Heatsink test – Joe
SUMMARY: Good choice for CPU cooling.
The good guys at Scythe were nice enough to send a sample of the Kamaboko CPU Cooler for a test spin. It includes a rheostat controlled 92 mm fan which spins from 1000 to 3800 rpm. Mounting options include gear for Socket 478/775 P4 Prescott 3.6G+, Athlon64/64+, Socket754/940/939 and 3800+ (Not for 370/A).
Mounting is straight forward – there are four clips which engage the P4 retention bracket. I found the spring pressure to be fairly high – not unduly so, but not so easy to articulate with fingers only.
Parts that ship with the unit allow for multiple mounting options:
The base is well finished and polished:
When I ran my nail over it, I could not feel or hear any ridges.
I noticed some gaps between the heatpipes and the copper base:
Contact area is critical to performance, and gaps such as these diminish performance.
The Scythe Kamaboko was tested on an Acorp 4S845A motherboard with a modified P4 1500 to read CPU case temps.
| Motherboard | CPU Case Temp | Ambient Temp | Delta | C/W | MBM Temp |
| 3763 rpm, 65 dBA² | 30.2 C | 19.8 C | 10.4 | 0.18 | 28 C¹ |
| 2503 rpm, 54 dBA² | 32.1 C | 20.3 C | 11.8 | 0.20 | 30 C¹ |
| 1074 rpm, <50dBA dBA² | 38.7 C | 20.3 C | 18.4 | 0.32 | 35 C¹ |
Die Simulator results place the Scythe Kamaboko in the mid-upper rank of P4 heatsinks tested to date (Heatsink Ranking).
Scythe’s Kamaboko Heatpipe is a good choice for CPU cooling. The rheostat is a nice touch – at its lowest speed, the fan is almost noiseless – a good idle setting.
Thanks again to Scythe for sending this our way.
²Note that manufacturers measure fan noise usually 3 feet from the fan.
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