INTRODUCTION

   None of us here ever really thought that CPU cooler manufacturers would one day drastically reduce the development and manufacture of new air cooler models but that day seems to be almost upon us. Of course the fact that AIO liquid CPU cooling systems have gained significant ground over traditional air coolers during the past 3 years or so is probably the reason as to why this is happening. Still we must not forget that there are many people out there who are not willing to spend much on a CPU cooler (casual users and gamers mostly) and for good or bad even single 120/140mm radiator AIO models are still far more expensive even compared to some high-end air coolers. Scythe has been behind several award winning CPU air cooler lines over the years one of which is the very successful Mugen one and today we'll be testing the brand new Mugen 5.

   Scythe Co., Ltd., (Registered and incorporated in Tokyo Japan) originally started its business operation in Japan's famous "Akihabara Electric Town" located in the metropolitan Tokyo, where visitors can find a variety of products from the latest computer parts to the world's most advanced high-tech electric devices. Scythe Co., Ltd., began its operation and business since November, 2002 as a distributor and the manufacturer of passive and low-noise PC parts. Since then, the company has established the R&D facility in Taiwan & China for production and quality control, and the USA office (in Los Angeles, California) & European office (in Hamburg, Germany) for customer care and sales support. At Scythe, we believe that the best ideas for product come simply from knowing customers' needs and their expectations. Based on this philosophy, the PC enthusiasts working at Scythe know what to develop because that is exactly what we would like to have for ourselves too! We offer products with 100% quality assurance and total pride, and if the product has the Scythe name on it, you can rest assure that its quality will be up to the "Zero Tolerance" standards!

   Last time we had a Scythe Mugen CPU air cooler here it was the MAX model and since that was the 7th in the Mugen line that means the Mugen 5 is actually the 8th one to bear that name. So what did Scythe improve on the brand new Mugen 5 CPU air cooler compared to the previous Mugen MAX? For one they slightly increased the total surface of the cooler so that means it should provide higher cooling efficiency than the MAX model. Also although they used a smaller (120mm/140mm) and slower (1200RPM/1300RPM) fan (fluid-dynamic bearing model) compared to the one used with the MAX it actually produces slightly higher static pressure (1.05mmH2O/1.02mmH2O). Also the new Mugen 5 features Scythe's latest hyper precision mounting system II (compared to the original H.P.M.S used in the MAX) which is now pre-mounted on the cooler to allow for easier installation on the mainboard. Both the Mugen MAX and Mugen 5 can be used with two fans in push and pull configuration and feature asymmetric designs for their six 6mm thick nickel-plated copper heatpipes which allow for zero clearance issues both with mainboard components and memory modules. Time for us to find out just what the new Mugen 5 is capable off and just how it compares to its predecessor the very good MAX model.