Scythe Mugen 5 Black (SCMG-5100BK) RGB Edition – Review

Last year we reviewed a number of brand new coolers from Scythe and, we have to admit, we were amazed by how popular they were with our community. Although it was a brand that we were aware of, we assumed that (for the average consumer) this might’ve been a name that had yet to catch your attention. How wrong were we!

Scythe Mugen 5 Black (SCMG-5100BK) RGB Edition

In announcing one of their latest product releases under the highly-popular Scythe Mugen 5 air cooling brand, the SCMG-5100BK RGB Edition features a number of improvements including (as you might have already guessed at this point) an all-black design with an RGB capable fan designed to work in conjunction with compatible motherboards!

So, has Scythe managed to find a way to improve this already amazing cooler? Well, let’s take a look. Oh, and for the sake of sanity, I’ll just be calling it the ‘Mugen 5’ from now on.

Features

• Outstanding Design
  • The stylish, black anodized aluminum top plate is embellished with an eye-catching diamond-cut logo. The fan was outfitted with black rubber shock absorbers to keep them in tone with the overall design.
• Kaze Flex 120 RGB PWM Fan
  • Our in-house designed Kaze Flex 120mm RGB PWM fan with a speed range of 300 to 1,200 RPM is used on the Mugen 5 black RGB Edition. This fan is characterized by closed liquid storage (Sealed Precision FDB) and an average life of 120,000 hours. Thanks to the RGB LED lighting of the translucent fan blades, the fan offers a breathtaking visual accent. Rubberized contact surfaces have a decoupling effect and prevent the transmission of any vibrations that may occur.
• Asymmetrical Design
  • Thanks to gently sloped heat pipes, the heat sink is not located directly above the bottom plate. But slightly offset to the rear. This asymmetrical design, in combination with a recess on the back of the heatsink, allows for unrestricted use of the memory banks. The high-quality copper heat pipes and base-plate are completely nickel-plated.
• H.P.M.S. III Mounting System
  • The cooler features the proven and easy-to-use Hyper Precision Mounting System III. A preassembled mounting bar simplifies the installation process, while spring-loaded screws prevent uneven pressure distribution. The mounting system supports all common sockets, including AMD®s AM4 and Intel®s Socket 2066. The Mugen 5 TUF Gaming Alliance package also includes an extra-long screwdriver for easy mounting.

Technical Information

For more in-depth specifications, please visit the official product page via the link here!

Socket Compatibility

What Does Scythe Have To Say?

“Simple elegance is the motto of the Mugen 5 Black RGB Edition. The black anodized top-plate forms a sharp contrast to the aluminum endcaps of the heatpipes and the diamond-cut Scythe logo. The fan frame is also completely black and fits seamlessly into the overall design. While the RGB lighting sets a colorful accent.

On the technical side, the Mugen 5 Black RGB scores with the award-winning performance metrics of its predecessors. Five heatpipes and a baseplate made of nickel-plated copper, dissipate the heat into the spacious heat sink.

The Kaze Flex 120 mm RGB PWM fan with a speed range from 300 to 1.200 RPM is equipped with a closed liquid bearing (Sealed Precision FDB). This enables extremely smooth running and an average lifespan of 120.000 hours.

The RGB lighting of the fan uses a 4-pin 5V connection and can be controlled by the corresponding header on the mainboard. RGB systems, such as ASUSTM Aura Sync, ASRockTM RGB LED, MSITM Mystic Light Sync and GigabyteTM RGB Fusion are supported.”

Exterior Packaging

The front of the packaging goes big and bold with a nice clear image of the Mugen 5 front and center. I must admit that despite leading with the ‘red’ RGB colouring, I don’t think it’s the most visually appealing on offer here. When in use, however, it does get a lot prettier than this!

The rear and sides of the packaging provide you with a lot of useful information on the technical specification and features of the product. The layout isn’t exactly exciting and there’s more than a little dead-space. On the whole, however, it tells you everything you could want to know!

Accessories!

The Scythe Mugen 5 comes with a whole host of useful accessories. Beyond those require to actually fit your cooler, you’re also given a tube of thermal paste and (praise the lord!) a screwdriver designed to help you fit it!

It’s a small addition, but when you have a cooler as large as this, having the right tool for the job can be amazingly reassuring!