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TEST RESULTS
The Fan
Some basic measurements were made of the Scythe SY9225SL12M-P fan included with Katana 3.
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Fan Specifications
|
| Brand |
Scythe |
Power |
0.17A (2W) |
| Model |
SY9225SL12M-P |
Airflow |
6.7 - 55.55 CFM |
| Bearing |
sleeve |
RPM |
300~2500 |
| Hub Size |
34mm (1.32") |
Noise |
7.2 - 31.07 dBA |
| Frame Size |
92 x 92 x 25 mm |
Header |
4-pin |
| Weight |
115 grams |
Start Voltage |
~7.5V |
|
The data in the blue cells is provided by the manufacturer; we measured the data cited in the green cells
|
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FAN MEASUREMENTS
|
|
Voltage
|
SPL - dBA@1m
|
RPM
|
|
free air
|
mounted
|
|
12V
|
32
|
34
|
2600
|
|
10V
|
27
|
28
|
2250
|
|
9V
|
22
|
23
|
1900
|
|
8V
|
16
|
16
|
1520
|
|
7.5V
|
11
|
11
|
830
|
Regular readers will notice that the measurement points are not at the usual 12, 9, 7 and 5 volts. This PWM fan, like many others, does not have as linear a relationship with voltage as normal DC fans. The range of speeds controllable via voltage is only about 1400~2600 rpm, and by 7.5V, the fan does not start reliably. Via PWM control in our motherboard BIOS, speeds well below 1400 rpm were seen, and we have no reason to doubt the 300 RPM minimum speed. The fine control of a knob is not available on our motherboard's BIOS fan controller, so there was no easy way of tagging the SPL at lower speeds. Suffice it to say that 16 dBA@1m is very quiet, and given the smooth quality of this fan, the noise at lower speeds will be essentially inaudble under most conditions.
When mounted on the heatsink, the fan exhibited a bit more noise than in free air, and the difference became smaller as fan speed was reduced. This is normal; it's the increased turbulence caused by the fan blades' close proximity to the fins which causes this effect.
Sound Impressions
@ 12V: The noise was mostly broadband turbulence, with some high pitched tonal elements. It was not terribly loud, but too loud to be considered quiet.
@ 10V: The overall level dropped substantially, and the sound stayed smooth, but some tonal traces remained. Still not exactly quiet.
@ 9V: The noise dropped to a point where many users would find it quiet enough to ignore. Some tonality still remained, although inside a decent case with other noise source, it would probably be obscured and blocked.
@ 8V: Very subdued in level, smooth and unobtrusive, probably inaudible in a good case under most conditions for most people. A touch of tonality was still audible from up very close.
The tonal aspects of the noise seem to be caused by the interaction of the fan's vibrations and airflow, and resonances in the fins. It's possible that adding damping material between the fan and the heatsink could reduce the tonality, because the fan by itself in free air exhibits little of the tonal traces described above.
Cooling Results
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Scythe Katana 3: Stock Cooling Performance
|
|
Fan Voltage
|
SPL dBA@1m
|
CPU Temp °C
|
°C Rise
|
°C/W
|
|
12V
|
34
|
39
|
15
|
0.19
|
|
10V
|
28
|
40
|
16
|
0.20
|
|
9V
|
23
|
41
|
17
|
0.22
|
|
8V
|
16
|
44
|
20
|
0.26
|
|
Scythe Katana 3 w/ reference 92mm fan
|
|
12V
|
17
|
42
|
18
|
0.23
|
|
9V
|
13
|
47
|
23
|
0.30
|
|
7V
|
11
|
50
|
26
|
0.33
|
Load Temp: Prime95x2 for ~10 mins.
°C Rise: Temperature rise above ambient (24°C) at load.
°C/W: based on the amount of heat dissipated by the CPU (78W); lower is better. |
The Scythe Katana 3 performed quite well, with a temperature rise of 15°C at full fan speed, and dropping by small increments as the fans was slowed. In stock form, at the slowest speed we could test at, with the noise level at just 16 dBA@1m, the rise above ambient was just 20°C. This is excellent performance for a heatsink of this size.
With the quieter, slower Nexus reference fan, the cooling performance was not quite as good, but the noise could be dialed down even further. The cooling performance remained acceptable down to ~13 dBA@1m.
COMPARISONS
When judged on noise vs. cooling, Katana 3 fares well against most other stock heatsink/fan combos of similar size SPCR has tested. Here's a quick comparison against a few heatsinks with stock fans at around 23~24 dBA@1m.
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Comparison: With Stock Fans at 12V
|
|
Heatsink
|
°C rise
|
SPL
|
|
ZEROtherm CORE92
|
12
|
20 dBA
|
|
Zalman CNPS9300 AT
|
15
|
24 dBA
|
|
Scythe Katana 3
|
17
|
23 dBA
|
|
Cooler Master Hyper N520
|
19
|
23 dBA
|
|
Xigmatek HDT-SD964
|
20
|
21 dBA
|
|
Thermaltake MaxOrb
|
21
|
24 dBA
|
How close is the Katana 3 to the very best silent coolers? Not very close, like most of its direct competitors. But it's neither as big nor as costly.
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°C rise Comparison: The Best of the Best
|
|
Heatsink
|
Nexus 120 fan voltage / SPL @1m
|
|
12V
|
9V
|
7V
|
5V
|
|
16 dBA
|
13 dBA
|
12 dBA
|
11 dBA
|
|
Prolimatech Megahalems
|
10
|
14
|
17
|
20
|
|
Thermalright U120E
|
12
|
14
|
17
|
24
|
|
Thermalright HR-01+
|
13
|
15
|
16
|
20
|
|
Xigmatek HDT-S1283
|
13
|
15
|
18
|
22
|
|
Noctua NH-U12P
|
14
|
16
|
17
|
21
|
|
Zalman CNPS10X Extreme
|
14
|
17
|
21
|
26
|
|
Zerotherm Zen FZ120
|
15
|
16
|
19
|
24
|
|
Scythe Ninja 2
|
17
|
18
|
20
|
23
|
|
Thermolab Baram
|
18
|
20
|
22
|
25
|
|
All results generated with our reference Nexus 120mm
fan.
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