CONCLUSION

   When the original Ninja CPU cooler made its debut in the market over 10 years ago tower (U-Type) models were very new in the market so we were all impressed by its looks and cooling efficiency. Unfortunately by the time Scythe released the Ninja 2 and 3 models things were not the same so with a large number of similar models in the market they didn’t have the same impact as the original. The all-copper limited Ninja editions did offer improved cooling efficiency but because of their high price and limited availability they didn’t manage to become as popular as the original. Well with the Ninja 4 CPU cooler it almost feels that Scythe is not ready to give up on the popularity of the original and they could be on to something here since during testing not only did we record very good temperature levels (very close to the larger NH-D15 by Noctua) but the GlideStream 120 PWM fan is almost silent even at high-RPM. I still can’t wrap my head around the real benefits of adding up to four 120mm fans on all sides of the Ninja 4 but I have to admit that it would look nice.

   Availability inside the USA has been a problem for Scythe ever since their branch there went bankrupt back in late 2012 so as expected only a single store carries the Ninja 4 CPU Cooler (SCNJ-4000) for just USD47.95 (Coolerguys) while in the EU it retails for 70Euros (Amazon.co.uk). We do feel that the price could be slightly better inside the EU (even a 15% price decrease would be fine) but when its direct competition asks for even more I think it’s safe to say that Scythe can keep things as is. Bottom line the Ninja 4 is perhaps the only model to bear the name Ninja since the original (and the copper editions) to actually leave us with the best possible impressions and for that it gets our Platinum Award.

PROS

- Solid Build Quality
- Excellent Cooling Performance
- Quad Fan Solution
- Noise Levels
- 120mm PWM Fan with Built-In Speed Controller
- Mainboard Compatibility
- Price (USA)

CONS

- Current USA Availability