Scythe has long since filled our imagination with creative and innovative solutions for CPU cooling. Living up to that long tradition we are greeted with their latest solution in a diverse market. The Scythe Samurai ZZ.

Downdraft coolers have never been embraced with the popularity held by the vaunted tower cooler. Yet, they still remain an option for those who require such a design.

At first glance we see this cooler boasts a 92mm x 25mm fan mounted on top and held in by a pair of simple but effective retaining clips and can be easily swapped out for an aftermarket unit if necessary.. In this era of high TDP (Thermal Design Power) processors, we are used to having at least a 120mm fan for airflow. Scythe compensates for this by using something they call F.P.S or Fast-Phase Structure; meaning, not only does the cooler use the main heatsink array for heat dissipation, but also uses the fin structure attached directly to the base. This specific alignment of cooling surfaces effectively adds to the cooling potential of  such a compact design.

The Samurai ZZ utilizes 6 heatpipes, which are responsible for transferring the heat from the base to the fin array. Weighing in at a mere 472g and standing no higher than 94mm with fan attached, the Samurai is poised for those wanting a compact light design. The ZZ is rated for a TDP of 130w and offers support for the latest offerings from both Intel and AMD, including 1156 and AM3.

Although availability is yet to be released,  at the time of posting, the MSRP is an inexpensive $31.50 USD; a good deal for those on a budget.

More information can be found on the Scythe product page.