Introduction

Since the undisputed top placement of the Tower CPU cooler, the top-blow subjects developed in the original design periods a shadowy existence in the densely layered high-end spectrum of the end customer market. Deficits in raw performance behaviour go hand in hand with mostly higher housing internal temperature by verwirbelte air currents, so that many users are now dodged to the Husky Tower competition. However the use is one such ‘ high building cooler model not always possible or useful, which is why some cooler manufacturers place still interesting top blow products on the market – or it at least try. Among these manufacturers is also the Japanese forge Scythe, which have a good name by their successful silent and powerful, well coordinated and inexpensive cooler offers. With the Zipang 2, Asians have newly launched her 140 mm top blow figurehead and promise best performance at contemporary silent fitness. We have tested the Scythe Zipang 2 usual.

Scope of delivery

The scope of supply of Scythe Zipang 2 turns out very manageable. This is in particular to the fact that the Japanese despite support for all socket can limit since 754 – AMD or Intel 478 times through successful, screws-free implementation to a minimum of mounting accessories. Therefore, only a few installation parts, a multilingual guide with German language section, and a tube of thermal compound metal oxide-based complement the Zipang 2 with its pre-assembled 140 mm Kaze Maru fan.

Technical key points

• Scythe Zipang 2 (SCZP-2000)
• 140 mm top-blow-hybrid processor cooler
• 68 Aluminum plates, nickel plated 2-mm copper base
• Separate lamellar structure: m.a.p.s. (multiple airflow pass-through structure).
• Blade pitch 2 mm
• Sechsfach Ø6 mm heatpipe design
• Overall dimensions: 145 x 149 x 106 mm (L x W x H)
• Total weight: 715 G, 580 grams without fans
• Wire frame fastening for 120 mm fan
• 140 mm ventilation
  • Scythe Kaze Maru (SY1425SL12ML)
  • 120 mm frame holes
  • Maximum 1000 U/min
  • Maximum capacity: 87 m³/h
  • 3-Pin connector, cable length approx. 30 cm
  • Plain bearings
• V.T.M.S. (versatile tool-free multiplatform system)
• Compatibility
  • AMD Socket 754, 939, 940, AM2(+), AM3 by 3-point bracket
  • Intel socket 478 per retention module
  • Intel socket 775, 1156, 1366 via push-pin system
• Manufacturer’s website
• Distributors and current pricing

Cooler in detail

With the Zipang 2, the Japanese by Scythe newly set her 140 mm flagship top-blow format. The separation of the lamellae in multiple separate parts realized already in the Mugen 2 is characteristic for the novice. Scythe is called this particular design “M.a.p.s..” (Multiple airflow pass-through structure) and thereby expects a better adaptation to specifically slowly rotating fan.

Also offers an impressive, swinging implemented basic structure for powerful processor cooling the Zipang 2 with six 6 mm heatpipes. The aufgefädelten alloy blades are approximately in 2-mm intervals and lay so close to an alignment as a silent cooler. The Zipang 2 Opus high spread a successful impression with nickel plated base plate, clean material added, and high accuracy.

With its 106 millimetres in height of the Japanese in shallower housing situations, where no Tower cooler can be used, provides may still have enough room for installation. 2 Should the user the choice of a so-called top-blow cooler combo as the Zipang aware being, that occur through the wind direction of the fan to the motherboard and the resulting airflow, as well as errors of housing air flow in general increasing internal chassis temperatures. These can be up to 10 k over which an equivalent Tower Setup and away from actively with ventilated converters, RAM slots or chipset cooler higher component temperatures cause. The practice with the Zipang 2 has shown that this influence above the 700-U/min mark is very strong, while the housing internal temperature in the area of super silent yet slightly different top-blow and Tower cooler Setup.

The ventilation of Zipang 2 via a 140 mm model of the in-house Kaze-Maru series. Equipped without PWM support acts the model with a maximum of 1000 rpm. The fixation of the fan with a 120 mm fan equivalent frame holes shall be made by wire hanger method without screws.

Mounting features

In the implementation of the Assembly for all AMD and Intel platforms for the Socket 754 or 478 Scythe relies on a clever system of retaining clips, which can be installed without tools on the ground of Zipang 2. A two-point bracket available, which blends in with the series of the appropriate motherboard retention module is for AMD systems. Likewise on a four-point-eyelets basis for Intel no longer current socket 478, while the other Intel platforms 775, 1156, and 1366 served using a patented push-pin bracket pair whose diagonal distances, can be changed appropriately. Thus, the Zipang 2 despite pleasant less installation components is one of the compatibility miracles of the market.

Apart from the installation of the cooler according to the devices is relatively simple. Only the extensive external body which covers, for example, the push-pins and thus limiting the freedom of action something, complicates the procedure. For this reason, the expansion of the motherboard recommends.

The orientation of the cooler to the base plays an important role in the Zipang 2. For maximum performance and the ideal base of heatpipes, the cooler should be aligned so having the heat conductive capillary not against gravity to work. When hanging cooler in the established the best alignment, such as on the above images is shown, therefore with the Verve of the heatpipes in the direction of video card. This is for some AMD motherboards based on the specified module location impossible to achieve, could still an äquipotente orientation with side roof Heatpipeschwung.

Test system

Clock of our current, real measurement platform is Intel’s core i7 920 “Bloomfield”. The popular quad-core CPU generated in standard mode (2.66 GHz, 1.2 volts V-core) according to the data sheet 130 Watts at full capacity and is the Intel Core at the level of our predecessor processor, 2 extreme minimum “Kentsfield” (2.66 GHZ, 1.35 volts V-core). Motherboard Intel’s DX58SO ‘Smackover’ used, we have also already presented in the report on the Intel Core i7 comes to fit.

As a suitable housing for the test mix in the closed, the ATX system Caseking with the Silverstone TJ-09S provides a spatially lush dimensioned base us. In addition to the generous space available, in particular the position of the power supply on the base is critical for fair test conditions, because of the fans of our 650 Watts strong Lian-Li-silent-force power supply there can have no with belüftende effect on the CPU cooler. To operate as single case fan with the scythe S-Flex 800 a silent 120 mm model back ausblasend and the CPU cooling in active and semi passiven test modes.

Thus, the most important cornerstones of the system, which presents itself as follows in the General Survey, are initially defined:

• Intel Core i7 920 “Bloomfield” (4 x 2.66 GHz)
• Intel DX58SO motherboard “Smackover”
• 3 x 2 GB DDR3-1066 OCZ Platinum XTC
• ASUS ATI Radeon X 850 XT (cooled by Zalman VF-900Cu)
• Lian Li silent force 650 power supply (with 140-mm ventilation)
• Silverstone TemJin SST TJ09S case (case fans: Scythe S-Flex 800)
• Samsung SpinPoint F1 HD322HJ HDD
• Thermal paste: Arctic Cooling MX-2
• Ambient temperature: 23 ° C

Respect! The temperature measurement results are sometimes quite strongly linked to the used test platform and can differ significantly depending on the configuration. You should only as orientation and rough tendency, not however be considered absolutely.

The volume measured in stand-alone mode, but of the respective cooler (the fan is powered by a passive adapter) in the 40-cm distance with a Voltcraft-320-sound level meter, which interprets the noise after the well-known A-rating curves in a range of 30 to 130 decibels. The basic volume of the measuring chamber with subjectively felt silence is 30.4 dB(A). Above this threshold, the sound emitted by the radiator can no longer resolve the gauge. Up to about 35 dB(A) can be assumed depending on the sensitivity of the user and frequency character of the sound that the fan noise when closed housing not or hardly to perceive are. From 40 dB(A) of our scale are to hear the very disturbing range starts from 50 dB(A) the noise significantly up very clearly.

In addition, we measured the wind speed produced by the fan with an anemometer and the maximum rate as an indicator of the volume flow rate specified. Information about the volume of air support generated by the fan can be gained from this value.

Test system and modes

To get a most meaningful picture of the cooling properties of subjects, we test the respective cooler in different CPU modes that address varied tasks to the respective products due to different clock rates and working voltages and Gehäusebelüftungsintensitäten. While the demands on a Retailkühler are relatively acceptable, for example, in “Standard mode”, just a few top cooler is able to withstand the requirements in the “performance”mode at low speed of active. The overview is supplemented by the “semi passive test”, which is the CPU fan disabled and only the ventilation help ensure that the single case fan at different speeds. The individual test modes are as follows:

< div >

Apart from, based in analogy to our processor tests, to the utilization of the CPU on prime95, which continually leads in eight instances of the SmallFFT test to the highest heating load of the core i7 test CPU. Doing a warm-up period of 45 minutes is preceded to the thermal balance each approximately half-hour test run. In these the system temperatures are documented Everest by the diagnostic tool, which is used to evaluate the way of the core temperature maxima of the entire run.

Fans and volume

Scythe equips the Zipang 2 with nominal 140 mm ventilation from the in-house Kaze Maru series. The also separately in different classes of speed 3-pin fans without PWM support in general are popular due to their holes in the usual 120 mm fan spacing also for retrofitting for quiet CPU Tower cooler for their quiet style of run, their extremely low minimum speeds. The production model of Zipang 2 (SY1425SL12ML) has a maximum speed of 1000 rpm and up among 300 RPM throttle is about by voltage reduction can be. This, the fan operates very smoothly with a pleasant rotor base frequency. Only a very light rotor klackern is to be heard in all speed situations. At higher speeds, the gentle air envelope drowns the rotor noise while there has been hardly noticeable emissions are below 700 rpm. The position dependency of our model of the fan speed is slightly odd. So, same tension some horizontal speed was lower than the vertical up to 200 rpm.

The metrological evaluation shows a sound slightly more intensive when compared to the 120-mm tested subjects at same speed for the 140 mm fan. This is attributable to the stronger air envelopes. However, the basic level in these areas is still so low that the Kaze Maru of Zipang 2 beyond reasonable doubt is to the silent fans. Also the generated air speed is always something about the smaller competitors.

On the basis of the air speed of air flow per hour depending on the speed can be estimated. The 140 mm-Scythe-Kaze-Maru fan with an outer radius of 6.8 cm and a rotor radius of 2.5 cm thus has an initial area of around 125,6 cm square. Resulting in maximum speed of free-standing just under 1000 rpm and the measured 8.6 km/h air velocity (assumed it was homogeneous across the cross section area) an abgeschätzter air flow rate of 108 m³/h (manufacturer: 87 m m³/h at 1000 rpm). This is a good 30 percent more capacity than can be estimated at an average 120 mm fan.

< div >

Inaccuracies in the charts of this page result, in addition to the normal measurement tolerances, primarily from not precisely adjustable fan speeds (tolerance +/-30 R/min).

Performance comparison

Traditionally, we use our test subjects in different performance classes reference fan performance assessment, to make the raw performance of the cooler in comparable conditions and vents to. Following three reference fan are used for CPU coolers in the 120-mm format.

< div >

Reference air

As expected, the top-to-blow cooler Zipang 2 from its raw power of the strong competition of the tower can range not the water. In the default mode of the CPU, he holds but at least the Thermalright AXP-140 as a direct rival of same design just in chess. Only at higher air speeds and intense overclocking, the AXP-140 is noticeably better positioned than the Japanese designed for quiet ventilation.

Series ventilation

With series ventilation of the Zipang 2 proves his proper basic services at low speeds. In standard mode, it presents even at the height of the Tower competition. When growing fan speed or overclocked performance mode the Zipang 2 has beaten clearly.

Conclusion

With the Zipang 2 Scythe the Japanese company has once again a very good CPU cooler republished. While the high compelling addition to in the first place scores by its coherent overall package with very quiet, variable series ventilation in the 140-mm format, comparatively good performance characteristics at lower revs, and broadly tiered platform compatibility. As expected the pure cooling performance is only not overclocked processors at the level of the Tower cooler. This quiet and sufficiently potent possibilities remain the user with the Zipang 2 and whose total height 10.6 cm in flat packages or PC designs.

Very well, the mounting concept, serving virtually all platforms of the present and recent past with a few components without tools like on top of that. Only a rear mount given preference could the push-pins to here, since ensuring displeasure.

Overall, the user with the Zipang 2 Gets a very quiet, well-tuned CPU cooler in top blow-format with the common advantages and disadvantages of the design. Who is on the lookout for a processor cooler in this format, should consider 2 in any case in the more choice the about 40 euro expensive Scythe Zipang.

Useful links

• Recommended sales
• Current price in the price
• Scythe manufacturer homepage
• Computer base radiator test system presented

Other recommendations

• Tower cooler
  • EKL Alpine foehn brocken (very high performance, including fans, comparatively cheap)
  • Xigmatek Thor’s Hammer (very high performance, fanless delivery, versatile)
  • Scythe Mugen 2 (very high performance, versatile, very large)
  • Noctua NH-U12P (high performance, super package, quiet, somewhat pricey)
  • Thermaltake V14 Pro (high performance, extravagant design, full thing, expensive, fan not changeable)
  • Thermolab Baram (high cooling performance, flexible, on AMD Sockets “correctly” can be mounted)
  • EKL Alpine foehn north face (high cooling performance at high speeds on AMD Sockets “correctly” can be mounted, good package)
• Top-to-blow cooler
  • Thermalright AXP-140 (suitable low-profile for HTPCs, good performance, for 120 and 140 mm fan)
  • Noctua NH-C12P (high performance as a top-to-blow cooler, super package, somewhat pricey)
  • AVC black Samurai (high performance, LGA 1366 support, tedious installation)