Scythe Fuma Rev.B CPU Cooler Review

Scythe's Fuma Rev.B CPU cooler is definitely one to take a close look at. Join us as we check it out.

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Manufacturer: Scythe
13 minutes & 13 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 96%
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The Bottom Line

The Fuma Rev.B is made to entice AM4 owners, but no matter which camp you are in, this cooler is hard to beat! It is attractive, it is a sound design with little noise involved, and is ripe for the picking with such a small fee to obtain it.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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Scythe is well known for delivering more than capable coolers, and many of them are also quite attractive additions to any build. We also know that Scythe is not afraid to make revisions to their better selling designs, which keeps Scythe in the game, should the market change slightly since the last time they introduced a particular cooler. With the advent of the AM4 introduction, it made many coolers that were previously released nearly worthless to anyone who had plans on a Ryzen system build.

Scythe does not want to be left behind. In this instance, they have taken a cooler which was just offered in its original form, slightly more than a year ago, but the introduction of AM4 sockets made Scythe jump into action. With the cooler we are about to see, there have only been two changes to this offering that we can find. One of them, most obviously, is the inclusion of AM4 mounting, which the original did not have. The second change is that the mounting hardware, which used to be matte black, is now polished metal. Outside of these two factors, what we will see here is much the same as what you may have read in other reviews.

While we did not get our hands-on the original design, Scythe wanted to make sure we got to see this cooler is some shape or form, and why not wait until the cooler is in what we would consider its final form. The cooler we are alluding to here is the Scythe Fuma Rev.B, one of the latest coolers to leave the Scythe factory. From what we have gathered in the preliminary inspection and with what we have read and understood about the Fuma Rev.B, what you are about to see is a dual-tower cooler, which is not only attractive but is also highly affordable. For those of you looking for a large air cooler that won't break the bank, we suggest you take a long hard look at what Scythe has delivered for us today.

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The Scythe Fuma Rev.B is differentiated from the original, with the part number SCFM-1100. So, when it comes to looking for this CPU cooler, if you see the SCFM-1000, you are looking at the original Fuma without AM4 mounting. Speaking of mounting, this cooler is capable with Intel sockets since and including LGA775 on through to LGA2011-V3, and even LGA2066. As for the AMD users, AM2 is the first included socket; it covers the AM and FM sockets, and now has AM4 compatibility as well. The dual-tower is made of aluminum and copper, aluminum for the forty-seven fins on each end of the pipes. Speaking of the six 6mm diameter heat pipes, they are made of copper and so is the base, but both of them are nickel plated, while the fins are left in their natural state. All told, the Fuma Rev.B stands 149mm tall, it is 130mm wide, and is 137mm deep with the fans installed.

Cooling this dual-tower setup is a pair of SY1225SL12M-CJP Scyther fans. They are both 120mm in size and use a 4-pin PWM connection for power from the motherboard. The range of fan blade rotation speed is as low as 300 RPM, and with all the power applied, they will spin at 1400 RPM. The noise level of these fans is shown to range from 13 dB(A) at 300 RPM, while at 1400 RPM, the fans will give off 28 dB(A) of noise. Airflow changes from 5.6 on the low-end, tops out at 79 CFM and has the potential to deliver up to 1.56 mmH2O of pressure while spinning on the sleeve bearing. The tower, with these fans, mounted to it, weighs in at 920 grams, and looking into the coverage, we found Scythe warranties this cooler for the duration of two-years from the date of purchase.

Of course, looks, size, and easy of mounting are all key factors when looking for a new CPU air cooler. However, the bottom line for most people is cost, and Scythe is offering quite the bargain with the Fuma Rev.B. Looking at the usual haunts, we are pleased to say that Premier and Prime members will find the same exact deal. Newegg, as well as Amazon, currently show the price to be just $45.99. Considering many of the dual-tower designs have come to us in the range of $70 to $90, it is easy to see the generosity with such a price. Even if you cannot appreciate the looks, if you have the room to use the Fuma Rev.B, this easy to mount and quite an affordable solution may be the answer to your CPU cooling needs.

Packaging

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Scythe puts the Fuma Rev.B CPU cooler into a matte black box. The Scythe name and logo are at the top of the front panel, the bulk of the panel is used for an image of the cooler, while the bottom is used to show compatibility, ad a ninja to the right of the product name.

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Moving to the side of the box, we find the name of the cooler at the top, followed by key features. These include the use of HPMS II mounting, the twin tower design with six heat pipes, the inclusion of two Slipstream fans, the high compatibility, and that the Fuma Rev.B can have a third fan mounted to it.

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The back of the packaging starts with company information, including the support address, should there be an issue. The blue section covers the terms of the warranty, while the bottom offers safety and cautionary statements.

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The last of the panels offer a set of four renderings of the Fuma Rev.B. The two at the left are there to show the 137mm width of the tower, while the second pair addressed other measurements, including those of the fans. Below the blue line is the specifications chart, where much of what we discussed is shown in nine languages.

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Scythe has folded a section of cardboard that the bottom of the cooler is set into so that it will stay in place. The fans are found on either side of the tower, with cardboard separating the three items. On top of the stack is where the hardware is, and there is a finger hole in the hardware box to make it easier to remove from the packaging.

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Since the Fuma Rev.B has polished top fins on each stack, they also took the time to protect them while in transit, and they also keep fingerprints at bay during installation. The blue film can be lifted from one of the edges, and peeled entirely off these fins, delivering a clean, high-end appearance.

Scythe Fuma Rev.B CPU Cooler

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The front of the Fuma Rev.B CPU cooler is stout. While not incredibly tall, there are forty-seven fins from top to bottom, and the width required to insert six evenly spaced heat pipes makes the Fuma Rev.B nearly as wide as it is tall.

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From either side, the view is identical, where we see the pipes all-in-one line, centered in each of the fin stacks. Below the fins, we see the pipes make gently curved bends into the two-part base.

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Changing the angle of perspective when it comes to the back of the cooler shows the alternating fin patterns. Every other fin is straight across its width, while the ones between them have a saw-tooth pattern to them. Along with the offset of all of the fins, the teeth will help to disrupt the airflow, helping to remove more heat.

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Looking at the side of the cooler form this angle shows what is going on in this tower, is that the fins are installed 180-degrees around from the one above it, where all of the fins are identical, just twisted around. We can also see that this cooler has no front or back with the design, and all sides of the fin stacks have grooves to accept the wire fan clips.

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We did have to remove the film from the top of the towers to take this picture, as we wanted to make sure to give a view of the polished top fins. We can also see the heat pipes are spaced evenly on both stacks, and with multiple fans cooling this tower, their alignment is less of a hindrance.

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The larger top section of the base is made of aluminum, machined to offer a few fins for cooling, but the center has been plowed out to accept the mounting hardware. Between it and the copper plate below, we can see that the heat pipes are surrounded, with signs of flux between the pipes and base components.

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While each pipe is bent slightly different to make it from the base to the bottom of the fins, we see that each of the fins is pressed into place. There is no solder used here, just the direct contact of the fins is what will draw heat from the pipes.

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The base is nearly polished to a mirror shine and has been plated with nickel after machining it. We used the protective sticker on the side to create a dark spot so that we could view the very fine marks left behind. The base does deviate slightly near the edges, but the convex shape helps to add pressure to the IHS for the best heat transfer.

Accessories and Documentation

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Whether using this hardware on an AMD or Intel motherboard, the one pair of brackets on the left will be used. The outer set of holes are for Intel use, while the inner set of them is for AMD. In the middle of the image is the Intel back plate which has dense rubber pads to isolate it from the motherboard. At the right is the cross-bar which mounts the cooler to the rest of the hardware, and is easily accessed between the fin stacks.

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The back on the left contains the four screws to mount the top brackets to the rest of the hardware, and also has the standard height standoffs for Intel use, as well as the LGA2011/2066 standoffs. The bag on the right offers the LGA775 preload spacers and is the back which holds the screws and plastic spacers needed for use with all AMD sockets.

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Scythe supplies the Fuma Rev.B with three sets of fan clips. This is enough to cover the pair of fans that come in the box, and also be ready for the add-on the third fan if desired. Since two fans are cooling this tower, Scythe also included a Y-splitter cable, so that one motherboard PWM header can control both fans.

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The fans which come with the Fuma Rev.B are the Scythe Slipstream SY1225SL12M-CJP models. Both fans have a sleeved cable with a 4-pin PWM connection at the end of it and have nine gray blades surrounded by a black frame. One thing to note is that there is no pre-applied isolation material, nor is any included in the hardware.

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The manual is through with the images offered in the step-by-step tutelage offered in how to install this cooler. The descriptions offered with text are short and sweet, but as long as you pay attention to the renderings and what information is provided with them, you should have Fuma Rev.B installed in nearly no time at all.

Installation and Finished Product

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Aligning the backplate does take a bit of work. You must first align the plate with the socket screws through the holes, and then you have to twist it slightly depending on the use of LGA775, 115X or 1366. Once the holes in the plate line up with the holes in the motherboard, you have to screw the standoffs into the plate, to lock it to the motherboard.

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Since the standoffs are already locked into the back plate, we have little left to do. What is left is adding the top brackets to the top of the standoffs, and screwing them into place. All of the hardware will stop spinning as it runs out of threads, so screw everything in until it stops, and you are certain you have installed it properly.

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After installing the cooler and the crossbar, we spun the motherboard to the side to take in the size of the Fuma Rev.B. We can see that it is not much wider than the RAM, and in our use, the fan is the highest thing on the cooler. Due to the choice of memory used, our overall height has increased slightly.

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Scythe does not allow a lot of room for memory, yet if we had used something low-profile, they would have fit under the tower, and the fan could have been lowered slightly. While not necessarily a deal breaker, for those who regularly switch RAM out, you will have to remove the fan for full access to them.

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Looking at the Fuma Rev.B from the top of the motherboard, we found no issues with heat sink clearance, nor was there a lack of room to hide the excess fan cables. We can see a similar memory coverage issue on quad channel motherboards if the third fan was used, but as it sits, access behind the cooler is fine and even has room to get the 8-pin connection made.

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Once the motherboard is back into the chassis, we see the reflective nature of the polished fins to pick up colors around it, as it reflects the red from the tripod on it now. The cooler is free from conflict with the first PCI-e slot, and we were able to access the motherboard screws without conflict as well.

Test System Setup, Thermal Tests, and Noise Results

Chad's CPU Cooler Test System Specifications

To see our testing methodology and to find out what goes into making our charts, please refer to our CPU Cooler Testing and Methodology article (October 2016) for more information.

Thermal Results

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Considering the lack of fan speed and noise for this test, the 57.25-degree result is admirable. The Fuma Rev.B is less than 6-degrees from the lead, and is only slightly more than two degrees behind the flagship NH-D15, with much less size involved with this Fuma Rev.B.

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72.25-degrees may look average on the chart, but put things into perspective. Is it only a couple of degrees warmer than the D15, it keeps up with a few of the 240mm AIOs on this chart, and sticks to that six degrees or so behind the best cooler we have tested.

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Scythe does leave a bit of meat on the bone moving from PWM to DC control of the fans. In the testing we did, the fan increased 500 RPM without a bunch of added noise, and took the overall temperature down to 69.25, just a tad more than four degrees from the lead.

Noise Level Results

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While we ran the stock test, we kept an eye on the fan speed, as it peaked at 750 RPM. At that speed, we took our measurement and saw 23 dB on the meter. It does not get much better than this and is how Scythe can tie for second place.

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Even with the heat from the overclock demanding more of the PWM fan circuit, the speed only increased slightly. 990 RPM was the maximum seen at this time, and the noise increased, but just barely, to just 25 dB.

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Pushing the fans to their full capabilities did improve performance a fair amount, at 1480 RPM, the amount of noise produced is more than acceptable. Only 31 dB of noise is heard in an open-air environment, and with a closed chassis, it is highly likely that the Fuma Rev.B will not be heard.

Final Thoughts

Scythe and the Fuma Rev.B have a lot going for them. The cooler is stout and beefy, it is robust and aesthetically pleasing, and the performance is terrific for the amount of money you have to invest. We like the looks of the design and can appreciate the compact nature of a dual 120mm tower cooler. While there is a slight issue with the cooler covering the memory, the Fuma Rev.B will fit in many cases that the D15 and other 140mm fan based dual tower coolers will not. The look of the alternating fins is nice, and the odd shapes and sawtooth edges do play their part in aiding the efficiency level of the Fuma Rev.B. On top of it all, literally, there are highly polished fins which add that bit of flair, and will also reflect any chassis lighting that may glow onto it, making for a seamless blend between the chassis and cooler.

The hardware is some of the best money can buy for a tower cooler. Not only do they now include AM4 mounting capabilities, but the hardware is also solid, easy to use, and leaves little guesswork when it comes to if the Fuma Rev.B is mounted correctly. The Slipstream fans that come along for the ride are perfect for this tower, in fact, these are fans that others should look for when it comes to cooling their towers too. Using PWM to control them, they can handle everything we threw at them, with very little noise involved. When it came to gaining headroom, the Slipstreams were up to the task, delivering more efficiency to the design, all at the same time, not making your ears bleed to do it. While we do feel that Scythe could easily adjust the fan curve to deliver all of the performance at once, we also saw Scythe leaned to silence above performance, and we can appreciate that angle too. As we sit and ponder issues, we are left drawing a blank beyond memory clearance.

The factor that most of our readers will appreciate is that fact that you get better than average performance with little to no noise involved, at half of the price of much of its competition. At just $45.99 to get the Fuma Rev.B, we can see no reason, case willing, not to give this cooler a chance to keep your CPU cool. The manufacturing and overall feel are high-end, and so are the looks. The main reason for this cooler is so Scythe could gain AM4 users as customers, but all the same, the bang for the buck associated with the Fuma Rev.B is some of the best we have seen in quite some time.

If we were in the market for a slick looking, performance-oriented design with little noise involved, the Scythe Fuma Rev.B would be our choice to fill that need.

TweakTown award
Performance 93%
Quality 97%
Features 96%
Value 98%
Overall 96%

The Bottom Line: The Fuma Rev.B is made to entice AM4 owners, but no matter which camp you are in, this cooler is hard to beat! It is attractive, it is a sound design with little noise involved, and is ripe for the picking with such a small fee to obtain it.

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Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

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