OK, I finally got my Mini Ninja & Scythe SFLEX -D fans all in on Tuesday. My system now consists of an AM2 x2 3600+ 65w cpu (no over or underclocking) on an MSI K9AGM2 690g board using x1250 integrated graphics, with a passively cooled Ninja Mini (using arctic silver 3) in a Fusion Black with side front 120mm tri-cool removed & vent blocked by antec plate, and rear 120mm TriCool replaced by a Scythe SFLEX -D model (~1260 RPM max). In other words what MikeC did, except with the Scythe 120mm replacing the TriCool. BIOS set to control CPU fan speed, target 40 degrees C (maybe being too cautious?) minimum 50% rpm. This is a Vista Ultimate box being used as an HTPC (Hauppauge 1600 card, samsung 501lj round it out), running in desktop video resolution of 1920x1200.

I struggled a few minutes to get the Minja mount to stay clipped on, but eventually got it after a little futzing & a bit more swearing. Part of the difficulty might have been that I was mounting it with the board already in the case, which was made worse by also putting the 120mm fan in first (there was not a lot of space between Minja & side fan).

I didn't not stress test it or anything, but I did watch OTA HTPC (720p broadcast) for a couple hours, periodically (usually at commerical breaks -- aka "often") looking at RPMs & temps with speedfan. In other words using it like I typically will be. The cpu temp stayed pretty low, even under 40 C at times (down to 37-38 C) with the fan seemingly always running at minimum of ~630rpm. If it powered much higher than that I never heard it (then again I had TV volume turned up) The ambient temperature was probably about 70 F (not sure what that is in C). The system temperature was ironically higher than the CPU, around 44 C

Maybe I should consider putting in a second SFLEX in the other bay to get the system temperature down, I don't know. But in any case this machine was VERY quiet. You could barely hear it running from even up close, which definitely was NOT the case with the tricools & the stock cooler in there! Very nice, quiet HTPC solution, Scythe Minja/SFLEX + Fusion. I was expecting I might have to replace the PSU fan too, but I think this might be good enough as is.

The most obnoxious thing about it now is the bright blue LED power light

I have purchased one of these on the basis of this review and need some guidance.

I am fitting it to an Abit AN-M2HD board with an AMD X2 4800 CPU.

How much tension is required?

If I fit it with the AMD mount and the clips as they arrived, it seems unfeasibly tight - if I locate one clip, the CPU seems to sit at a 5 deg angle, and to locate the second clip would take some force.

If I move the clips to the next slot I can fit it without too much force.
I can then move it slightly by twisting but there is no perceptible lift.

Is the second option about right or do you have to really force them down?

I fitted without paste but left the polythene film in situ just to test the fit.

Any advice would be appreciated.

I have to say the cooler is quite a beast.

Dave

The first way is the correct way to do it -- the AM2 socket really does require a lot of force. You should not have any wiggle room once you're finished.

I was really worried about that myself when I built my workstation back in October '06. Took forever to get first one side, then the other into place. I later discovered that it's a little easier if you place the heatsink on the CPU (TIM applied, of course!), line up the clips with the socket sides then press down with your thumbs on the top of the clips (on the hinges) to bend them down a bit. That way you should be able to snap down the clips on both sides of the socket simultaneously; be sure the clips are all the way down! The Scythe mounting mechanism is fairly sturdy, but do be sure you don't permanently bend the metal on the clips; just bend it far enough that it'll snap back into place on the socket retention thingies.

This will also take some effort, but it's much easier than just doing one side then the other (aka The Hard Way).

nightmorph

Thanks for the feedback.

I was wondering about both clips at once.

Seems like a scary amount of force!

I will try it tomorrow.

Dave

a friend of mine was building a new gamming rig, and i helped him pick out his components. Among the items i suggested including an Antec Solo, was the new scythe ninja mini.

While i didnt like the retention mechanism at all, once i finally got it on it seemed to supply suffecient pressure. I couldnt wiggly the heatsink around at all once it was on. It did mount a little off center though, which bugged me a little. Like it was twisted a bit, but this wont effect performance at all, its just my asthetic anul retentivness kicking in.

It was my first time using the new socket 775 retention mechanism, and i have to say it was HORRIBLE. First off, you cannot put this on without taking the motherboard out of the case. I know thats why intel said they went with this method, but you just cannot tell without looking weather they are locked in or not. There were a few times i thought one was in all the way, and it ended up not being in all the way. Also i had one of the plastic inserts that go in the hole get caught on the motherboard instead of just going through the hole. I thought i had broke it at first, but i was able to take the heatsink back off and squeeze the plastic piece back together and through the hole. It took me a good 10min just to figure out which way i was supposed to turn the black knobs for them to lock down. Then one i finally got all 4 posts in the holes, i had to go around and carefully check each one from the back side to verify it was actually locked down far enough. A couple times it appeared they were but they werent. VERY bad retention mechanism. I hated using it, far more than any other method ive ever seen before, and ive been putting on heatsinks back since before you could chip bare die's on the old pre GHZ athalons.

its ALMOST bad enough to make me choose AMD over Intel, JUST for a better retention mechanism. its THAT bad.

The heatsink though is great. I was originally planning on running it passive next to the 120mm exhaust fan in the antec solo, but the motherboard we got (Asus) wouldnt boot up without a fan plugged into the cpu fan header.

Ive always liked asus in the past, but this sort of thing really urks me. i know theres work arounds, but this isnt my rig, and i doubt he really wants to mess with it that much. I shouldnt be forced by software to use my hardware in a specific manner like this. I've always bought Asus, Gigabyte, and recently MSI, but i think i may veer away from Asus in the future for this reason. They would have to make a very superior product to make me go with them again over something else, and from what ive seen in the last 5 years or so, that doesnt happen often with motherboards.

The stock 80mm fan is (fairly) quiet. I wouldnt use it personally, but for him, it as well as the stock 120mm antec tricool fan on low for rear exhaust were WAY quieter than he had ever previously owned. So he was happy, and thats what matters. The system even had an 8800GTS with stock cooling on it, and i have to say it was quieter than i expected. PSU was the new Corsair 450w reviewed here recently. The system overall i would rate as "quiet". I dont think the noise level would bother me at all if i owned the system, but i know i could make it quieter.

All the Asus mobos I know of let you set CPU FAN = IGNORE in bios. If that's not set, you have to hit F1 at the beeps - an extra step in the boot process (you have to press ON, right?).

nope, no beeps, no "press F1 to continue". Just said somethin along the lines of "CPU fan failure" or something to that effect, and halted during bootup.

I thought it was a bios thing too, and looked through bios to turn it off, but didnt see a way. I found the section dealing with the fans, but no way to disable cpu fan detection.

Like i said, its not my system, and he's happy with it and he doesnt like to tinker with his system like i do. So he'll likely just live with the extra 80mm fan.

I typically run the case fan nearest the CPU off the CPU fan header; that way I get speed control and don't have to worry about the warning...

That close from the exhaust fans, is there any point having a fan.
Better duct no ?
Unless you'll be using some other case of course.

I have that same Gigabyte 7600GT in my Fusion, but I had to punch out some space on the cover to get the heatpipe to clear. Mike, were you able to close the case cover without modding it on this new version of the Fusion?

Dave, how did you go with this set up?
Did it all fit OK?
Did the heatpipes on the ninja touch the Heat Spreader on the RAM or the capacitors on the motherboard?

Also, were you able to cool the AMD X2 4800 (Brisbane ?) passively?

I am holding out for the newly released AMD BE-2400 to arrive in Australia. If it takes too long, I might have to consider the AMD X2 4800 (which will be around the same price i think). Which is why I am interested in the results of your setup.

It is close to the heat spreader on the ram, I thought it might touch, but I reckon with care you might just be able to fit a new stick of memory past the heat pipes even with the cooler in situ.

If you used only the two outer slots it's well clear. If you use the inner slots its still fine.

Don't think it's close to the caps at all.

It's running passively, with the two case fans running on medium and the plastic air deflector in place to ensure the cooler is in the air stream. I think the Ninja fan might reduce the flow in this case setup.

Make sure you fit it correctly so the air can flow through the fins. If you rotated through 90 deg it would impede the flow.

I haven't seen temps above 32 C so far, but haven't tried playing HD films yet.

Not got the house heating on full yet (winter is coming), but performance so far is impressive.

Dave

Hi everyone.

impressed by the review, this product is coming right at the good moment since I was looking for a compatible heatsink for Fusion case !

I am planning to use a E6750 on an Asus P5K-VM motherboard.

Do you think this little Ninja will hold the overclock from 2.66 GHz to 3.4 GHz ?

No fan on Minja, just the 120 mm exhaust fan plugged on the CPU Fan header to have variable flow according to CPU charge.

What do you say ? doable without converting the Antec Fusion in a toaster ?

Hummm, the Zalman 8700 seems to fit and give better temps though ... even in 5v... what do you think ?


Thanks for advice.

Sebmex

If I read correctly, you are asking which is better for you, a passively cooled Mini Ninja, or an actively (presumably) cooled Zalman 8700, and your evaluation standard is which "gives better temps" and you are going to heavily overclock??? I would guess the actively cooled heatsink would produce lower temperatures without a doubt, kind of a no-brainer.

Hi pud !

thank you for your answer ... but looking at this article, I am not quite sure about that actually, since the 120 mm will be tightly close to the Ninja, and these measurements :

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article761-page5.html

what do you say ? impressive huh ?

Just wanted to post a little "hack" for 775 mounting. I recently replaced a Silverstone NT01 v2.0 with the Mini. The Silverstone mount is a plate on the back of the MB with 4 threaded posts that go up through the MB. The plate is clamped down with one set of knurled brass nuts. The CPU cooler is then installed and tightened down with a second set of brass nuts. I didn't want to remove the MB, so I removed the push-pins from Scythe's 775 mount and installed it upside-down, to the Mini. I then placed it with the 4 Sliverstone posts going through it, and clamped it down with the brass nuts. Works great.

P

I just noticed the last "pro" line on the last page says "good if you want passive cooling" (paraphrase). I think that remark should be changed to reflect that there was a fan in extremely close proximity during the test. I think a more accurate statement would be that it performs well in low airflow conditions.

I'm going to be trying to cool this with 2x noctua @800 rpm, we shall see how that works soon.

Okay, got my mini ninja. I had a few observations.

First off, the base was very smooth and flat. It was like a mirror, I've never seen anything even close to that smooth on the bottom of a heatsink, including some recent ones from thermalright and scythe.

On my AM2 it installed very tightly. So tightly in fact, that despite having a backplate, it managed to visibly bend my motherboard. So tight that I could not get it off without possibly breaking the mounting tabs on the AM2 socket, which is scary. Hopefully I'll be able to get it off soon, and maybe adjust it to be looser.

The included fan looks like crap.

It comes with enough "wire mounts" to mount 2 fans on it.

There is a lot, I mean a LOT, of clearance around it. It actually looks funny, the fins are only a small portion of the overall height.

With very low airflow, it is keeping my 3800+ between 30-40C with intermittant use.

I am most likely not going to do hardcore temp testing, I'm not sure that my CPU will ever be pegged at 100% both cores for more than 10 seconds.

thank you for your feedback ! I appreciate, I can't wait to receive mine.

what motherboard did you use by the way ?

thanks m8 !

My HTPC's an X2 3800+ on an MSI K8NGM2-FID in an nMedia 280 case. I have an Asus EN8600GT Silent VC & a Hauppauge PVR-150 MCE. The stock AMD fan is the loudest component in it.
From reading the review & comments in this thread, it appears that the Mini Ninja can be run without the fan. Is this correct? The nMedia case has 2 60mm fans on the rear with one right at the cpu. I'm assuming they exhaust. They're actually pretty quiet.
Since other users say it fits in the Fusion case, will it fit in the nMedia case? The cover just barely fits over PCI cards. Here's a link to pictures of the nMedia 288 which is similar to my 280:
http://www.nmediapc.com/htpc288a.htm
Thanks for any help.

Hi again,

please, could someone confirm me that I will be able to run @stock speed the E6750 with fanless Mini Ninja in the Fusion case (and 1 120 mm exhaust fan).

Then will I be able to iverclock it that way or will I need for instance the second cooler slot on the Fusion case in order to expell the extra heat ?

Thank you

Sebmex

Why don't you just try it?

Hi Mike

simple ... i haven't bought anything yet and I am making the list of purchase according to the final set up of the rig.

Maybe I am pushing too much but I wouldn't like to miss any little piece of hardware in my order...

baseline question is : is the Mini Ninja Cooler enough to handle extra heat form a E6750 fanless or is it already at the limit in the configuration gave above (only expell case fan as you tested in your article) ?

sebmex --

The Minja does come with a fan that can be used if necessary. At min voltage -- 5V -- its noise contribution overall will be inaudible.

ok, so I'll get a fanmate to lock it at 5v, this way you think I could overclock it to 3 Ghz ? Maybe the 120 mm Tricool would fit and be as silent with better air flow, what do you say ?

No idea. Too many variances. Just try it.

I've built about a dozen machines at the office using the Ninja Mini, and I just ran into a bad sample. Visually, it looks fine. Running 4 instances of mprime (Linux) on a QX6700 coretemp rises to 100C on all 4 cores and then thermal throttling kicks in as evidenced by LED on B975X2 motherboard. I remounted the Ninja Mini, and same thing. I changed to a different QX6700, and same thing.

Finally, I swapped out the Ninja Mini, and what do you know, temps are back where they normally are for me with this CPU/HSF combination: about 75-80C on all 4 cores under mprime stress.

I still can't get over the 20C difference. I wonder what is wrong with this one sample. It appears to seat well, but maybe the heat pipes are well attached internally or they are lacking their phase change material.

Just thought I'd pass this along.

I'm interested in a Ninja vs Ninja Mini test, both with a 120mm fan @1000 rpm, at 5-10cm distance, pushing air into the Ninjas. I'm very curious by how much the Mini Ninja is behind the big Ninja, in such a setup. Anyone has any ideas?

Good question. I don't know but it's worth noting that the Ninja has had mounting pressure issues. Does the Ninja Mini have less issues in that department?

I still wish the stock fan on the Ninja Mini were a 92mm or 100mm fan.



A Nexus 92mm is just about the same airflow as the stock 80mm at 8 less dBA. That is a huge difference in noise with presumably the same cooling.

It makes you wonder how much better it'd cool if you got the extra airflow of a Scythe or Arctic Cooling 92mm at about 22 dBA.

I also encountered the same problem.
Does the Ninja Mini have less issues in that department?
It is regrettable that up to now I do not know how to do