VR Features

The Intel Q6600 is an extremely affordable CPU and with the G0 revision, has proven to be very popular with end-users and enthusiasts alike. Even those new to it often find it hard to resist the urge to put the chip through some overclocking given the glowing results obtained by others. As such, we opt to perform a moderate overclock of the Kentsfield CPU to 3.5GHz, 1.5v vcore as part of the overclocking test to determine if the DUORB is up to the mark for these users. 

The OROCHI is spared this overclocking test since it's primary role is to provide silent/ low-noise cooling. Instead, we decided to see if the OROCHI could handle the QX6850 without a fan! Note that this is an Extreme Edition Quad Core that's clocked faster than the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600. Also, another nagging question would be whether the OROCHI could perform better with a faster spinning fan. To test this, we settled for a SCYTHE S-FLEX "F" 120mm fan. Spinning at 1,600RPM, the S-FLEX is audible from a close distance but it isn't noisy by any regards. From experience, it would be inaudible from 2 feet away with the side panel closed on the casing.
The settings used for the DUORB overclocking test is as follows.

A modest overclock to 3.5GHz and a Vcore of 1.5v (1.489v after droop) was used in the O/C test.

DUORB Test Results

At stock settings for the QX6850 (9 x 333MHz, 1.3v), we see the Zipang take a small lead over the DUORB for both CPU and system temperture. However, once the heat is turned up, the DUORB goes on to lead the Zipang by 13'C on the CPU and 1'C on system temperatures. Of course, this performance advantage comes at a price. Unlike the Zipang, the DUORB is not silent and the fan noise at 2000RPM is definitely noticeable.

When the processor was pushed to 3.5GHz, the Zipang failed the stress test with errors being generated by Orthos as soon as the temperatures rose above 80'C.  Meanwhile, the DUORB performed admirably with a CPU temperature of 76'C.  This is certainly not comfort zone for many and we cannot recommend operating your CPU at such temperatures for extended periods of time.  However, it is still good to know that the DUORB is still capable (just) of handling the heatload of an overclocked Quad Core.

SCYTHE OROCHI Test Results

The OROCHI's stock fan spins so slowly that the monitoring software won't register its speed.

With the provided fan, the OROCHI is dead silent to us.  In fact, the speed shown in BIOS was about 380RPM rather than the 500RPM it's rated for in free air.  During testing in the labs, the silence was eerie as we were accustomed to the noise emitted by the high performance fans we normally use on the test rigs to keep the heat at bay.  Even the harddisk whine was loud in comparison to the fan.  When operated with the included fan, the OROCHI turns out a result that's slightly worse off than the Zipang albeit with a fan that spins 2.5 times slower. Whilst the figures do not look impressive, the whole point of the OROCHI is to cool the CPU silently - a job that it does well.

For those who may somehow have super-sensitive hearing, we took to testing SCYTHE's claims that the cooler can be operated passively with Quad Cores. When we took the fan off, the cooler managed to keep the Quad Core fairly cool (by passive cooler standards) at 70'C. So for those who think that fans are truly evil, the Orochi may be the right cooler for you.

The S-Flex mounted on our Zipang

If you don't feel that fans are evil, the one question that might be egging you would be whether the OROCHI could perform significantly better with a faster fan. We chose the SCYTHE S-FLEX "F" because of its performance and noise-level - it falls in-line with the quiet cooling stance that Scythe adopted for the OROCHI.

With the S-FLEX "F" mounted on the OROCHI, we were not expecting much as the fin density is fairly low and should not need additional air-pressure. You could imagine our surprise as the use of the S-FLEX allowed for a further 12'C drop in CPU temperatures at load and maintained a healthy system temperature of 35'C. As it is evident from the difference in load temperatures between passive mode and the stock fan, the fin density does not require high static pressure from the fan. The OROCHI simply benefits from having more airflow through the finsand those who are adventurous enough might want to try using a larger, low speed fan that moves more air through the heatsink for better cooling.

That said, we do not expect the Orochi to perform exponentially better with fans with significantly higher airflow or pressure, and brute force cooling might be limited due to its inital design for passive and low cfm cooling.