Since the Samurai is a mid-range cooler, we wanted to test it using a CPU that's more or less matched to its intended use. Testing it with Intel's latest Pentium Extreme Edition 965 would be like mixing fruit with vegetables, instead we'll use this flexible CPU for another review coming shortly. With this in mind we chose a Pentium D 820 retail CPU running at default Vcore and frequency. We used the thermal grease supplied with the Samurai and a popular 955X chipset Asus P5WD2-P motherboard. While the thermal performance is something we'll address further below, for now let’s make a few observations of the Samurai in operation. First and foremost is the fact that there's no fan grill by default so sticking one's fingers near the fan is not at all recommended. It also reminds us to pay attention to any loose cables within one's case making sure they don't drop into the blades, even if the latter are merely plastic and their damage potential is limited. In terms of warmth, the heatsink never gets overly warm and can be touched at all times without any concern of burning one's fingers. With the Samurai firmly installed this signifies the heat-pipe design is doing its job by efficiently transferring heat throughout the entire aluminum structure. Fan noise is moderate at most and depending on any other system fans installed, cannot usually be heard. Overall the only thing to keep in mind is therefore to ensure all loose cables are away from the rotating unmasked blades, otherwise the Samurai will neither burn your fingers nor impact your hearing.

Of course when describing this cooler's operation we're not merely interested in its noise or likeliness to causing bodily harm. The main aspect everyone wants to know remains the operating temperatures so let’s consider this next. We've summarized these in the results section below however we'll announce them here and perform a little critical analysis of what they signify to you, the consumer.

At idle - meaning the PC idling within the Windows desktop with only standard Windows XP processes running - we recorded a base temperature of 46C. During general use involving playing MP3’s, using office applications, checking emails, and browsing the Internet, the CPU temperature shot up to around 53C in various outbursts. Finally when benchmarking and gaming came onto the agenda, so did the additional heat and thus once again a rise in temperature. This time it rocketed and stabilized around 61C. A stock Intel cooler as a reference and counterpart for comparison yielded results of 50C/57C/65C respectively. Now that we have some numbers, what does this all mean to a humble man and his dog? First and foremost keeping a Pentium D 820 2.80GHz 90nm CPU in the 40-49C range under load is something not one air cooler has trouble with so the fact this Samurai falls short of the mark is not automatically a sour outcome. Given this, it's best if one can ensure their CPU stays at most within the 50-59C range and here for most part the Samurai delivers while the stock Intel cooler is getting more prone to sweat. Once we crank up the heat it's clear who has the more enhanced thermal properties with the Samurai winning a battle to keep the CPU temperature at most around the 60C mark. Neither the Intel or Samurai cooler cause the CPU to throttle however one feels extra comfort when using the latter. All these temperatures were measured using Asus Probe II software rather than by any fancy hardware or other software that cannot be easily reproduced during your own tests. Although all such software is susceptible to some minute margin of error, it does offer a reliable indication as the thermal sensor is located right under the CPU.

So what is the essence you may ask? Well although the Samurai isn't out to set any new records, it does prove to be a better option than the stock Intel cooler though by no too large a leap. Running in the 60C range is still very much safe on recent Intel CPU's however it's not ideal. What the Samurai lacks in pure performance it makes up in maintaining your Intel Pentium D from throttling, something the stock Intel cooler sometimes struggles with in lesser ventilated case.

Next Page: Test setup