and uses a quality fan. The mounting system is simple and easy to install for both AMD and Intel platforms. The overall cooling performance is good for the size of the heatsink and fan. When gaming the 92mm fan will spin under 70% of the rated speed and thus will be quiet. The Katana 5 is a good option for gaming systems and for small form factor motherboards, thanks to its asymmetric shape and small fan as well as the low price.
