Scythe Big Shuriken 3 CPU-Kühler for AMD and Intel CPU´s

Product Information

Getting a low-profile CPU cooler means you own or plan to build a small form factor PC, based on a Mini-ITX case. That carries a few things inherent with Mini-ITX cases: Didn't manage to test the performance of this cooler due to compatibility issues with my build and case, but I thought I might share my short experience with the Thermalright AXP120 X67. After plotting the data, I was honestly surprised by how well it performed compared to the other heatsinks. Temperatures are only slightly hotter or even on par in the 1.13-1.275 V range. However, unlike the other heatsinks, the Big Shuriken 3 cannot handle the voltage increase much past 1.275 V without the CPU hitting the TJ max, which would lead to throttling. So, the Big Shuriken 3 performed well in the low to mid heat range, but can’t keep up with the larger heatsinks during high heat loads. There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that Noctua produces one of the best lines of CPU coolers on the market. Noctua fans are excellent at cooling the CPU while also being very quiet and reliable. Building a SFF (small form factor) PC based on an Mini-ITX board carries certain limitations with it. One of the biggest limitations is the CPU cooler height, which has to be shorter than what you have on regular air CPU coolers since most Mini-ITX PC cases are much smaller than regular cases. And finding the best low-profile CPU cooler can be a bit complicated since not all are made for every CPU.

The build quality of the Big Shuriken 3 is quite good, everything works as intended, and even with the minor issues we ran into with a specific set of components, it is unlikely that many will run into what we did in the first place. However, it did have us feeling the pain of any LGA2011.2066 users, where quad-channel memory will need to be standard height. Today we introduce you to the Scythe Big Shuriken 3 CPU cooler, which strangely is not that big as far as coolers go, but as the namesake, Shuriken, I'm not sure I'd want to be throwing these at trees. The reason we say this cooler is not that big as far as coolers go is that Scythe imposed its restrictions on the latest design.

The sound level in dBA was measured 10 cm from the intake fan with the fan speed set to 100%. Then, the sound level was estimated for other distances using the following formula: The cooler has pretty good noise levels, even under high load. Max noise is about 41 decibels, which is quite low and shouldn’t bother anyone sans those users who can’t bear any sound coming from their PC. The cooler comes with a low noise adapter that decreases noise even further but lowers performance a bit.

After testing the default push configuration, I tried flipping the fan so that it pulls air through the Big Shuriken 3 and away from the motherboard instead. In my test runs, this did help shave a degree or two, and I believe I know why. Since I’m using a horizontal test bench, the default push setup would push air through the Big Shuriken 3, then that heated air would rise above the heatsink and get recycled by the fan. However, in the pull setup, air wouldn’t get recycled, so ambient temperature ended up being a little lower. Scythe Co., Ltd., (Registered and incorporated in Tokyo Japan) originally started its business operation in Japan's famous "Akihabara Electric Town" located in the metropolitan Tokyo, where visitors can find a variety of products from the latest computer parts to the world's most advanced high-tech electric devices. Scythe Co., Ltd., began its operation and business since November, 2002 as a distributor and the manufacturer of passive and low-noise PC parts. Since then, the company has established the R&D facility in Taiwan & China for production and quality control, and the USA office (in Los Angeles, California) & European office (in Hamburg, Germany) for customer care and sales support. At Scythe, we believe that the best ideas for product come simply from knowing customers' needs and their expectations. Based on this philosophy, the PC enthusiasts working at Scythe know what to develop because that is exactly what we would like to have for ourselves too! We offer products with 100% quality assurance and total pride, and if the product has the Scythe name on it, you can rest assure that its quality will be up to the "Zero Tolerance" standards!

Product Pictures

Also in confined spaces, airflow is a premium, and not just in how the chassis provides the influx of ambient airflow, but what in the system can be actively cooled. With the C-Style design, you almost get three coolers in one. Many cover some if not all of the memory, of course, they cool the CPU, but they also add direct airflow to the PWM of the motherboard. How many towers or AIOs can say that? Even more importantly, can they fit in an SFF chassis or Mini-ITX system? Each Mini-ITX case features a different clearance for the CPU cooler. Some cases can host even regular size coolers while others are limited to the most compact low-profile coolers around. This means that finding a perfect cooler is more than finding one with great cooling performance and relatively low noise.

All testing was performed on an open test bench, which minimizes ambient temperature and gives a “worst case” scenario for sound level. Varied Vcore (in BIOS) from 1.125 V to 1.375 V in 0.050 V increments to increase heat. Stopped increasing Vcore once a core reached ~100 °C. Smaller height usually means limited cooling capability. The smaller the cooler the less performance you can expect. There are some low-profile CPU coolers out there that punch above their weight (or better to say, height) but in most cases the taller a cooler is the better it is at cooling the CPU. The height shouldn’t be an issue if you need a low-profile cooler for a low power CPU, with TDP up to 65W.The noise of the Big Shuriken 3 paired with the slim Kaze Flex fan wasn’t the best and was basically identical to the Fuma with a standard Kaze Flex fan. The Big Shuriken 3 is a relatively dense heatsink and it’s paired with a higher RPM fan, so more noise is expected. However, these readings were done on an open test bench with the fans at max speed, so this is the worst-case scenario. So, having a typical enclosed PC at an average distance away would result in almost all the heatsinks in the chart below being reasonable, even at max fan speed. Nothing out of the ordinary to cause alarm about the noise levels here. The fan on this Noctua cooler is an NF-A9x14 92mm that is capable of 1700 RPM. The cooler can be expected to produce about 19,9 dB(A) in terms of noise levels which is extremely quiet by comparison to other offerings.