Verdict: Great for Socket AM2, but very poor for LGA775.

Andy sounds like an unlikely name for a Samurai master; the closest genuine Samurai name that we could find is Ando Morinari, who fought as one of the Oda clan in the 16th century before being dismissed, and dying as a disgraced ronin. Scythe will be hoping a similar fate doesn't befall poor old Andy.

The Andy comprises two separate aluminium heatsinks linked by six nickel-coated heatpipes. The heatpipes form a U-shape, providing space for a quiet120mm fan to be mounted on top of the upper heatsink. The fan's location means that it not only cools the heatsink, but also blows air onto the motherboard, providing extra cooling for the VRMs around the CPU socket.

It's easy to attach the Andy to a Socket AM2 CPU, as it simply clips onto the standard mounting bracket. Once attached, it provides an excellent connection between the CPU and heatsink, allowing the CPU to run 12ûC cooler than it did with the reference AMD HSF.

In contrast, the LGA775 mounting mechanism is a real pain in the butt, as the Andy obscures access to the push-pins that secure it to the motherboard. Once fitted, all that effort hardly feels worthwhile, as the CPU was no cooler than it was with the reference Intel HSF.

Although the Andy Samurai Master is a good choice for Socket AM2 CPUs, there's no reason to consider buying it if you own an LGA775 processor.

• Cases - 21st November 2008
• Motherboards - 24th October 2008
• Gaming Headsets - 26th September 2008
• Dream PCs - 24th September 2008
• Headphones - 12th September 2008
• Media PC components - 22nd August 2008
• PSUs - 14th July 2008

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