A Closer Look

The Scythe Mugen 5 Black Edition is an aesthetically pleasing design. The all-black theme looks good with only the Scythe logo for contrast. This means the cooler isn't as sleek or stealthy as the Zalman CNPS10X Performa Black but similar enough to occupy that same segment. After all, it certainly doesn't mimic the ARGB designs on the market now, that much is for certain.


When it comes to the fins, the Mugen 5 has 39 of them, which receive heat via six 6-mm heat pipes. Overall, the design is essentially a carbon copy of the Mugen 5 Rev.B, but with a revised fan and looks.


The heat pipes are capped to complete the all-black look, with the only real accent the diamond-cut logo in the center. The fins do have a cut-out towards the back for the included screwdriver to fit inside when installing the heatsink. As for the base, it is plated copper and has a slightly convex shape. I noticed some play by laying a razor blade across the surface, meaning the base is not flat. It is also very easy to see the machining marks with even the plating, which is a bit of a shame.


Scythe sticks with their tried and true Kaze Flex 120 mm PWM fans for this cooler, whose specific model number is KF1225FD15B-P. The fan features rubber anti-vibration pads on the corners and has an RPM range of 300–1500.