It's not very often an entry level cooler impresses me as much as the Scythe Fuma has. It offers exceptional performance. To put it into perspective, in the FPU load tests on the overclocked 6700K, it's just 2°C behind the Noctua NH-D15. Offering performance so close to Noctua's flagship is nothing to scoff at. Even more amazing is that it does so with roughly the same noise profile, making the Scythe Fuma a fearsome offering in that it doesn't sacrifice a low-noise operation for its exceptional price-to-performance ratio. Build quality is also solid; it's not quite top of the line, but is still above average. It doesn't hurt that it's easy to install either. However, the biggest bonus is the fact that users can add a third fan for improved cooling, and Scythe made sure to include the extra fan clips for that very purpose. Its compact size will likely prove beneficial for users with cases where how tall a CPU cooler can be is limited, which tends to be common on more budget-oriented cases. Overall, there is much to like about Scythe's Fuma and what it offers its potential buyers.

A few issues are present. First, expansion cards in the motherboard's first slot may experience clearance issues. While there was enough clearance in my testing, that may not be the case depending on the system. For example, some of Silverstone's cases where the motherboard is upside down or oriented differently could see sagging of the expansion card PCB touch the fan clips. On top of that, clearance for system memory is abysmal. Sure, you can move the front fan to the back, but on socket LGA2011 that won't be doing you any favors. This is a trade off due to its more compact size and will heavily depend on motherboard and case choices. When it comes to the mounting hardware, it may be easy to work with, but the fact that the installation manual issues a warning about overtightening the screws has me concerned. That said, I did not see any issues during testing, but knowing Intel cheaped out on the Skylake PCB means it's something to be cautious about. When it comes to the fans, Scythe utilizes sleeve bearings rather than ball-bearings or more advanced offerings. It keeps the price down and means the fans are quiet, but such fans also have a lower lifespan. Finally, there is the fact that the mirror-finished top plate is a fingerprint magnet, so wear cotton gloves if you like to keep things nice and shiny.

Honestly, my fears on the mounting hardware are likely overblown. Still, I mention them because not to would be dishonest. Yet that does not change the fact that I recommend the Scythe Fuma to anyone looking for bang-for-the-buck performance. The flaws and minor issues do not take away from the superb cooling and low-noise operation Scythe has on offer here with the Fuma CPU cooler.

UPDATE: Scythe has made AM4 upgrade kits available for purchase.

Overall, the Scythe Fuma is an exceptionally quiet dual-tower CPU cooler that, while not jaw-dropping or head-turning, performs so well it is impossible to ignore. Giving top-tier performance with budget friendly pricing, the Fuma is definitely worth a look.