Installation Tips

You can find the detailed installation instructions for Scythe Orochi in the enclosed manual in four languages (PDF file, 4.23MB). In fact, there is nothing new we could tell you about it, because the only thing you have to do is mount the appropriate retention frame to the cooler base:

Socket 754/939/940/AM2

Socket 478 and LGA 775

After that you apply thermal interface to the processor heat-spreader. For K8 platform you lock the cooler retention to the standard plastic socket frame, and for Intel platform you attach the retention clips to the PCB with bundled screws and then lock the Orochi retention frame on to these clips:

So, the retention shouldn’t cause you any problems with cooler positioning on an Intel processor, because you can actually turn it in any direction. The new cooler can also be installed four different ways on a Socket 754/939/940/AM2 platform thanks to a square base and the opportunity to attach the retention frame in any way. Looks like everything is just perfect, however, I would like to draw your attention to one fact (quoted from the manual):

Important Notice:
Due to the large dimension of this CPU Cooler, this product may not fit into all PC cases. Please check the dimension of your PC case and surrounding components to make sure this CPU cooler can fit into your system.

As you may have already guessed, from the first cooler photos, it is important not only to position the cooler facing the correct direction, but primarily to fit it into the system case. The photo below illustrates this major difficulty: Scythe Orochi is installed onto ASUS P5K Deluxe mainboard inside ASUS ASCOT 6AR2-B system case:

Looks like the cooler heatsink did fit into the case, but unfortunately, without the fan. If we put a fan on top of the heatsink, the side panel of the system case will not close (we moved the side panel case fan outside):

However, we did find a way out. We attached the 140mm fan to the heatsink side facing the mainboard chipset. So, Scythe Orochi was cooled with two fans: a standard 140-mm fan on the heatsink side and a 120-mm fan on the case side panel facing the top pf the heatsink. Here I would like to point out that in this case the CPU temperature was 7ºC lower than in passive mode but in an open testbed. I’d like to add that the distance from the cooler base to the lower edge of aluminum heatsink plates measures 55mm, so Scythe Orochi will not be in the way of any electronic components around the processor socket including memory modules with tall heat-spreaders.

As for the most optimal positioning of this cooler, the manufacturer recommends the following in the manual:

In other words, this gigantic cooler has to be installed with the ends of its heatpipes facing down to ensure maximum cooling efficiency. However, most standard ATX cases do not allow this, because when the heatpipes of Scythe Orochi are facing up, its top part goes ~70mm past the top of the mainboard. In this case even if your system case has a PSU at the bottom, Orochi heatpipes will hit against the top case panel or fans installed on it. So, looks like the happy Scythe Orochi owners will be able to install it only one way in most cases: with heatpipes positioned horizontally.