Low profile PCs are thin encyclopedia sized computers that are great for spaced constrained environments. The downside, if 'compact' has a downside, is the computer chassis isn't very thick, so the height of the CPU heatsink is considerably restricted. Most heatsinks that ship with low profile PCs are your only option, any they're usually just adequate. After market heatsink companies haven't shown much interest in making quieter or higher performing low profile cooling systems, until very recently... The Japanese manufacturer Scythe has introduced a low profile, sub-70mm tall heatsink for Intel and AMD processors tailor made for low profile computers. If you've got a low profile PC and are looking for that extra cooling edge, this might be just what the doctor ordered.

The Scythe Shuriken (SCSK-1000) heatsink features copper heatpipes, high density stacked aluminum fins, a copper base and a low profile 12mm thick 100mm Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) fan. All that in a package that is 65mm tall.

Though compact, the Scythe Shuriken weighs in at 355 grams and features three 6mm diameter copper heatpipes. The fan is a little surprising because it is just so thin, I can't recall ever seeing a 12x100x100mm fan used on a heatsink before. The fan has 13 impeller blades, spins at 650-2200RPM and is rated for 31CFM. Springy wire clips are used to hold it in position, and I suppose if your computer has the room it could be substituted for a 25mm thick 100mm fan with little difficulty.

The Scythe Shuriken heatsink is compatible with Socket 478 & 775 Intel processors, and the entire AMD K8 processor family (754-to-AM2+).

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