Japanese cooling expert Scythe is announcing today the successor of popular Mugen 2 CPU Cooler. Mugen 2 CPU Cooler was awarded many times and is well known world-wide to mainstream users, Overclocker and Enthusiasts. During the development process main focus was set on improvement of performance and mounting mechanism as well as shrinking the heatsink dimensions. New Mugen 3 CPU Cooler is ready to take on the legacy.

While optimizing the performance the whole heatsink design of Mugen 3 CPU Cooler was re-worked which resulted in creation the improved fin-structure M.A.P.S. (Multiple Airflow Pass-Through Structure). Enhancements were achieved by reducing the aerodynamic resistance as well as improving of the overall heatsink stability. Furthermore Mugen 3 is equipped with total of six high-quality copper-heatpipes where the predecessor had only five. Typical for Scythe is the excellently processed and flat surface of the copper base which was refined by a thin nickel layer to prevent corrosion.

Shuttle Computer Handels GmbH, the European subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., one of the leading developers and manufacturers of compact PC solutions such as the world-renowned XPC Mini-PC Barebones, today announces the launch of the first model of a new product line. With a volume of approximately 3 litres, the compact XG41 fills a gap in the company's product range. It offers significantly more performance than a nettop, while taking up much less space compared to the typical Shuttle shoebox format.

The XG41, measuring 24.2 x 20 x 7.3 cm (DWH), sports HDMI and DVI-I, two Gigabit network interfaces, 6x USB, 2x COM (RS-232 + RS-232/422/485), S/PDIF and audio ports at the front and rear. The mainboard also offers 1x Mini-PCIe and 3x SATA 3 Gbit/s. This means that up to three drives can be accommodated in the case (3x 2.5" HDD or 1x Slimline ODD and 2x 2.5" HDD).

Weren't we all both surprised and touched that Noctua gave away free mounting kit upgrades to all owners of compatible Noctua coolers, when the industry was waking up to LGA1366 from LGA775? Noctua plans a similar move, giving away LGA2011 mounting kits to owners of Noctua coolers (any cooler released after 2005). The company showed off its LGA2011 mounting kit prototype at Computex. The kit builds on the SecuFirm 2 design, and lets you install Noctua heatsinks on socket LGA2011 motherboards that seat Sandy Bridge-E processors. Any user of a Noctua CPU heatsink released after 2005 with a proof of purchase will get the kit free of charge. Even otherwise, the kit will be sold at a nominal price, like it did with the LGA1366 mounting kit.

At the CeBIT event, Gelid showed off its latest CPU cooler, the GX-7. This medium-sized aluminum fin tower-type CPU heatsink makes use of over 40 aluminum fins to which heat is conveyed by as many as seven copper heat pipes (probably in multi-layer stacks at the base). Ventilation is care of two Gelid Wing 12 fans in push-pull configuration, with 1500 RPM speeds. The cooler supports all modern socket types, including LGA1366, LGA1155/LGA1156, LGA775, and AM3/AM2+/AM2.

Scythe Corporation, a renowned cooling manufacturer, today announced the release of its third version of the Universal Retention Kit. This enhanced version comes with several improvements and wide multi-socket compatibility for both AMD and Intel sockets. The list of compatible sockets contains Intel Socket T / LGA775, LGA1156 LGA1366 and the brand-new socket LGA1155. It furthermore supports the AMD Sockets 754, 939, AM2, AM2+, AM3 and 940. Universal Retention Kit 3 is once again based on a backplate mounting system and allows firm contact pressure as well as secure mounting of even big and heavy CPU Coolers.

Commonly supplied retention bracket of AMD Mainboards are made of plastic which has a downside of giving risk of breaking when using with an on-market High-End CPU Cooler. This problem doesn't accrue with the supplied retention bracket of the Universal Retention Kit 3 which is made of solid steel and thereby provides the necessary sturdiness even for big High-End CPU Coolers. For Intel architecture this kit allows pushpin mounting to be converted to backplate mounting, thereby providing high mechanical stability hence also providing the necessary sturdiness even for big High-End CPU Coolers with a pushpin solution. In order to ease the detachment process of Push-Pins, a convenient Push-Pin Removal Tool is supplied along in the accessory.

EverCool announced its latest CPU cooler, part of its Transformer series, the Transformer 3. It features similar design and styling as the Transformer 4. As the number next to "Transformer" indicates, this cooler uses three heat-pipes compared to 4 on its bigger sibling. Measuring 130 x 161 x 78.5 mm, the heatsink weighs 630 g. The three 6 mm thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes are evenly spread along the plane of the aluminum fins, and make direct contact with the CPU at the base. A 120 mm chrome-plated fan is in charge of ventilation, it spins at speeds between 800 and 2200 RPM, is PWM-controlled, and has a rated noise output of 15~34 dBA. It is compatible with all current sockets including LGA1366, LGA1155/LGA1156, LGA775, AM3/AM2+/AM2. The company did not give out pricing.

Cooler Master displayed its next performance CPU cooler, the H-B6. It features an aluminum fin tower design, but with its heat-pipes passing along the length of the fins rather than breadth (like on most tower-type heatsinks). This approach spreads heat more evenly, and adds to the turbulence. The heatsink measures 136 x 127 x 163 mm; the fan is a typically-sized 120 mm spinner with S-shaped blades. All modern CPU sockets are supported, including LGA1366, LGA1155/LGA1156, LGA775, AM3/AM2+/AM3.

Zalman showed off its latest mid-range CPU cooler, the CNPS7X LED. The CNPS7X sits between the value CNPS5X and the high-performance CNPS10X. It uses an aluminum fin tower design, making use of trapezoid aluminum fins to which heat is conveyed by three 8 mm thick copper heat pipes. It makes use of an LED-lit 130 mm high-flow fan. The CNPS7X is suited for all modern socket types, including AM3+/AM3/AM2+, LGA1366, LGA1155/LGA1156, and LGA775.

Noctua today officially introduced its new NH-C14 CPU cooler. Sporting an exquisite, uniquely flexible 140mm dual fan setup of two Noctua NF-P14, the NH-C14 is a highly customisable, premium-class top-flow solution that further boosts the renowned quiet cooling performance of the company's much acclaimed NH-C12 series.

"Our NH-C12 coolers are renowned to rank among the most capable top-flow cooling solutions on the market, so we're truly proud to offer a further substantial improvement in quiet cooling performance with the new NH-C14", says Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO. "This model really closes the gap to good tower coolers while being much lower in height and ensuring better component cooling."

Zalman announced its latest CPU cooler, the CNPS5X. Its design is a fusion between traditional tower-type and Zalman's own nested fan design heatsink. The CNPS5X is designed for medium-thru-heavy thermal loads, more like highly overclocked dual-core or mildly overclocked quad-core chips. The company excluded support for LGA1366 for this reason, but added support for Intel's upcoming LGA1155 socket. Other sockets supported include LGA1156, LGA775, and AM3/AM2+/AM2.

Its design consists of Y-shaped aluminum fins, to which heat is conveyed evenly by three 8 mm thick copper heat pipes. The heat pipes converge at a copper CPU base. The 92 mm fan is nested inside the aluminum fins. It spins at 1400~2800 rpm, with a rated noise level of 20~32 dBA. Together, the CNPS5X measures 127(L) x 62(W) x 134(H) mm, weighing 320 g. Installation is made easy by push-pins for Intel sockets, and a fixed clip for AMD sockets, requiring no access to the back of the motherboard. Slated for market release in December, the CNPS5X from Zalman is priced at €26.90.

Xigmatek unveiled its newest CPU cooler targeted at value-conscious gamers, the LOKI SD963. Its conventionally-shaped tower heatsink measures 92 x 50 x 134 mm (W x H x D), weighing 330 g. It uses a dense aluminum fin array that channels air (it's blocked on its narrow sides). Three 6 mm thick copper heat pipes make direct contact with the CPU at the base. A 92 mm fan that spins at 1200~2800 rpm with a noise output of 20~28 dBA is bundled, though the heatsink is designed with provision for a second (pull) fan. Vibration-dampening rubber bolts hold the fan and the heatsink together. All current CPU socket types are supported, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/AM2(+), and LGA775. The company did not reveal pricing, though one can expect it to be on the lower side.

MSI debuts the IA-Q45 based on the Intel Core 2 Duo / Core 2 Quad processor and the Intel Q45+ Intel ICH10DO chipset to provide the most powerful Micro-ATX form factor platform into ATM and Gaming applications. MSI IA-Q45 is a high performance industrial-grade Micro ATX motherboard with a full-range of integrated peripherals for high-end industrial and embedded applications like ATM and gaming applications. Based on Intel Q45+ Intel ICH10DO chipset and featured LGA775 socket for Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad different level processors, IA-Q45 enables customers to deploy more responsive, high-performance, low-power, or even cost-effective systems and can fit in any Micro ATX chassis.

Japanese manufacturer Scythe officially announces the new CPU Cooler Rasetsu. This cooler, already shown at the CeBit 2010, combines the outstanding design of the Yasya CPU Cooler with a top-flow layout. The heatsink is divided into two blocks, and each is equipped with the T.M.L.F. (Trident Multi Layer Fin) structure. Because of this irregular lamellar structure and the unparallel arrangement of six copper heatpipes, surface directly cooled by the fan is highly increased and thus maximum heat dissipation is achieved.

New 120 mm "Slip Stream 120 PWM Adjustable" fan is supplied for optimized airflow. Although the fan supports the PWM feature, user can manually adjust the bandwidth between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm. Easy mounting is available by the famous V.T.M.S. (Versatile Tool-Free Multiplatform System) which requires no motherboard removal for the heatsink mounting. Rasetsu CPU Cooler is compatible to all current sockets, including the new socket LGA 1156, LGA 1366 and AM3.

Xigmatek today introduced its Aegir SD128264 CPU cooler. While it looks like yet another tower-design CPU cooler with push-pull ventilation, Xigmatek implemented a new technology in this cooler, which it calls "Double Layer with Heat-pipe Direct Touch" or DLHDT. The design involves four heatpipes, of which two are 8 mm thick and two are 6 mm thick (alternating), making direct contact with the processor, with another set of two heatpipes making direct contact with these four HDT heat pipes, so that some of the processor's heat is indirectly offloaded to those heatpipes between the two sets of heat pipes. In all, the six heat pipes disperse heat to various parts of the aluminum fins.

The unit measures 120(W) x 120(H) x 25(D) mm, weighing 630 g. Air circulation is care of two 120 mm fans that guide air through the aluminum fin array at speeds between 1,000 and 2,200 rpm, with a noise level of 20 dBA. The fans are fitted with white LEDs. The cooler supports all current CPU socket types, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/AM2(+), and LGA775. Xigmatek unfortunately, did not give out pricing or availability information.

Thermalright released a black variant of the MUX-120 tower CPU cooler it released back in September 2009. The Thermalright MUX-120 Black uses nickel-plated black aluminum fins, along with a black-teal X-Silent 120 mm fan. Built on the same design as most tower coolers, the MUX-120 133 x 38 x 160 mm (L x W x H), weighing 670 g. It makes use of four heat pipes to convey heat from the copper convex base to the aluminum fin array. The fan spins at speeds of 600~1300 rpm, with noise levels of 17~25 dBA. The cooler supports sockets LGA1366, LGA1156, and LGA775. It is expected to be moderately priced.

Thermalright is ready with a Black variant of its Venomous X CPU cooler. It uses essentially the same materials as the standard model, except for its black nickel-plating, which makes it suit aesthetics of certain builds. It uses Thermalright's standard tower design, with six heatpipes. It has provision to hold a 140 mm fan on either side. The unit measures 127 x 63 x 160 mm, weighing 755 g. It supports all current sockets, including LGA1366, LGA1156, AM3/AM2(+), and LGA775. The Venomous X comes with a tube of Chill Factor III TIM bundled. It will be priced around the 55 EUR mark.

Intel introduced two new dual-core processors, the high-end Core i5 680, and the value-segment Pentium Dual-Core E5500. The former is an LGA1156 chip that runs on Intel P55, H55, H57, Q55, Q57 chipsets, while the latter is an LGA775 chip that works on most recent LGA775 motherboards. The Core i5 680 uses the 32 nm based Clarkdale core. At 3.60 GHz (27 x 133 MHz) with a Turbo Boost speed of 3.86 GHz, the i5 680 is expected to be the fastest dual-core processor ever made. Its embedded Intel HD Graphics controller is clocked at 733 MHz. It has L2 caches of 256 KB per core, and a shared L3 cache of 4 MB. It supports two channels of DDR3 memory. With HyperThreading enabled, the chip gives the OS four logical CPUs to deal with. It has a TDP of 73W.

The Pentium Dual-Core E5500 is based on the 45 nm Wolfdale-2M core, it has a clock speed of 2.80 GHz (14 x 200 MHz), and FSB speed of 800 MHz. It has a shared L2 cache of 2 MB, and TDP of 65W. While the Core i5 680 is priced at US $294, the E5500 goes for $75. All prices are per-piece in 1000 unit tray quantities.

Scythe announces its newest high-end CPU cooler, named "Yasya" to the market. Yasya CPU Cooler is the first cooler from Scythe equipped with the newly developed T.M.L.F. (Trident Multi Layer Fin) structure. This special design maximizes the cooling surface to provide the best cooling result of the heatsink. By placing the heatsink fins as well as total of 6 copper heatpipes in unparallel design, static pressure loss is minimized and heat transfer is maximized. New 120 mm "Slip Stream 120 Adjustable PWM" case fan is supplied for optimized airflow. Although the fan supports the PWM feature user can manually adjust the speed between 470 to 1,370 rpm and 740 to 1,900 rpm.

Easy mounting is available by the famous V.T.M.S. (Versatile Tool-Free Multiplatform System) which requires no motherboard removal for the heatsink mounting. Yasya CPU Cooler is compatible to all current sockets, including the new socket LGA 1156. Scythe Yasya will be available worldwide from early March 2010 at the price of 57 US$ (excl. Tax) / 35,90 Euro (Excl. VAT).

Coolink today introduced its new Corator DS CPU-Cooler. Featuring Coolink's exclusive Gapless Direct Touch (GDT) technology that allows for an all copper contact area, the Corator DS brings the concept of direct contact cooling to the next level by further improving heat transfer. Four large 8mm heatpipes, a dual fin stack design and a PWM controlled SWiF2 120mm fan are among the features that enable the Corator DS to achieve an optimal balance between outstanding cooling performance and quiet operation.

"True to our vision of innovating instead of following, we worked hard to strengthen the advantages of direct contact cooling and to eliminate its drawbacks", explains Timothy Chu, Coolink CEO. "Thus we're proud to introduce the Corator DS today, which is our first product based on Coolink's exclusive GDT-technology. Its innovative contact surface in combination with the other features allows us to offer a complete high-performance cooling solution at an attractive price point".

Scythe is announcing today a new High-End TOP-Flow CPU Cooler by the name "Grand Kama Cross", which is the successor of former Kama Cross CPU Cooler. Grand Kama Cross is based on an X Structure layout using total of four 8 mm copper heatpipes for fast transfer of heat from the copper base to the aluminum fins. Thanks to the X Structure Design, easier mounting on CPU sockets as well as higher compatibility to tall RAM and Northbridge coolers are accomplished. By using the angled fin shape, airflow is redirected to allow additional cooling of surrounding components such as RAM, Northbridge and Voltage Regulators. For the optimum airflow, new Slip Stream 140 mm fan is first introduced with Grand Kama Cross CPU Cooler. PWM support allows flexible fan speed in a range between 500 and 1,300 rpm, automatically controlled by the motherboard creating airflow from 46 to 119 m³/h and accordingly 27.2 to 69.93 CFM. Both Slip Stream 140 mm fan and Grand Kama Cross CPU Cooler are using standard 120 mm fan mounting holes which allow the use of common aftermarkets 120 mm case fans as a replacement.

Noctua today announced a new special edition of its popular NH-U9B premium cooler, which is renowned for providing excellent quiet cooling performance in a compact package that lends itself to use in HTPCs or smaller cases. The new NH-U9B SE2 now comes with two of Noctua's award-winning NF-B9 92mm fans and adds support for LGA1156 as well as LGA1366 via the latest SecuFirm2 multi-socket mounting system.

"Many customers who are looking for a premium quality quiet cooler but can't accommodate our larger models are choosing our NH-U9B, which offers performance levels close to its bigger brothers while being much more compact", explains Mag. Roland Mossig, Noctua CEO "Given the ongoing popularity of the NH-U9B, we've decided to create a special edition that comes with a second NF-B9 fan and provides support for the latest CPUs."

Scythe extends its product portfolio by adding a new CPU Cooler for the entry level market. Samurai ZZ (Model No. SCSMZ-2000) is a top-flow CPU Cooler weighing 16.6 oz, respectively 495 g (incl. Fan), and it is equipped with 3 u-shaped Copper-Heatpipes as well as a 92 mm Fan. Supplied fan is supports the PWM-Feature which allows the fan speed being controlled in a range from 300 up to 2,500 rpm. The fan can generate airflow of 12 up to 95 m³/h, respectively 6.7 up to 55.55 CFM at a noise level between 7.2 and 31.07 dBA.

Samurai ZZ CPU Cooler is specified for cooling of CPUs with a TDP (Thermal Design Power) of up to 130 W, and it is compatible to Intel socket 478, T / LGA775, LGA1156, LGA1366 as well as AMD socket 754, 939, AM2(+), AM3, 940. By using the improved V.T.M.S (Versatile Tool-Free Multiplatform System) mounting mechanism, Samurai ZZ can be easily installed within just a few minutes, which doesn't necessarily require the detachment or the removal of the motherboard. New F.P.S. (Fast-Phase Structure) technology uses the generated airflow for cooling of upper and lower heatsink structure as well as surrounding motherboard components and VRs. Samurai ZZ has the overall dimensions of 3.62 x 3.62 x 0.98 inch (W x D x H), respectively 94 x 122 x 94 mm, and it is available for a 16.75 EUR (MSRP, excl. VAT) or US$ 31.80 (MSRP, excl. TAX).

Thermaltake, leading DIY thermal solutions brand, launches a multi-socket support budget CPU cooler, the Contac 29. The Thermaltake Contac29 offers excellent cooling performance and a formidable price point when compared with the current competition on the market. Its Direct Contact Technology allows the three 8 mm heatpipes to immediately touch the CPU and thereby maximize the cooling effect. The multi-socket support offers excellent compatibility and flexibility in the choice and upgrade of your processor. It supports all major Intel sockets such as the LGA1156, LGA1366 and older LGA775 models. As for AMD, sockets AM3, AM2+ and AM2 are supported.

The three u-shaped heatpipes transfer processor heat up into the aluminum heatsink fins. In a second step the preinstalled 120 mm PWM fan blows air over the layered fins to further increase cooling efficiency, while the specially curved fins prevent outside heat to intrude the dissipation area.

Thermal Solutions specialist GELID Solutions adds a 28mm high 1U Slim ITX heatpipe CPU Cooler with PWM fan to its popular line of Silent CPU coolers.

With a compact heatsink design for Mini ITX, Micro ATX, ATX, HTPC, Panel PC, Car PC and 1U server the "Slim Silence" is equipped with a high performance heatpipe and a silent fan. The high performance heatpipe ensures a fast and efficient heat transfer from core to aluminium fins. The frameless silent fan includes a ball bearing and a GELID intelligent PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control which ensures a silent operation at low CPU temperature and accelerates the fan speed when necessary.

From now on, amazing performance becomes available on affordable motherboards. In addition to the development of high-end overclocking motherboards that set world record in performance, the LANParty team has recently committed to a research program called "top performance at affordable prices", allowing more consumers to enjoy low-price yet high-performance motherboards.

The BI P45-T2(R)S Elite family is the first wave of the "top performance at affordable prices" series. High-end hardware layouts, excellent BIOS design, and ex-factory overclocking stress test are totally migrated to the product. With the price under USD $110, it can surprisingly challenge $150-level products in terms of performance.