The Katana 3 is a value cooling option, providing a mix of performance, relatively low noise, and an appealing price point. It cools far better than Intel's stock solutions, and even bests other coolers of a similar caliber, but without being much more expensive. Another edge this cooler has has is its size: it is short enough to fit in 4U rackmount cases and some other situations where a larger heatsink would be out of the question.

It isn't our quietest or coolest-running option, but if you aren't looking for extreme performance in either of those areas or you need to fit it in a smaller case then the Katana 3 is a great choice.