To go with our review of the new AMD Phenom II CPU we had to get hold of a suitable heat sink/fan combo, so we asked QuietPC to send us a sample product for review, namely the SCYTHE MUGEN - 2 CPU Cooler.
Box Contents
Inside the box you get everything you need to setup the heat sink/fan to either your Intel or AMD based CPU/Mobo. You get the back plate, screws, heat sink compound and 120mm case fan.
Specs
| Model Number | SCMG-2000 |
| Compatibility | Intel Socket 478, LGA775, LGA1366; AMD Socket 754, 939, AM2, AM2+ and 940 |
| Combined Dimensions | 130 x 100 x 158 mm |
| Fan Dimensions | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Noise Level | 0 - 26.50 dBA |
| Air Flow | 0 - 74.25 CFM |
| Fan Speed | 1,300 RPM ±10% |
| Weight | 870 g |
| Material of Base Plate | Nickel-plated copper |
Installation
To be honest the installation of the fan was 50/50, whilst you could make out the instructions to a certain degree you did need to study the diagrams, rather than the text itself.
The biggest frustration however came when trying to attach the unit to our motherboard as you need to screw the heat sink into place from underneath, which makes it a difficult task to accomplish if you don't have a suitable workbench or an extra pair of hands to help you.
What’s more the heat sink will require a pretty large case, it's a massive brute if truth be told! In total it measures from the board to the top of the heat sinks metal struts a whopping 16cm in height (approx), which left just about enough clearance to close our server tower case properly - but it was tight squeeze and it did cause issues with air circulation.
Thankfully you can mount the heat sink in a number of different positions, so you can avoid any motherboard components which may get in the way and the large 120mm fan straps onto the heat sink via some clips, with the possibility to add further fans along each and every side for extra cooling.
In Use
One thing that did concern us was the lack of any fan speed control, however in operation the fan was extremely quiet and did more than enough to keep our CPU cool.
With the AMD CPU running at its default speed (3Ghz) we rarely had the temperature go above 52oc - this was with the case closed and only one small case fan providing air circulation.
When it came to overclocking we could get the CPU to 3.8GHZ , however we found that with the case closed temperatures rose to 56oc and after an hour it eventually gave out.
By opening the case to provide additionally cooling the CPU was stable at 3.8Ghz, with the CPU running as low as 46oc after an hours gaming sesh. So if we had a larger case, alongside some extra case fans for cooling, it should achieve some stable clock speeds. Additionally we could have added an extra fan to the CPU as well to help, so there is great potential for overclocking.