Traveling with a Scythe Ninja...?

AHjota · Post by **AHjota** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:47 am

Hello everyone,

I am looking to upgrade the CPU cooler for my Socket 478 P4 machine (which will eventually become an A64 dualcore, once I save the money.) I am torn between the SI-120 and the Ninja. I like the idea of using the SI-120 to cool motherboard components, as Ralf does in his Antec P150, but I also like the idea of running my CPU fanless with the Ninja (and perhaps with a fan when I switch to AMD.)

One of the few things that bothers me about the Ninja is its weight. I move my computer fairly frequently, to and from my university apartment, my parents' house, and the occasional LAN party. I've noticed that a lot of users here with Ninjas use them in the very heavy P180, which doesn't seem too conducive to travel.

So what I'd like to know is whether anyone here has a Ninja in their box and moves it around a lot. Please advise.

jb_ · Post by **jb_** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:15 am

For its size, the Ninja is very light. Despite the higher torque it would exert on the mobo (as it is rather tall) I wouldn't be any more worried about it than any other typical s478 heatsink.

darthan · Post by **darthan** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:03 am

The Ninja is NOT very light. It is 665 grams without a fan. It probably feels light to jb_ because it is not dense and you mostly perceive density not weight when holding objects. It is not dense because it is mostly aluminum, but it is a LOT of aluminum. Also, while the weight is concentrated toward the base there is still the issue of the relatively high torque the Ninja is going to exert on the motherboard. I would not feel comfortable doing a lot of traveling with the Ninja attached just by it's own retention mechanism. The SI-120 is lighter (it's within the weight guidelines for both AMD and Intel) but it sounds like you'd need a fan for it in which case it would be heavy enough I wouldn't feel comfortable moving it around a lot. Of course I am rather cautious, but hey, when you're talking about hundreds of dollars of electronics, it's probably good to be cautious.

If you're looking for a good traveling heatsink you really have to look to older style designs with weight more concentrated toward the base and less weight. Or you could rig up some support for your heatsink in addition to the motherboard retention mechanism...

jb_ · Post by **jb_** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:13 am

jb_ wrote:For its size, the Ninja is very light.

I'll concede that its mass lies outside the processor manufacturers' guidelines. In my case, I'm not using it with a fan, and was previously using perceptably much heavier heatsinks (Zalmans).

shogo33 · Post by **shogo33** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 3:26 am

i think u should be fine. So as long as the motherboard is secured properly onto the mobo tray/case, it should be good. THe backplate to attach the Ninja is fairly secure and this heatsink has been well developed with 4 clips on each corner to attach itself securely to the backplate and the plastic holder. Although u think 667gm's is heavy, i do believe that its well designed to be transported around.

sun.moon · Post by **sun.moon** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 4:28 am

The SI-120 is 400g. A Nexus 120mm Fan weighs in around 125g. Together both items are outside of the spec, which I recall to be 450g for Sockets 775, 478, 754, 939 and 940. The weight of the fan is on the outside of the heatsink, so additional torque on the board. BUT, the fan on the SI-120 is relatively easy to install and remove. Just a couple of steps and the clips are on or off. Sure, it's a pain if you move your system regularly, but it's not much work. I would feel safer moving my system with the fan removed from the heatsink. But I don't move my system, so I don't have that problem.

jb_ · Post by **jb_** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 5:37 am

I don't know why the CPU manufacturers bother with mass specifications, when a torque specification is more relevant, cases being overwhelmingly tower designs with vertically mounted motherboards. A tall 400g heatsink with its mass further away from the board will do more damage than a low-profile 600g heatsink.

Weldingheart · Post by **Weldingheart** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 7:50 pm

I use Ninja without fan on my IC7-G,and move it once or two a week,there's no problem at all until now,unless you're taking it offroad/cross country.
To avoid shaking effect just transport it in desktop style,mobo paralel with ground.

If you're really worried about it,use small gauge steel wire to support the heatpipes from the PSU bar

Felger Carbon · Post by **Felger Carbon** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:38 pm

Regarding the SI-120 as an alternative to the Ninja: true, the bare SI-120 is fairly light at 400g. But Thermalright recommends the Panasonic fan, which is 1.5" thick and weighs 270g! And every bit of that 270g is sitting a long long way from the mobo, exerting lotsa torque.

The Sunbeamtech 120mm LED fan is pretty quiet and pushes a _lot_ of air for a 1200rpm fan. Mine weigh only 107g. A good choice if you want a quiet light weight fan. Only $6 at SVC, too.

I don't like LED fans but I do like pilot lights to warn me not to stick my clumsy fingers into big quiet spinning fans. Besides, the 4 LEDs are on the fixed part of the fan, so you can easily cut them off without changing the balance of the fan. Might even make it a gram lighter.

WR304 · Post by **WR304** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 1:37 pm

If you're transporting the PC why not pad the inside of the case around the Scythe Ninja?

You could use bubble wrap or polystyrene pieces to stop it moving. just remember to take it back out before turning the PC back on!

The actual clip fitting is quite secure: There's no danger of the chip being crushed so long as you have it stored flat.

frostedflakes · Post by **frostedflakes** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:08 pm

You'll be fine. Trust me, I own a Ninja, and there is no way this thing will come off unless it rips the retention bracket off with it. The clips are very secure. And as others have mentioned, torque is less of an issue than with some heatsinks because the copper base easily accounts for ~90% of the heatsink's weight.