Introduction
Another Scythe CPU cooler on the bench and this time it’s the Scythe Kabuto 3. We are not going to test this one on our usual X99 test bench, it’s not compatible, instead we will be testing it on an Intel 6700K CPU. The Scythe Kabuto 3 is another “Top-Flow-Design” from Scythe and another with their 120 mm PWM fan from the GlideStream series.
Scythe has designed this CPU cooler with compact dimensions and maximum compatibility in mind, the Kabuto 3 is probably going to appeal to the system builder that can’t or won’t use a tower cooler, even a compact one. The benefits of Top-Flow design of coolers are simple, you are still able to use a 120mm fan, good compatibility with memory and motherboard heatsinks to name a couple.
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Model Number | SCKBT-3000 |
| Socket compatibility | Intel®: Socket LGA775, LGA1150, LGA1151, LGA1155, LGA1156, LGA1366 AMD®: Socket AM2, AM2+, AM3, AM3+, FM1, FM2, FM2+ |
| Dimension ( with fan ) | 130 x 125 x 149 mm (including fan) |
| Weight ( with fan ) | 720g |
| Baseplate Material | Nickel-plated copper |
| Heat pipes | 2x 6 mm 3x 8 mm |
| Fan | GlideStream 120 PWM SY1225HB12M-CIP |
| Fan Dimension | 120 x 120 x 25 mm |
| Fan Rated Speed | 300 (±200 rpm) ~ 1.400 rpm (±10%) PWM |
| Fan Noise Level | 4 ~ 28,0 dBA |
| Fan Air Flow | 12.93 ~ 79.0 CFM - 21,96 ~ 113,34 m³/h |
| Fan Air Pressure | 0,69 ~ 15,3 Pa / 0,07 ~ 1.56 mmH²O |
| Bearing Type | Sleeve Bearing |
Interestingly the Scythe Kabuto 3 has five heatpipes, two 6mm and three 8mm. They’ll have different thermal properties and benefits. It’s good to see Scythe continuing to include their premium fans in CPU cooler bundles too, we like the GlideStream series of fans. The Kabuto 3 is a compact CPU cooler, though not as small as some.
The Kabuto 3 includes quite a chunky heatsink so though it’s for a slightly more compact system, it is not a low profile cooler by any means. We like the look of the Kabuto 3 so far, it’s just a pity it doesn’t come with LGA2011-v3 support, it looks capable of cooling a i7-5820K for example, but there’s no official word on the TDP capability.
Scythe Kabuto 3 CPU Cooler Review
Package - 7.5
Performance - 7.5
Price - 7.5
Consumer Experience - 7.5
7.5
The Kabuto 3 hasn't topped any charts in our review, but it hasn't been at the bottom either. It's an uncomplicated CPU cooler, and has performance to offer for most AMD and Intel CPUs. The biggest downsides from our point of view is the lack of LGA2011v3 support, and the slightly stock cooler mounting system.