Scythe Katana 3: Same slant, new version

katana3c.jpg

Wow, 2 Scythe heatsinks reviewed in 1 week?!? Lucky us! I’m glad they have evolved away from the huge towers, and as long as they continue to efficiently and quietly cool, I’m all for anything that takes up less space in my HTPC. Still, this guy–unlike the last one–probably won’t fit in any small HTPC cases.

SilentPCreview

The Scythe Katana 3 delivers cooling performance that’s good enough for most mid-power CPUs (~65W TDP). Its stock fan is decently quiet, and with a good on-board PWM fan controller, could provide essentially inaudible cooling for a midrange PC. The dreaded plastic push-pins for socket 775/1366 boards are easy to use here, as access to the pins is good. Its low weight makes the push-pins safe; there’s no risk of them popping out or breaking under undue strain.