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Scythe Ninja Mini CPU Cooler
Introduction
A couple of years back, the introduction of a new Scythe product made a splash like a tree falling in the woods--and no one around had on a bathing suit. Now, Scythe has completely eclipsed several top-tier cooling companies and is the de-facto silent cooling option, with only a few other products able to compete at all. All because of the Ninja. Revised a couple of times, it's still getting universal awards and praise . The Ninja had everything going for it: silence, performance, a low price, and, er, size. It's monolithic design was a concern, in that people really did need to be concerned that it might not fit in their computers. The Ninja Mini is less of a revision and more of a derivation: a much shorter, broader heatsink that's got titanic shoes to fill. Besides a simpler mounting system, lighter weight, and improved compatibility, has anything changed? That is to say, does it still perform (to continue the mixed metaphor) like a chainsaw at a water park?   First Looks Compared side-by-side with it's namesake, it's clear that much has been improved on and that it's not just shy half a dozen fins. The Mini's heatpipes are smoothly polished, and spaced out evenly, unlike the Ninja's dense pipes, and the base's lapping is almost perfectly flat and nickel-plated for a mirror finish. The excruciatingly hard mounting clips and custom motherboard backplate have been replaced in favor of more stock-heatsink-inspired clips or pins (depending on the socket type) for simpler installation. But, as a comfort, the heatsink still uses the little fan clips, compatible with both 80 and 92mm fans. Possibly due to popular demand (and common sense), the Mini comes with two sets of clips. The inclusion of an 80mm fan is a little worrisome, since they're commonly so loud. But we can give Scythe a little credit and presume that they've picked one of their quieter ones.    Specifications Heatsink Dimensions: 110L x 110W x 115H mm (down from 150mm tall) Weight: 580g (down from 665g) Material: Aluminum (fins) and Copper (x6 Heat Pipes + base) Fan Dimensions: 80 x 80 x 25 mm Noise Level: 24.4 dBA Air Flow: 32.2 CFM Speed: 2,300 rpm (±10%) Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing Closer Look The twelve ends of the heatpipes are arranged in a square within a square, spaced apart. The fin density of the Mini is identical to the old Ninja, a property that made the Ninja particularly adept at passive cooling. The Mini doesn't actually weigh that much less than the Ninja, but it's just as bottom-heavy and hardly poses the threat of warping motherboards. The base isn't perfect, though, despite how good it looks. There are soft, rounded ridges left in it from lapping. Included are three mounting brackets, one for AMD Socket AM2/939, one for Intel Socket 775 (Socket T), and one for Intel Socket 478. The 775 mounting bracket uses push-pins, which, while easy to use, are prone to being installed incorrectly.
Page 1: Introduction, First Looks, Specifications, Closer Look
Page 2: Installation, Testing, Conclusion Add Comment
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