I bought this for use in a Node 202 (which it JUST BARELY fits in) to cool my i5-6600k, and while this does have a solid reputation for being one of the best low profile coolers on the market, I've been extremely surprised at how well it's performed in this particular scenario. I've been running and gaming on this system for a couple of months now, and I've yet to see the CPU break 62C, and in fact most of the time it's in the high 40's. That would be superb cooling even at stock speeds, but I actually have both the CPU and Uncore ratios set to 42 across the board, putting this essentially on par with an i7 (minus the multithreading), yet this thing doesn't buckle, even in that tiny little case with no additional fans.
There are however a few shortcomings with heatsink that need to be mentioned:
1. The first is pretty obvious, and it's that the width of the heatsink itself obligates you to use low profile ram if you want both to be installed at the same time. Now it doesn't have to be completely flat, I for instance am using the standard G.Skill Ripjaws V ram, which has about half an inch on top of the sticks themselves, and it does fit. I just wouldn't go with anything taller than that.
2. The size of the heatsink also covers quite a bit of motherboard space, which in my situation extended out to the point that it completely covered the USB 3.0 header. I ended up having to purchase a header extender from ModDIY (seemingly the only place on the interwebs that sells them, hence the name drop) in order to be able to plugin the front USB connector.
Aside from those two issues, I have to say that this has been an extremely satisfying cooling solution. I'd happily grab one again for my next SFF build.
| Brand | SCYTHE |
|---|---|
| Item model number | SCBSK-2100 |
| Item Weight | 14.4 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.92 x 5.31 x 2.28 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 4.92 x 5.31 x 2.28 inches |
| Voltage | 12 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Scythe |
| ASIN | B0069CQ7BE |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | January 21, 2012 |
