Scythe Mine vs. Katana 2

[AndeeG]

I've been looking into a replacement for my stock intel cooler for a while now and these two seem to be the most suitable for my needs. I would consider getting a Ninja, but I have a P5B-E, which from what I've heard isn't compatible. The Mine is a bit more expensive but probably more effective too. I've seen individual reviews but never a comparison between the two. Does anyone have any insight into their differences?

Also, they both come with this fan, which has only 3 pins. How would I control it with my motherboard? Would I just plug it into a case fan header or what?

[Felger Carbon]

FrostyTech and Madshrimps have each tested both HSFs. In each case, the Mine proved to cool far better, and the noise was the same because they both use the same fan. The Mine is larger, bulkier, heavier, and of course has more cooling fin area, which is the main reason it performs better. The Katana II takes up less room and is cheaper, and will cool a low-power CPU very satisfactorally. Yer money, yer choice.

[AndeeG]

Well I looked into the frostytech reviews and it seemed like the Mine was able to cool significantly better in their tests, so I'll probably go with that one. On a side note, I found that xpcgear is selling an open box Mine for about 12 bucks off the normal price. Is there any particular reason one would want to avoid an open box CPU HSF?

[smilingcrow]

I've been looking into a replacement for my stock intel cooler for a while now and these two seem to be the most suitable for my needs. I would consider getting a Ninja, but I have a P5B-E, which from what I've heard isn't compatible. The Mine is a bit more expensive but probably more effective too.

The Mine and Ninja+ (rev B) use the same mounting mechanism and have a similar although probably not identical footprint. I’ve tried them both on a P5B-E Plus and neither would fit. Scythe plus LGA775 is not a happy combination much of the time.

[AndeeG]

I've been looking into a replacement for my stock intel cooler for a while now and these two seem to be the most suitable for my needs. I would consider getting a Ninja, but I have a P5B-E, which from what I've heard isn't compatible. The Mine is a bit more expensive but probably more effective too.

The Mine and Ninja+ (rev B) use the same mounting mechanism and have a similar although probably not identical footprint. I’ve tried them both on a P5B-E Plus and neither would fit. Scythe plus LGA775 is not a happy combination much of the time.

Judging by this installation manual, the mechanism seems different from the Ninja. Perhaps it's different in the rev. B model?

[smilingcrow]

Judging by this installation manual, the mechanism seems different from the Ninja. Perhaps it's different in the rev. B model?

Ninja Rev B is completely different for LGA775; I’ve owned both and much preferred Rev A.
There is an optional mounting kit for the Rev B which looks a lot better but I’m not sure whether it addresses the compatibility issue.

[AndeeG]

Judging by this installation manual, the mechanism seems different from the Ninja. Perhaps it's different in the rev. B model?

Ninja Rev B is completely different for LGA775; I’ve owned both and much preferred Rev A.
There is an optional mounting kit for the Rev B which looks a lot better but I’m not sure whether it addresses the compatibility issue.

Okay now you're just confusing me. I meant that perhaps the mechanism for the Mine is different in rev. B. When you say there's an optional mounting kit for Rev B are you talking about the Mine or Ninja? From what I've seen, the problem with the ninja is the circular plate piece of the mounting hardware, which comes into contact with some capacitors. Judging by the Mine manual, its mounting hardware does not include such a plate. On a side note, do you know what the differences between the Mine rev A and B are? I believe the open box model I was talking about is rev A since it doesn't specify and their normal retail edition does.

edit: I just looked up rev A and B of the Mine on scythe's website and it seems the only difference is the inclusion of AM2 mounting equipment. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

[smilingcrow]

Okay now you're just confusing me. I meant that perhaps the mechanism for the Mine is different in rev. B. When you say there's an optional mounting kit for Rev B are you talking about the Mine or Ninja? On a side note, do you know what the differences between the Mine rev A and B are? I believe the open box model I was talking about is rev A since it doesn't specify and their normal retail edition does.
edit: I just looked up rev A and B of the Mine on scythe's website and it seems the only difference is the inclusion of AM2 mounting equipment. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

Yeah, I was referring to the Ninja Rev B. I have no experience of the Mine Rev A, only Rev B.
I’m not sure which coolers the optional mounting kit works with; details here:
http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/0 ... etail.html

From what I've seen, the problem with the ninja is the circular plate piece of the mounting hardware, which comes into contact with some capacitors. Judging by the Mine manual, its mounting hardware does not include such a plate.

My mistake, it’s the Infinity and Mine that share the same mounting mechanism. I just took my unused Ninja Rev B out of the box to compare and see it uses a different mechanism.
I tested the Infinity and the Mine on four LGA775 boards and they wouldn’t fit on any of them. Unfortunately I didn’t have the Ninja at the time to check compatibility.
The Mine (Rev B) has a serious problem as it has a very long metal plate that is significantly wider than the LGA775 mounting bracket that the Ninja B uses; see here: http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/cpu/0 ... 0_bot.html
I can only deduce that this makes the Mine B much less compatible than the Ninja B.

I hope that clears things up a bit for you, it certainly does for me.

[spookmineer]

A German site reviewed both the Katana 2 and Kama Cross.

The results:
1st list is "performance", 2nd list "silent", 3rd list "ultra silent" and 4th list "fanless".

The Mine does indeed seem a better choice.

[AndeeG]

Okay now you're just confusing me. I meant that perhaps the mechanism for the Mine is different in rev. B. When you say there's an optional mounting kit for Rev B are you talking about the Mine or Ninja? On a side note, do you know what the differences between the Mine rev A and B are? I believe the open box model I was talking about is rev A since it doesn't specify and their normal retail edition does.
edit: I just looked up rev A and B of the Mine on scythe's website and it seems the only difference is the inclusion of AM2 mounting equipment. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

Yeah, I was referring to the Ninja Rev B. I have no experience of the Mine Rev A, only Rev B.
I’m not sure which coolers the optional mounting kit works with; details here:
http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/acc/0 ... etail.html

From what I've seen, the problem with the ninja is the circular plate piece of the mounting hardware, which comes into contact with some capacitors. Judging by the Mine manual, its mounting hardware does not include such a plate.

My mistake, it’s the Infinity and Mine that share the same mounting mechanism. I just took my unused Ninja Rev B out of the box to compare and see it uses a different mechanism.
I tested the Infinity and the Mine on four LGA775 boards and they wouldn’t fit on any of them. Unfortunately I didn’t have the Ninja at the time to check compatibility.
The Mine (Rev B) has a serious problem as it has a very long metal plate that is significantly wider than the LGA775 mounting bracket that the Ninja B uses; see here: http://www.scythe-usa.com/product/cpu/0 ... 0_bot.html
I can only deduce that this makes the Mine B much less compatible than the Ninja B.

I hope that clears things up a bit for you, it certainly does for me.

Alright, I completely understand what you're saying. It's really too bad that they designed the cooler that way but oh well. Since the Mine most likely will not fit my motherboard, does anyone have other recommendations for quality coolers that might?

[Spanki]

Since the Mine most likely will not fit my motherboard, does anyone have other recommendations for quality coolers that might?

Cooler Master Hyper Tx (or Tx 2, which has universal mounting):
- it cools better than the others discussed so far above.
- It has a relativey small footprint.
- light weight
- easy push-pin mounting
- quiet...

...overall great bang-for-buck cooler. Build quality is excellent and the fan is an interesting 9-scoop-bladed design with vented frame, that's soft-mounted to 92mm mounts, but the fan itself is oversized so it performs more like a 100mm fan. It'll cool any stock C2D or Quad, even w/mild to moderate overclocking.

I can't hear it (or barely hear it) over 3 tri-cool fans @5v in my Antec P182B case when spinning @ ~1900rpm... cools almost the same @ ~1400rpm if you want to turn it down (PWM 4-pin connector on the Tx, but it looks like they went to a 3-pin on the Tx 2). It's much quieter than the stock Intel HSF, even at full speed.

I can't say for sure whether it will fit your setup, but the fan-shroud has plenty of clearance over top of the heatpipe/heatsinks on the PWM of my MSI P6N Platinum board.

Reviews:
MADSHRIMPS 2007 June Roundup - the specific review of it was in an earlier roundup.
X-Bit Labs
X-Bit Labs - head-to-head with Kama Cross and Katana II
Big Bruin
SysOpt
3DGameMan
OverclockersOnline
ThinkComputers
FutureLooks

Prices:
$26.99 @ Newegg ($11.99 after $15.00 mail-in rebate! if you act fast enough - only good through 7/15)
$24.21 @ eWiz
$25.95 @ Game Giants
$27.75 @ AeroCooler (Tx - Intel only)
$29.87 @ AeroCooler (Tx 2 - Universal mounting version)
$29.99 @ SVC

[Spanki]

BTW, that FutureLooks link above compares it to the Arctic Cooler Freezer 7 Pro and they performed pretty much identically (if you ignore the weird bit about how long it takes to cool back down after load). Anyway, that's the only review I've found so far with the ACF7Pro included in the comparison, so I don't know if they stay the same at higher/lower temps or on other setups.

The AC unit is usually cheaper online, but I recommend the CM unit over it, due to it being quieter, better design (IMO), and aesthetic reasons.

[Felger Carbon]

The AC unit is usually cheaper online, but I recommend the CM unit over it, due to it being quieter, better design (IMO), and aesthetic reasons.

I agree with everything you've said, Spanki, but I'd like to add one more datum: the TX is a half-inch taller than the Freezer. So the Freezer will fit some places the TX won't - for instance, in a Mio 5601 Typhoon or Xclio 3060 big-fan case.

[Spanki]

The AC unit is usually cheaper online, but I recommend the CM unit over it, due to it being quieter, better design (IMO), and aesthetic reasons.

I agree with everything you've said, Spanki, but I'd like to add one more datum: the TX is a half-inch taller than the Freezer. So the Freezer will fit some places the TX won't - for instance, in a Mio 5601 Typhoon or Xclio 3060 big-fan case.

...and that half-inch may all be found in the clearance from mb to bottom fin (I'd have to see the specs to be sure, but the AC unit looks lower), so that may affect clearance issues on the F7Pro.

[Spanki]

Another cooler that looks very promising in that latest MADSHRIMPS roundup is the TTIC NPH 1000. It's cooling / noise ratio is slightly better than the Hyper Tx, but it does have a bolt-through mounting mechanism.

I'm just not sure if you can find it available yet, or what the price will be.

[AndeeG]

Since the Mine most likely will not fit my motherboard, does anyone have other recommendations for quality coolers that might?

Cooler Master Hyper Tx (or Tx 2, which has universal mounting):
- it cools better than the others discussed so far above.
- It has a relativey small footprint.
- light weight
- easy push-pin mounting
- quiet...

...overall great bang-for-buck cooler. Build quality is excellent and the fan is an interesting 9-scoop-bladed design with vented frame, that's soft-mounted to 92mm mounts, but the fan itself is oversized so it performs more like a 100mm fan. It'll cool any stock C2D or Quad, even w/mild to moderate overclocking.

I can't hear it (or barely hear it) over 3 tri-cool fans @5v in my Antec P182B case when spinning @ ~1900rpm... cools almost the same @ ~1400rpm if you want to turn it down (PWM 4-pin connector on the Tx, but it looks like they went to a 3-pin on the Tx 2). It's much quieter than the stock Intel HSF, even at full speed.

I can't say for sure whether it will fit your setup, but the fan-shroud has plenty of clearance over top of the heatpipe/heatsinks on the PWM of my MSI P6N Platinum board.

Reviews:
MADSHRIMPS 2007 June Roundup - the specific review of it was in an earlier roundup.
X-Bit Labs
X-Bit Labs - head-to-head with Kama Cross and Katana II
Big Bruin
SysOpt
3DGameMan
OverclockersOnline
ThinkComputers
FutureLooks

Prices:
$26.99 @ Newegg ($11.99 after $15.00 mail-in rebate! if you act fast enough - only good through 7/15)
$24.21 @ eWiz
$25.95 @ Game Giants
$27.75 @ AeroCooler (Tx - Intel only)
$29.87 @ AeroCooler (Tx 2 - Universal mounting version)
$29.99 @ SVC

Well from your recommendation it sounds great but I'm a little weary of its noise level. If I get the Hyper TX 2, which only has a 3 pin plug, how would I manage its speed? I don't want it to be running constantly at 1800 rpm unless I can't hear that, which seems unlikely. As for the rebate, it does not specify that the cooler must be purchased from newegg so I would guess that it would work with other retailers as well.

[jaldridge6]

i'd consider maybe getting a hr01 or a noctua 12cm heatsink as well. I know they're a bit pricey, but 12cm fans have so much more potential for being quiet and effective than 9cm fans do. A 9cm fan at 1400rpms is pretty loud from my subjective standpoint. I had an asus silent square a while back and it was REALLY loud. I replaced the fan with a 1400 rpm scythe fan and it still wasn't good enough. I then went with an 1100rpm evergreen fan and even that didn't sound nice to my ears. I have a Ninja now with an 800rpm scythe fan and I am almost pleased

[Spanki]

Well from your recommendation it sounds great but I'm a little weary of its noise level. If I get the Hyper TX 2, which only has a 3 pin plug, how would I manage its speed? I don't want it to be running constantly at 1800 rpm unless I can't hear that, which seems unlikely. As for the rebate, it does not specify that the cooler must be purchased from newegg so I would guess that it would work with other retailers as well.

You might still be able to adjust it with SpeedFan... my NB fan only has 3-pins and I can still crank it up and down. Alternatively, you could put it on a Zalman Fan Mate II controller (about ~$5.00) or any other fan controller.

Noise levels are of course subjective, but just to clarify a bit...

My case was set up as above - Antec P182 with 3 Antec tri-cool fans (top and rear exhaust, one in lower drive/psu bay) set @ 5v, plus a Sharkoon Silent Eagle 1000 installed in the front mid-section @12v (the quietest fan in my system).

I can change the rpms using SpeedFan from 100% (SpeedFan shows ~1920 - 1940rpm) down to any other level in 10% jumps. At 65%, it's roughly ~1400rpm and at 50%, it reads roughly ~1100rpm.

During the daytime (ambient daytime noise levels), living in a rural setting, I can not hear the cpu fan change when I alter the speed up and down to/from 50-100%. It's currently 5:22am (dead of night/morning) and the 'only' thing I can hear is the sound of the fans in my computer and some stupid rooster crowing outside across the street. In this setting, when I change the speed of the fan, I can hear a change in "air whooshing" noise.

This is with my head about 1m diagonally away from the computer. Normally, I'd agree with the poster above about 12cm fans vs 9cm fans (and still do, in general), but keep in mind that this is a 9-bladed fan, the blades are scooped/cupped (whatever affect that has), it has a relatively small rounded hub, slotted frame, is closer to 10cm in size and has almost no detectable "motor/bearing noise" or whine at all. I can best describe the sound it does make as more or less air shooshing noise, depending on the speed, when I'm concentrating on hearing it.

The fan itself is mounted to the plastic shroud (92mm mounting holes) with rubber stand-off/pins, so it's replaceable, but I can't think of any other fan I'd want to put there. Before I bought it, I was considering getting one of the 100mm Scythe fans (they have 92mm mounting holes as well), but I haven't felt the need to do that since getting it.

Again, you may have a different case, with different fans/speeds, so your mileage may vary, so the best I can do is recommend it as a great bang-for-buck cooler, with a non-annoying fan, that should fit most setups .

[AndeeG]

Well, if the TX 2 were in stock at newegg, I would definitely jump on that, but unfortunately everywhere else it's going to be about 30 dollars shipped. I can get the freezer 7 pro for only $22 shipped from ewiz. From some of the reviews you linked, it seems like they're very very similar, with the freezer 7 pro being slightly louder at full load due to a higher rpm fan. Are there any other important differences I should take into consideration?

[Spanki]

The differences already listed above are all I can think of. I did notice that SPCR has a review of the ACF7Pro, which includes a recording of the fan used on it... which definately has some 'growl' or motor noise that the CM unit doesn't have, but you may not notice it inside your case (seems to die down fairly well if you undervolt a bit).

Personally, I was making the same choice and felt like the extra few bucks for the Hyper Tx would be worth it. I haven't had a ACF7Pro in my hands for a direct comparison, but after getting and using the Hyper Tx, I'd make the same decision again.