Few questions before I order a Scythe Ninja

[Chowder Head]

The deal over at jab-tech looks very very good, but I'd not sure which options, if any, are worth it. Here's the link for reference. http://www.jab-tech.com/Scythe-Ninja-SCNJ-1000-pr-3130.html

1. I've heard the 120mm Loon fans were great and for only 4 bucks, you can't go wrong. However, I heard if you were using a Ninja in a P180 (which is what I plan to do) you could go fanless if you wanted to, due to the cases great cooling. Any thoughts? Or for 4 bucks, should I just grab it?

3. About the fans, why is there an option for 2 fans? Can you really find two fans with the Ninja? Is it worth it?

2. What exactly is the "article clean?" Is it perhaps something you use to take off the thermal compound when you want to change something out?

3. Regarding the compound, once you apply it install it, it sorta "burns" together and if you were to change out your heatsink for some reason, you have to apply a new bead of the compount, correct?

4. Lastly, I've been hearing people running fans a lot of things for the P180, so if were I to order two of the Loons, could I use one for the heatsink and the other one for something else, or are those fans specifically designed for heatsink use?

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you!

 

[Direfox]

Well, I'm not familiar with your numbering system but here goes.....

1) It never hurts to have a fan on your heatsink. Passive is good for reducing noise, but even on low speed that Loon is going to help your temps a lot.

3) Some heatsinks have the option of 2 fans, one to push air through and one to pull it out. One on each side. It helps a bit, not sure if the Ninja will hold two fans though.

2)Yep, Artic Clean cleans up your old heat sink paste or pad, also your processor. There are cheaper options though. I use Goof Off and then Isophoral (spelling?) alchohol.

3)Some compound takes a 'burn in' time to reach the best performance. I use Artic Silver 5 and it works great. It reduces temperatures as soon as you apply it, then it slowly lowers temps a little more over the next several months. My computer dropped about 2 degrees Celsius after about two months. EVERY time you take off your heatsink you need to clean it and reapply your thermal compound.

4)The fans can be used for anything. They work great in your case also.

 

[jcll2002]

yeah, im going to get the scythe ninja on the 3800+, dfi ultra d, in the antec p160w.

What steps do i have to take to install it? (like removing the mobo ect because ive never done this kind of thing lol)

BTW, that jab-tech deal owns

 

[Chowder Head]

Well, I'm not familiar with your numbering system but here goes.....

Lol, whoops. I started to add more questions in but didn't think to change the numbers.

1) It never hurts to have a fan on your heatsink. Passive is good for reducing noise, but even on low speed that Loon is going to help your temps a lot.

Yeah, I think you're right. I mean, it would be quieter without a fan (obviously) but I'd much rather have a little bit of noise for extra cooling.

3) Some heatsinks have the option of 2 fans, one to push air through and one to pull it out. One on each side. It helps a bit, not sure if the Ninja will hold two fans though.

Hmmm, interesting. But two fans on a Ninja would make it even bigger, lol. Not sure if the gains are worth it. Can anyone shed some light on this?

2)Yep, Artic Clean cleans up your old heat sink paste or pad, also your processor. There are cheaper options though. I use Goof Off and then Isophoral (spelling?) alchohol.

Cool, thats what I thought. Do you think Goo Gone would do the trick as well?

3)Some compound takes a 'burn in' time to reach the best performance. I use Artic Silver 5 and it works great. It reduces temperatures as soon as you apply it, then it slowly lowers temps a little more over the next several months. My computer dropped about 2 degrees Celsius after about two months. EVERY time you take off your heatsink you need to clean it and reapply your thermal compound.

Sweet, then I'd definatly getting that. I've heard great things both the Silver 5 and the Ceramique, so I guess it's just a coin flip.

4)The fans can be used for anything. They work great in your case also.

Now what do you mean "anything?" I'm pretty clueless on where would be a good place to put them, because the P180 already has three installed. One on the rear, one on the top, and one for the power supply. Where else would I benefit if I wanted to add another fan? On the video card perhaps?

Thanks for the reply man.

 

[quadnad]

Hmmm, interesting. But two fans on a Ninja would make it even bigger, lol. Not sure if the gains are worth it. Can anyone shed some light on this?

The Ninja is arguably the best HSF out there, not only because of its sheer cooling performance, but also because of how quiet it can be while cooling so well. More airflow will only help to a point; adding another fan to the other side of the heatsink will help, but only by another few degrees. One should be more than fine, especially on the P180, but if you'd really like, by all means strap another on the other side of the Ninja.

Cool, thats what I thought. Do you think Goo Gone would do the trick as well?

Goo Gone will work as well, but so will 99% rubbing alcohol. Just grab some of that alcohol and a lint-free cloth and you'll be good to go.

Now what do you mean "anything?" I'm pretty clueless on where would be a good place to put them, because the P180 already has three installed. One on the rear, one on the top, and one for the power supply. Where else would I benefit if I wanted to add another fan? On the video card perhaps?

Another place you can add a fan is in the intake on the front (above the intake area for the lower chamber)...I've got another fan in there on mine, and its just helps bring in a little more air.

 

[killedaway]

yeah, im going to get the scythe ninja on the 3800+, dfi ultra d, in the antec p160w.

haha! almost the same set up as me! i just installed my Ninja in my Ultra-D yesterday afternoon in a P160w. i was worried about it fitting in the case until i got it outta the box. the thing is massive, but it fits just fine.

What steps do i have to take to install it? (like removing the mobo ect because ive never done this kind of thing lol)

i hadn't done this before either, i'm just used to the clip-n-go kinda HS. if you've already installed your CPU's HSF, you'll have to remove that first (just use some iso. alcohol on a clean cloth, and then use some compressed air to get rid of any fibers that may have come off in the cleaning). next, you'll need to remove your mobo from the tray (or case), and then unscrew the backplate and HSF retention bracket from the mobo.

the Ninja kit includes an "X" shaped backplate that installs on the underside of your mobo. i went online and read up on the install before attempting it, and found numerous complaints about the aftermarket backplate; namely that it has a tendency to wear or "seat" unevenly and can short some of the connections on the mobo (it is steel, with a thin 2mm layer of foam to keep it from touching any of the points on the 'board -- i can definitely see this being a problem).

i went with the alternative: using the original yellow backplate that came with the mobo. this works fine, except that you will need to either a.) cut the screws that hold the original backplate on by about 1/4", or b.) head to Home Depot (or similar), and buy shorter screws. personally, i was in a big sweaty hurry to put this sucker together (for no reason at all), so i feverishly hacksaw'd the screws to the proper length out in my garage. i don't really recommend it though, since it's a hassle, and you only get one chance to get a clean cut on each screw. just going to the hardware store is probably the best choice.

once you have 2 screws of the proper length, you simply screw the Ninja retention bracket to the mobo with the original yellow backplate back in place. that's pretty much the easy part.

you'll want to add a teensy squeeze of AS5 (or similar -- the Ninja kit includes thermal grease, which doesn't look very effective) to the center of the IHS. don't bother adding any to the Ninja base itself, as the tiny dollop you've just applied will give you plenty of coverage between the two surfaces.

i went with the advice i'd found online to actually attach the Ninja to the retention bracket. you'll find 2 retention clips running the width of the Ninja, with four latches protruding out the sides (2 on one side, and 2 on the other). attach the 2 latches of one side to the retention bracket first, and then gently and slowly rock the Ninja down into place, all the while trying to maintain its position on the CPU and preparing to lock the 2 latches on the other side of the Ninja down. once you have it in your hands and are ready to do this, it's not nearly as hard as it sounds. i probably messed up 2 or 3 times, and had to re-attach one of the latches from the first side. eventually, i was pleased with the contact btwn. the Ninja and the CPU, and while applying decent pressure to the HS, i hooked the remaining 2 latches in place.

that's all there is to it!

BTW, that jab-tech deal owns

i agree. i ordered the Ninja, the AS5, and 1 Yate Loon.

 

[killedaway]

1. I've heard the 120mm Loon fans were great and for only 4 bucks, you can't go wrong. However, I heard if you were using a Ninja in a P180 (which is what I plan to do) you could go fanless if you wanted to, due to the cases great cooling. Any thoughts? Or for 4 bucks, should I just grab it?

for 4 bucks, the fan is great. i picked one up and it is very quiet (i'm not a silent PC kinda guy, but it doesn't offend my ears in the slightest). i don't think i'd consider going fanless, even if you could, unless you were really going after a super-quiet PC. the lower temps you'll receive from the additional fan will add a lot of life to your CPU and give you some room to OC for sure. definitely pick up the AS5 as well, since the stuff that comes with the Ninja is kinda crappy.

in my P160, i have a 120mm intake at the bottom front, blowing over my HDDs and over my mobo. it fires somewhat indirectly toward the 120 attached to my Ninja, which in turn fires thru the fins/heatpipes and almost directly into my 120mm exhaust. i'm not 100% sure of the layout of your P180, but if it's similar, this is a very smooth push-pull configuration with lots of airflow. while you could add another fan to the opposite side of the Nina (you'd need some small wires or ties to attach it as the Ninja only comes with clips for one fan), i don't know how much added benefit you'd see, since you're probably only looking at 2-3 inches btwn. the Ninja and your exhaust fan anyway.

 

[Chowder Head]

I think I could find a place to fit an extra fan. And for only $2.50 more, lol. It won't be a huge loss if I don't benefit that much from it. Could you maybe attach it to blow on the video card? Would that help out? But exactly how do you put a fan somewhere? I mean, do you screw it in somewhere? Tie it down perhaps? I really have no idea, lol.

One more thing. Regarding the thermal paste, I was going to get a tube of the Cermanique since it's cheaper, but then I noticed it was only a 2.5g bottle for $3.00, while the AS5 is a 3.5g bottle for $5.00. My question is how much use can I get out of a 2.5 bottle? What else can you apply it to besides the CPU? Because even though the AS5 is cheaper per gram, I'm don't want to pay for a gram extra I won't use.

Thanks guys!

 

[jcll2002]

what im really asking, is it a pain in the ass to remove the mobo? (the p160w has a motherboard tray)

 

[troisanh]

Pull out MB tray not slideout like lian-li or CM and yes it can be time consuming. Good time to do wire management and good dusting heh.

 

[killedaway]

what im really asking, is it a pain in the ass to remove the mobo? (the p160w has a motherboard tray)

yeah, it''s not like your usual tray where you can just slide it and your cards out at once. you have to remove any pci/etc. cards from the 'board first. then unscrew the single "thumbscrew" that holds the tray in place. now take out the tray w/mobo attached, being sure not to snag it on any ide/sata/power cables. next, you need to unscrew the 8-10 screws (i forget how many) that hold the mobo to the stand-offs on the mobo tray. that's all. now you can start installing your Ninja. no big deal at all. super easy, in fact, as you'll see when you get it.

 

[Chowder Head]

I think I could find a place to fit an extra fan. And for only $2.50 more, lol. It won't be a huge loss if I don't benefit that much from it. Could you maybe attach it to blow on the video card? Would that help out? But exactly how do you put a fan somewhere? I mean, do you screw it in somewhere? Tie it down perhaps? I really have no idea, lol.

One more thing. Regarding the thermal paste, I was going to get a tube of the Cermanique since it's cheaper, but then I noticed it was only a 2.5g bottle for $3.00, while the AS5 is a 3.5g bottle for $5.00. My question is how much use can I get out of a 2.5 bottle? What else can you apply it to besides the CPU? Because even though the AS5 is cheaper per gram, I'm don't want to pay for a gram extra I won't use.

Thanks guys!

Don't mean to be a bother, but could someone possibly answer these questions for me? I would like to order this ASAP before this deal expires.

Thanks!

 

[jcll2002]

ah, even though it sounds like a few screws...it still scares me lol

 

[killedaway]

I think I could find a place to fit an extra fan. And for only $2.50 more, lol. It won't be a huge loss if I don't benefit that much from it. Could you maybe attach it to blow on the video card? Would that help out? But exactly how do you put a fan somewhere? I mean, do you screw it in somewhere? Tie it down perhaps? I really have no idea, lol.

yes, you can absolutely attach it to blow on your video card, or ram, or anywhere. probably more trouble than it's worth, but it can definitely be done. the Ninja kit includes 2 wire-clips that attach exactly one 120mm fan to the heatsink. in order to attach another, you will need to devise your own solution. you can easily add another fan by using thin wire or zip ties to hold it in place.

One more thing. Regarding the thermal paste, I was going to get a tube of the Cermanique since it's cheaper, but then I noticed it was only a 2.5g bottle for $3.00, while the AS5 is a 3.5g bottle for $5.00. My question is how much use can I get out of a 2.5 bottle? What else can you apply it to besides the CPU? Because even though the AS5 is cheaper per gram, I'm don't want to pay for a gram extra I won't use.

the Ceramique is cheaper, and by almost all accounts i've read, it's also slightly inferior to Arctic Silver 5. you won't use either bottle up for a very long time, as long as you're not wasteful. i applied less than ONE drop of AS5 to my Ninja/CPU, and it's plenty. i don't know if the slightly improved performance is worth the extra money to you, but i figured that when going for lower temps, a couple bucks more wasn't gonna hurt my feelings. YMMV, as always. good luck!

 

[killedaway]

ah, even though it sounds like a few screws...it still scares me lol

hehe.. well, you're gonna have to screw it all together to begin with right? may as well prep the HSF since you're touching all the stuff anyway. or are you having it built for you?

 

[jcll2002]

hehe.. well, you're gonna have to screw it all together to begin with right? may as well prep the HSF since you're touching all the stuff anyway. or are you having it built for you?

thats the thing...monarch is building it for me