Page 4 - Conclusion
Coming back to my CPU cooler evaluation criteria I proposed in the introduction, will the Scythe Mugen 5 make me a satisfied customer? Or in other words, do I like this product? My answer is simply "Yes." First, the overall design is well thought out. The thicker top fin, grooved heatpipe caps, and the arrangement of heatpipes are welcomed features of this product. The build quality of the Mugen 5 is also very good. Did I forget to mention this product has a “Made in Taiwan” tag? Every fin is firmly attached to the heatpipes. All the copper parts are plated with nickel, which prevents oxidation. With the long lifespan of the Kaze Flex 120 PWM fan, I believe this product will work just fine for years to come. Regarding the installation procedure, the Mugen 5 delivers a very positive installation experience. Here I have to point out the genius asymmetric design for maximum memory compatibility. Not only do you have almost unlimited clearance for your RAM, but you can also get easy access to the slots without removing the cooler. Regarding the actual cooling performance, I would like to say that the Scythe Mugen 5 is a well-balanced CPU cooler rather than a cooling monster. Why is that? Because its cooling results were competitive, and it has pretty good subjective test results for noise level. All in all, the Scythe Mugen 5 is a well-designed, well-built, and well-balanced CPU cooler selling for $52 USD at press time. I would not say it is a bargain, but I am pretty certain it will deliver a good overall experience that matches the price.
Scythe provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that are not likely going to matter to the end user.
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.8/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
The Scythe Mugen 5 is a well-designed, well-built, and well-balanced CPU cooler that can deliver a good overall experience that matches its price of $52 USD.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Hardware; Installation
3. Test Results
4. Conclusion
