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Scythe Big Shuriken - US$30
The Scythe Big Shuriken is by far the most expensive and ambitious
cooler in our roundup. It is also the only model to offer mounting on more than
one platform, with AMD and S478 clips included with the standard pushpins The
Big Shuriken is a mini-monster with four heatpipes and relatively massive slim fan
with a diameter of 113 mm. It weighs in at 420 grams and is 57 mm tall.
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Big Shuriken package contents.
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The heatpipes curve into each other, producing a trombone-like
structure. The various mounting clips snap into two grooves on
each side of the base.
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With the close proximity of the fin mass to the pushpins, a bolt-thru mounting system would have been much better.
Getting fingers underneath to engage the pins is extremely difficult. If the motherboard
is already installed, it is near impossible.
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Fan Measurements
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Voltage
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Speed
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SPL@1m
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12V
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1460 RPM
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23 dBA
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10V
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1230 RPM
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18 dBA
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9V
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1030 RPM
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13~14 dBA
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8V
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820 RPM
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11 dBA
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The Big Shuriken's slim Slip Stream fan is easily the quietest and best sounding
fan in today's competition. At 12V it sounds turbulent but smooth and it generates
a small amount of bearing noise. At 10V and below the sound of rushing air dissipates,
while its other characteristics remain.
Arctic Cooling Alpine 7 GT - US$10~$15
The various models in Arctic Cooling's Alpine line are affordably
priced, offering quiet operation but modest performance — aptly suited to
replace noisy stock coolers. The Alpine 7 GT is the smallest of the
bunch, measuring 64 mm high and weighing in at only 280 grams. It is about
the same height as the small aluminum Intel stock heatsink described earlier, but lighter by a
couple of ounces. The heatsink body has a simple design with a thick base
and broad fins all running parallel in one direction. The fan housing is much
softer than Intel's and springs when pressure is applied.
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According to Arctic
Cooling, the fan spins between 500 and 2000 RPM and produces
28.6 CFM of airflow. The fan is 74 mm across according to our measurements.
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The pushpins are attached to metal arms screwed to the bottom of the
heatsink on each side.
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Fan Measurements
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Voltage
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Speed
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SPL@1m
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12V
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2160 RPM
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26 dBA
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9V
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1680 RPM
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20~21 dBA
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7V
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1380 RPM
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15 dBA
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6V
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1160 RPM
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14 dBA
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At 12V, the Alpine 7 GT's fan is turbulent but smooth, much
smoother than any of the Intel stock units. At 9V the motor begins to rattle.
At 7V the fan develops a gentle, but distinctive hum. At 6V it generates an
fairly innocuous buzzing type sound. We would have no problems running the
fan at 9V or lower. While its acoustics aren't the best, compared to the other
samples in our roundup, it is excellent.
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