Final Thoughts
So basically Scythe took their Mugen 5 and added an RGB top and RGB fan, as well as styling the fan to match the TUF Gaming Alliance colors. Adding RGB to a CPU cooler just makes it that much more attractive, especially if you are using a case with a side panel window. Since this cooler is part of the TUF Gaming Alliance that means that you can match it with other TUF products and everything will look great together. So as far as looks this cooler is pretty great.
Cooling performance is quite good too. In our load test our Ryzen 7 2700X only reached 55.5C, which puts it right in the middle of our test group of 11 AM4 coolers. It performs 5 degrees better than the AMD Wraith Prism RGB that comes with the 2700X and almost 20 degrees better than the AMD Wraith Spire cooler. It is also much more quite than both of those coolers. Even under full load you are barely going to hear the fan.
Another thing that is very important when it comes to a CPU cooler is ease of installation and the Mugen 5 TUF Gaming Alliance is extremely easy to install. The directions show you step by step how to get the cooler installed and even if you are a beginner you should be able to install this cooler in no time. You can also easily install this cooler in a case with your graphics card installed. Once installed the cooler does not interfere with memory or anything else.
While you do get RGB lighting on the cooler you will need a motherboard that has an RGB header. We’ve seen other RGB CPU coolers that come with a controller if you happen to not have an RGB header on your motherboard. This cooler unfortunately does not come with a controller so if your motherboard does not have a 4-pin RGB header the RGB lighting will not work at all.
At the end of the day this is a great cooler and one that will add a little bling to the inside of your system. Right now it is selling at our favorite online retailer for $59.99, which is $15 premium over the normal Mugen 5. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Scythe Mugen 5 TUF Gaming Alliance CPU Cooler a 9 out of 10 score.
Pros:
– Good overall performance
– RGB fan and RGB top
– Works with ASUS Aura Sync
– Easy to install
– Quiet
Cons:
– No RGB controller included
