Scythe has been a name in the CPU cooler industry that is known for reputable but also unconventional cooling design. We've seen the weirdest forms, shapes and performance levels coming from these coolers. But overall, they have always been able to push out really interesting coolers, often to be positioned in the upper level of heatpipe coolers in terms of performance versus low noise levels

The all new Ninja 3 we test today is compatible with all current CPU and modern; AMD and Intel, Socket AM2 and AM3 in addition to Intel LGA775, 1156 - and 1366. The new cooler has a bit of an extra ordinary design, with four separate fin / heatpipe segments and a total of eight heatpipes.

The new setup of the aluminum fins, in cooperation with the eight U-shaped copper heatpipes marketed as M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow pass-through structure) guarantees high performance. This will get more clear in the photo-shoot though. According to Scythe, that translates into 7 per cent more heat removal compared to a cooler like the previous Ninja. The cooler is equipped with a 120mm-ventilator that can be regulated with the help of an included fan-controller in RPM from 470 to 1900 RPM with noise levels varying from 7 to 37dBA depending on your preference.

An improvement over the previous series is the new mounting system, Scythe marketed that up a little and calls it Super Flip Mount Back-Plate 2). The revised design of the back-plate offers increased compatibility.

The Ninja 3 is a big cooler at 120x120x160mm but with a recommended retail price of approximately 40 euro this is one cooler we definitely needed to review, let's go check it out.