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In the Forums... |
Conclusion
Let’s step back and summarize this CPU cooler in the context it should be, as a mid-range cooler. In this circumstance Scythe's Samurai cooler does a fair job in ensuring adequate CPU tempretures while offering a little headroom for overclocking. Had it not been for our sheer heat inclined Prescott Pentium D 2.80GHz A0 stepping test processor, the cooler would fair better when used in a socket 754/939 AMD platform - these latter systems are substantially less familiar to the Bunsen burners frequently found in many science labs. What is definitely worthy to be said is how this cooler presents a much better option to the standard Intel cooler packed with retail Pentium D's. The latter very often proves to barely manage extracting the heat produced by these CPU's. While Scythe's Samurai will not set any new records for air cooling, it does however provide the basic necessary capability for someone that just wants their Athlon 64/X2, Pentium 4/Pentium D system to work, and most importantly, work without throttling or instability. The largest gripe we had was the installation. While other reviews all addressed the AMD aspect of this cooler, they completely overlooked just how flimsy using it on a Socket 775 Intel platform can be. The plastic peg Intel design used to attach the cooler onto the motherboard is and will always be remain less credible than metal screws but what really made our fingers sweat and minds pop is just how difficult installation is in an assembled PC where the motherboard is already within the case. Due to the Samurai's top section being somewhat dominant over the lower section, one must have pretty bendy fingers. To complicate matters, the PSU usually obstructs space above the cooler while the rear of the case is on the close left. The result? Either ask your 8 year old son/daughter with small hands to push in the pegs or for a much more relaxing experience, install the cooler with the motherboard well and truly outside the case. To be fair to Scythe it must be said that if you only plan on installing this cooler only once then it's not that much of an issue. With a retail price around the $25 mark, it's cheap and does a respectable if not magnificent job. Does this convince you? With so much competition and user needs out there it's one question only you can answer. Ask yourself two simple questions, firstly are you an enthusiast and secondly must you have the best, or perhaps your main concern is to just ensure your system works and is stable? Is this cooler destined for a home inside your case? Hopefully we've made answering this all the easier.
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