Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B CPU Cooler Review
Test Methods, Results & Conclusion
Comparison Products
Unparalleled in size when compared to other recently tested single-fan coolers, today we compare it to the thickest coolers to use the same fan size.
The hardware setup for the cooler reviews remains consistent. It includes a Core i7-5930K with a slight overclock using a moderate voltage level inside a well-ventilated Corsair 760T case. The motherboard is set to a 115°C throttle point, and temperatures in the chart are above ambient (the thermal reading, minus the room temperature).
Test Results
Temperatures reported are quite average. This is adequate cooling for the price range.
The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B stock fan runs at very low RPMs.
You can see how the low RPM fans keep the noise at a very good (quiet) level, especially in comparison to similarly marketed options.
The Mugen 5 Rev.B is highly efficient, and at this price point it’s very attractive for builders seeking a silent solution.
This representation of the Mugen 5 Rev.B’s value tells us one thing: your product choice depends on what you’re after in this price point. Do you need the extra cooling offered from something like the DeepCool Gammaxx 400 or the Cooler Master MasterAir Pro 4? Or are you looking for the quietest option for your dollar? The Mugen 5 Rev.B performs on average for cooling. It's difficult to get the best of both worlds, and at this price point that’s even less likely. If you want it all, you'll have to spend more.
Overall, we were impressed with the strengths of this cooler, however. It is surprisingly quiet, has moderately good cooling potential, sells at an attractive pricing, and even possesses nice aesthetic flair, making it a great value.
Moderate cooling performance, but otherwise a high quality CPU cooler. The Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B is a great buy for those looking to reduce noise in their rigs.
Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B
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Sell just the Heatsink for around $30-40, and let us choose our own fan to buy? Then we fall responsible for its noise/performance ratio. Toms, would be nice to see these heatsinks done and compared also with a specified fan of the given size (ie. Noctua NF-A12x15 PWM for a 120mm fan, or other agreed upon model)... just to even out what the heatsinks alone can do (cooling performance, and its own contribution to noise, subject to fan blade design.)
I'm getting that on a lot of Toms pages lately. Just refresh until it works.
Perhaps Scythe coolers have improved since my experience with them, but based on past experience, I wouldn't recommend them.
After all, the best cooler for quiet builds is one that has decent performance at slow fan speeds as well as enough headroom to push the CPU when needed. This cooler is quiet, but I wouldn't want to run the CPU at 85 C (61+24C).
If you replace the fans on this cooler with faster models with similar airflow and noise at a given RPM, it would outpace the Gammaxx 400 in all realistic cases. This is based on the measured values in the article and a 40*log relationship between the delta-T and noise (usually quite accurate for estimating cooler performance).
Based on that model, this cooler even gives the NH-D15 a run for it's money. The D15S would probably turn out ahead, though.
And as noise has become a significant "feature" vendors are seeking to put products on the market that address user's wants / needs. The desired feature of low noise and higher cooling performance are competing. You can not increase one w/o decreasing the other. With that understood, a product that excels in one will invariably lose ground in the other. Therefore when a manufacturer seeks to hit a market niche by excelling in a specific category, it must be understood that the other is not high on the design goals. One one looks at a Porsche and says "Geez, it's mpg isn't all that great" or an economy car and complains that it doesn't get to 60 mph in < 4 seconds. Both are doing exactly what was expected of them by their designers.
Summary of data:
Delta T @ Max: 55C for CPU, 23C for VRM.
Delta T @ 50%: 61C for CPU, 28C for VRM
SPL @ Max: 20.8 dBA
SPL @ 50%: 12.2 dBA
The 50% SPL is darn close to the noise floor of the meter prior to the distance correction (which is applied before TH presents the level).
1. Test the stock fans to find out their speed range and actual noise, including any tonalities and other nasties.
2. Run the heatsinks with both any stock fan as well as their own reference fan (or fans, depending on what sizes fit).
Then the results are presented in a list based on cooling performance at specified noise levels.
The only issue now is that the man who did all the testing has been moving, and not done any reviews at all in the last year or so...
Benchmarkreviews does this in every review
https://benchmarkreviews.com/28173/scythe-mugen-max-cpu-cooler-benchmark-review/6/
They also have the best detailed TIM and TIM application articles out there and age has in no way reduced there usefulness
https://benchmarkreviews.com/206/best-thermal-paste-application-methods/
If you want to see just how drastic changing fans can be, look here to see what happens when you take the NF-A15's off a Noctua CPU cooler and replace them with slower Phanteks Fans
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/phenteks_f140/3.htm
Noctua NF-A15 = 52.9C @ 1500 rpm
Noctua NF-A15 = 56.3C @ 1200 rpm
Phanteks PH-F140SP = 50.0C @ 1200 rpm
Noctua showed some new "low tolerance" fans at Computex, with the tighter clearance tolerances, science says they should be able to retake the title ... we'll ahve to wait for testing to see if it holds true. Here's silentpcreview.com's Top 20
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1345-page7.html
Phanteks PH-F140HP/TS
Noctua NF-A14 FLX
Noctua NF-A15 PWM
Noiseblocker B12-2
Noctua NF-P14 FLX
Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120-12
Noiseblocker M12-S1
Corsair AF120 Quiet
Corsair AF120 Performance
Thermalright TR-TY150
Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120-14
Xigmatek XAF-F1453
Nexus Real Silent
Xigmatek XLF-F1453
Noiseblocker B12-PS
Corsair SP120 Quiet
be quiet! Silent Wings 2
Noiseblocker M12-S2
Antec TrueQuiet 120
Noiseblocker M12-P
The main ones that come to mind are the ML120 Pro and Silent Wings 3 in all variations. Otherwise, it's about right.
The ML120 pro has proven itself to be a very quiet fan but needs more performance to crack the top 5. Also at 2400 rpm, it's a design well suited for high fpi radiators that have long since gone out of vogue. I think they'd make a good replacement say for Corsair's H100i, but for case and copper rads of today, I'd be looking for 1200 rpm. Seems the in doubling the rpm however, there should be more cfm output
The Silent Wings are a very good fan, tho again a bit hi rpm for what I would want to use on today's copper rads (8 - 12 fpi) or as in case fans. In a case with insufficient fan mounts where one had to move up to 1500 - 1800 rpm, they would be at the top of the list. But, since we design for a max rpm of 850 under all but stress test loadings, with a top speed of just above 50%, it leaves too little of a control range.
I didn't mean to imply that the ML120s belong in the top 5. They're good performers, but have enough issues to cause concern in a lot of builds. Just ask Corsair about using speed control with them. The requirements are as strict as the most problematic of water pumps.
The Silent Wings 3 is more deserving of a place on the list, though. Regarding your particular application, it comes in a high speed and low speed version. All of the PWM models offer reliable control down to the 250 RPM range, and are very consistent from model to model. They're among the few fans out there that offer this wide of a range to work with. The only other ones that come to mind are the iPPC 3000s with a range of 450 to 2800 RPM on average.
It's worth mentioning that the Silent Wings 3 have a very peculiar PWM vs fan speed curve. If you haven't seen it before, it's worth a look:
http://thermalbench.com/2016/09/05/be-quiet-silent-wings-3-120-mm-fan/3/
The low speed models might actually be a perfect fit for targeting 850 RPM as a max in normal situations while still keeping some headroom on tap for stress tests (note: this statement only makes sense after you see the PWM vs RPM curve above).
No I didn't think that you implied that either, just mentioning that if it doesn't break the top 5, i want going to be looking at from 6 on down.
I like the Wings, but aside from good performance at higher rpms, which is outta my target area, we have since stopped using PWM. As you mentioned with Corsair, they are problematic when ganged as Darla explains here:
http://www.overclock.net/t/1506812/the-best-pwm-rad-fans-going-to-be-very-exact-spec-needs/30
With the advent of PWM fan Control PCBs, you can gain all the speed control advantages of PWM w/o any of the disadvantages Cost / low speed clicking or hum). The other thing that figures in, we used to have as many as 5 different case models for users to choose from in each price niche but last few years the list has dwindled because all most are choosing Phanteks ...and when the case comes with 3 - 5 fans *and* a PWM => DC hub that controls them. make sit hard to justify tossing them and getting something else. I am a bit concerned about the price creep on them...tho still at $15 hard to complain... used to jump on the newegg specials when they were $10 each but can only recall 1 or 2 in 2017. Another complaint ... buv them in a box and they come with the rubber mounts ... pre-installed case fans ... no rubber mount, tho if ya call and ask they mail them to ya.
The thing about the Silent Wings twas that it's kinda unusual that the DCV and PWM ones differ so widely which makes the 120 and 140 deliver very close to the same 1ir flow
120 is 1,450 rpm
140 is 1,000
120 HS is 2,200 rpm
140 HS is 1,600
If doing an ITX build, haven't dome one in ages, I'd prolly go for the Silent Wings .. right now I'm anxious to see how Noctuas new low tolerance fans perform ... on paper, they sound great, logic says that the reduced space between shroud and housing should improve things greatly.... whether we actually see that in practice remains to be seen and I hop other vendors follow suit.
The other thing I like about the wings is that the PWM and DCV versions were selling for about the same price. perhaps that's a recognition of the current state of the industry where, since the arrival of fan control PCBs, PWM lost its speed control advantage.
Maybe for the 112 watt models. There's no way it will work with the Skylake-X models. They need water cooling to avoid throttling at stock settings.