Low noise is just as important as the being able to cool down your CPU. To find the middle ground or the sweet spot requires testing and a lot of trial and error. The Scythe Kamikaze attempts to blend those two goals together and hopefully emerge as a true solution to CPU cooling.

Lets begin by taking a look at the specs:

• Compatibility: Intel Pentium 4 Socket 478 up to 3.2 GHz & AMD Athlon XP Socket A up to 3400+
• Fan Dimensions: 80 mm x 80 mm x 25 mm
• Heatsink Dimensions:  70 mm x 70mm x 57mm
• Combined Dimensions:  90 mm x 85 mm x 90 mm
• Fan Speed: 1300-3400 rpm (w/ rheostat)
• Air Flow: 13.6 CFM @ 1300 rpm ~ 34 CFM @ 3400 rpm
• Fan Noise Level: 16dBA @ 1300 rpm (lowest); 37 dBA @ 3400 rpm (highest)
• Weight  690g (1.44 lbs)

We'll be taking a look at this unit tested on a Intel P4 setup. Since we are using a P4 setup, on major thing that jumped out was the weight. That's not a typo, this HSF is 240g over the Intel recommended 450g for a P4 heatsink. That's nearly a pound and a half of metal hanging from your motherboard. Good thing they provide a beefier bracket with this package.

The box comes with the heatsink, a modified retention bracket for your motherboard, instructions, screws, blister pack of thermal paste and a expansion slot speed controller. Noise is a big factor in the marketing of this unit, so they included a method to control the speed of the fan.

The instructions provide a large diagram of what goes where, but other than that, the rest is a mix of Japanese and English. The font is way small so I didn't even bother reading, we're going to wing it.

The Kamikaze uses a screw down design to keep the heatsink in place. You will definitely need a small philips screwdriver to finish this install.

The bottom of the heatsink shows the copper base. It's smooth, but I think some lapping may help it a bit later on.