Specifications, Availability and Pricing

When the box is in your hand you quickly get a feeling that the Ninja 3 is a weighty cooling solution and Scythe specifying its 1,024 gram weight proves this thought. Comprising the bulk of that weight is found in the thirty-nine 0.4mm thick fins and the eight, 6mm, copper heat pipes. As if that wasn't enough, there is also the nickel plated, copper pre-cooler that holds four of the pipes to the top of the base, while the other four run through it. My cooler is in fact 120mm square and 158mm tall. I assume the 160mm measurement is to make sure there is clearance so you don't drag your door on the top of it. An added bonus is that it also fits all the latest sockets for both AMD and Intel.

The included fan is a Slip Stream 120mm fan with PWM capabilities, as well as an attached fan controller that fits in an expansion slot. The dial on the controller goes from Low on the one side (Min. Band in the chart) and High (Max. Band). This gives the user more finite control on top of the PWM functionality. This sleeve bearing fan is capable of 1900 RPM and over 110 CFM in Max. Band mode, and is also capable of running as slow as 470 RPM while delivering 23 CFM, and infinite optional speeds in between. Noise from this fan in Low, it is near silent in operation boasting 7 DBA. Cranking the fans up to High, and with the PWM allowing maximum voltage, you will end up in a noisy 37 dBA range. Be aware, the Ninja 3 is about monster cooling potential, not silence. For those who need silence, make sure to grab a pair of fans more to your liking.

What I really love about the Ninja 3 is that it delivers a top three performance out of the box and under the $50 mark that tends to scare buyers away. With a few clicks I was on the net looking at pricing. Since the cooler is new, it is on only 10 e-tailers listings as I type this. I will expect more orders from other retailers to come in shortly after everyone sees the potential that Scythe brought to the over clocking community. So what does near perfection cost? The Ninja 3 is currently getting $42.99 at Newegg.com, and more amazingly, there is no shipping cost involved. To get the award winning performance I got with two fans, you are going to have to chip in an additional $8.99. Not too bad at all to get the best performance to date at less than half of what the Cooler Master V10 released at or sells at today. For just over $50 I think this is money very well spent!