Performance:36 out of 40
Even though there are higher performing CPU cooling solutions the Scythe Mugen Rev.B easily holds its own and provides rather good cooling performance across a wide spectrum of fan rotational speeds. So much so that it did surprise us. Some of this is because this cooler does not need a blazing fast fan to get the job done, but mainly is because it uses just that efficient a cooling tower. Its performance curve is rather impressive to say the least.
Ease of Use: 18 out of 20
Thanks to its upgraded Hyper Precision Mounting System II few will find issue with actually getting this CPU installed. Thanks to some very nifty design tweaks – like angling the entire cooling tower – few will also run into RAM issues. Mix in a good performance vs noise profile and the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B acts more like a smaller, thinner air cooler rather than the beefy tower it really is!
Build Quality: 19 out of 20
Everything about this CPU cooling solution screams quality. From its advanced offset design, to its mirror finish base, to even its rather low noise fan just exudes quality… just like we would expect from such an experienced manufacturer.
Value: 19 out 20
There is very little to complain about in the value department. Yes, we would have liked to have seen a second fan included. Yes, we would have liked them to be the RGB variant of the Kama Flex fan series. Yes, we would have even liked to have seen a faster variant of said fan series included. However, even in its default ‘out of the box’ configuration this cooler is darn impressive. It may not be the absolute best in cooling, noise, or even ease of use department but its rather good in all three categories. To us that is what a good value CPU cooling solution should be.
Final Score: 92 out 100
With its combination of ease of use, good performance, and nearly silent performance the Scythe Mugen 5 Rev.B really does offer nearly the best of both worlds. It offers nearly the ease of ‘thin’ cooling solutions while offering nearly the levels of performance of massive air-based CPU cooling solutions. Now that is impressive.
