Test Setup and Methodology
Test Setup and Methodology
Test Platform | |
---|---|
Processor | Intel Core i5-6600K |
Motherboard | ASUS MAXIMUS VIII GENE (mATX Intel Z170) |
Memory | Crucial Ballistix Sport 8 GB 2400 MHz DDR4 |
Graphics Card | XFX AMD Radeon R9 290X Double Dissipation Edition |
Storage | OCZ Vertex 460 120GB SSD |
Cooling | DEEPCOOL Gabriel, Corsair H75 Liquid CPU Cooler |
Power Supply | SilverStone Strider ST1000-P 1000 W Modular PSU |
OS | Windows 8.1 64-bit |
Beginning with the Antec P380 review I adopted a more rigorous testing methodology, with the intent of providing a more comprehensive look at how an enclosure's performance is affected by different thermal loads.
The process I have adopted is as follows:
- CPU Temperatures
- Temps generated using both a closed-loop liquid cooler and air cooler in each enclosure, with separate results presented
- Temps now measured at idle, load, and "stress". Load temps created using the video transcoder benchmark x264, with stress results from prime95 (large FFT torture test)
- Temperatures defined as the hottest core as recorded at the 5-minute mark using RealTemp software
- A custom fan profile is used to provide linear results for both liquid and air cooling
- GPU Temperatures
- Load temps created using the Unigine Valley benchmark (Extreme HD preset), with the highest temp recorded after two successive benchmark runs
- A custom fan profile is used to provide linear results
- Noise Levels
- Measured using a digital sound pressure meter positioned 24 inches from the front of the enclosure (system fully assembled with side panels in place)
- A fixed speed for load noise will be used for consistency, based on observed average max fan speeds under load for both CPU and GPU
I employed the ASUS motherboard software to create a custom fan profile for the CPU, and both the Deepcool Gabriel air cooler and Corsair H75 liquid cooler used this profile for their PWM fans.
The XFX R9 290X DD graphics card was also setup with a custom fan profile using MSI's Afterburner software, with a linear rise in fan speed beginning at 20%.
The reason for the custom fan profiles is simple: default fan profiles flatten out during certain temperature ranges, which results in uneven results between tests and enclosures as a given temp will often fall below the threshold to increase fan speed. In my quest to provide consistent results I didn't like the position where a single degree often determined whether the cooler was placed into a louder, but more effective, state.
Add to this the complication of testing without complete control over ambient temperature and you can understand why noise testing was done at a fixed fan speed. Ambient temps can produce very misleading results with regard to fan noise as a colder room requires less fan speed to keep the system cool, with the opposite true for warm rooms. The adjusted delta temps are the same in either case, but for a neutral look at noise output a fixed speed was chosen for both CPU and GPU noise testing.
Next we will look at temperature and noise results for the Corsair Carbide 400C.
Can Predator 360 fit in this
Can Predator 360 fit in this case, in front?
Good question. There’s plenty
Good question. There's plenty of clearance up front for a deeper cooler like the Predator 240, but I don't have the 360 mm version of that cooler here to test. The plastic shroud and HDD cage at the bottom might pose a clearance issue, though both are removable.
I have just built a system
I have just built a system with this case and when you install a Radiator on the front, it causes a few problems.
1) The HDD Shroud can be very tight to the Rad so you either have it in place prior to Rad installation or omit it from your build.
2) The screws used to install the Rad to the front panel of the case obviously protrude more than the supplied fan’s almost flush grub screws.
This means that the front filter can not sit flush – it bows in the middle. This kind of defeats the use of the filter as air will get through there unfiltered.
The only option is to mount your Rad elsewhere (which can cause its own clearance problems) or to alter the filter by cutting out the plastic edges where the Rad’s screws are.
This is not a problem if you use a 120mm fan based Rad as the screws miss the outer edge – but if like me you are using a 140mm fan based Rad then you are in for problems.
And to add insult to injury, this could easily have been fixed by various simple design choices – so I’m not happy at this problem.
3) The cases top control panel leads come down at the top of where you would install the Rad. This means that you can not have the Rad to the very top – which means in my 280mm rad that it therefore got in the way of the HDD shroud.
One other thing of note is that taking off the front of the case for me was extremely difficult.
In the manual is says you should grab it from the bottom and pull firmly – No chance of that happening for my case it was rock solid. Even when doing the unclipping method as mentioned in the review the bottom two clips really did not want to release.
I’m hoping my case was just faulty as I’ve built PC’s for decades and never taken 20 minutes to take of a panel undamaged.
This panel must be really easy to remove as you should be cleaning your filters on a regular basis. I’m just hoping that it will become easier over time.
Also the individual bags of screws are great, but they really should be marked, as I can foresee a less experienced builder mixing some of them up and possibly causing damage.
Oh, and I quite agree that cable management in the back can be quite difficult and tight – could have done with a little bit more room.
The enclosure includes
The enclosure includes flush-mount screws to attach a cooler to the front without protruding screws. There were 4 in the pack, so double-width coolers would need more (though I've attached 240 mm AIO coolers with just 4 screws before). The screws that most self-contained liquid coolers ship with are pan head, and protrude even farther if you use the washers that companies like Corsair include. I don't use the washers in situations where there are clearance issues, and I think the flat rad screws are a good addition to the accessory pack.
Would be nice if the bags were labeled, but I'm happy when the screws are at least in their own bags. I guess I've build so many systems at this point that I just 'know' which screws go to what, so perhaps I'm not the best user to judge.
Hello,
Do you know how much
Hello,
Do you know how much space is between the front of the case and the HDD shroud?
I want to install a Fractal Design Kelvin S36 and from what I can see in the pictures, I’m worried that it might not fit in there without removing the HDD shroud (and I don’t want to remove it, since IMO the case looks strange without it)
Thank you in advance.
This is an ATX case, you
This is an ATX case, you could have used an ATX motherboard …
Yes! I could have.
Yes! I could have.
is it worth it to replace my
is it worth it to replace my corsair carbide 300r with this ?
You can clean the front
You can clean the front filter by simply blowing horizontally through the openings, fluff comes right off. I won’t be removing my front panel much, if at all because of that. The RM750i was a tight fit but all panels are in just fine.
Interesting case, I often
Interesting case, I often wonder why any case has doors on the front that MUST be opened to access various components,etc, when it’d be easier to use by simply NOT having the door at all! I don’t mind the “industrial look” where parts are easy to access, also please, NEVER put USB’s, audio/video connectors behind any door or POWER switch on/off,etc…
Also, not a big fan of windows on sides of cases, nice to see the insides/fancy light systems, BUT…doesn’t these window cases tend to all be..louder?
Like quiet PC’s best!
Thanks again for the good review!
What is the CPU cooler. I’m
What is the CPU cooler. I’m going to get this case and a new CPU cooler and this one looks really nice. If you have one could you please link me a PCPartPicker build of this PC. Thanks!
-Zac