Retrotest: 8× PC case. From small to “large”

Overview and methodology

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

The following tests were published almost ten years ago in three parts on the now defunct ExtraHardware.cz, later we also published them on HWC, but only in Slovak. And it would probably be a shame not to have them localized in a global language, even if it’s only for “research purposes” due to the unavailability of the cases.

The purpose of the test was once to compare several different case design concepts with each other. Each representative was to be sufficiently different from another and in the end it was to be shown which case managed cooling the best or worst. The selection consisted of models with different volumes but also different cooling systems. We pitted active-cooling cases against passive, fanless designs.

A complete overview of the tested cases can be found in the chart below, some details are then in the individual chapters (2 to 9), where each case has its own one. The wording of the following text (including the conclusion) corresponds in content to the 2018 article.

*This distance assumes the use of a supported 3.5″ HDD. With a regular 7mm 2.5″ SSD, the cooler height can reach up to 43mm, and without it (with M.2 SSDs) up to 50mm.
**By adding a MK-35DV shaft that fits on top of the case, you get a position for a slim 12.7mm optical drive or 3.5/2.5″ storage.

Methodology

The components for the test build are selected to fit into the smallest of cases and to operate without performance loss even in the worst conditions.

The base is a motherboard (Mini-ITX), the Gigabyte Z87N-WiFi with the Intel Pentium G3420 processor (TDP 53 W). The latter is handled by the Noctua NH-L9i regulated to 900 rpm. The SSD is the Crucial M500 and the 8GB DDR3 memory module is the Crucial Ballistix (1600 MHz/CL9/1.35V) with VLP (very low profile).

Baseline test temperatures are read from four sources. From internal CPU sensors (average of two cores) and the SSD. Externally by thermocouples. One is located on a MOSFET in the CPU power delivery and the other on the chipset casing, below the heatsink.

The noise level of the cases is measured from a distance of approximately one metre, diagonally from the left side. This is done using the Voltfraft SL-100 noise meter. The speed of all fans is controlled by an external controller when the board is not otherwise running, so the results are not distorted by the use of different power supplies (ATX is SilentiumPC Supremo M1-700 and SFX is SilverStone ST45SF).

Initially, three modes are created in which the cooling performance is then tested. This is first at the maximum speed of the system fans, then regulated to 35 and 32 dBA. The ratios of the intake and exhaust fan airflows as well as their layout are maintained at the factory setups.

All the cases have the above described in common. For those where a discrete graphics card fits, we’ll add a Radeon HD 5870 (TDP 188 W) with a Thermalright T-Rad2 cooler with 2× Noctua NF-A9x14 at the end, after the basic tests are complete. From the graphics card, we take readings of the memory and VRM temperatures (both complemented by the typical Arctic hedgehog heatsinks) in addition to the GPU temperature.

The CPU load is simulated in IntelBurnTest (3.5 GB, 6 cycles), which corresponds to about half an hour. The graphics card runs the same time in Unigine Heaven 4.0. We take “idle” temperatures after 30 minutes of cooling down. The intake air temperature is controlled during testing and ranges between 21–21.4 °C.

We test cases that allow a choice of positions both horizontally and vertically. In the description in the charts this is distinguished by the additional letters H and V respectively.

English translation and edit by Jozef Dudáš

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Chieftec IX-03

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Akasa Crypto VESA

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Impactics C3LH

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Streacom FC9

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

SilverStone Raven RVZ01

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Cooltek W1

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Nanoxia DS4

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Zalman Z1

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Maximum cooling performance

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Equal, higher noise level

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Equal, lower noise level

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Graphics card cooling

In the archives we found some remarkable tests that have never been published in English. Although they are heavily out of date ( cases included have not been sold for a long time), it illustrates well the possible impact of cooling across a wide variety of designs. And by those we also mean completely passive solutions that use their own shell to dissipate heat, as well as rather larger midi-towers and also something in between.

Conclusion

The difference in cooling between the smallest and the largest case is really significant. CPU temperature in the Chieftec IX-03 (in the less efficient, horizontal position) is almost twice as high as in the Zalman Z1 midi-tower. The fact that cooling can be better optimized even in such a small size is evidenced by the significantly better results measured in the Akasa Crypto VESA case, which is only a liter larger. Unlike the Chieftec, the latter has a tiny system fan, but its impact on cooling is minimal.

A lesson in efficiency is given by the SilverStone Raven RVZ01. Compared to the Z1 and the Nanoxia DS4 which have nearly three times the volume, it delivers similar and often better results. For example, it cools the processor part more efficiently. It cools the graphics card a little weaker than the named rivals. In the better, vertical position, however, the difference is minimal and generally dispels the myth that a smaller case means worse cooling. This may or may not be true. Either way, the tests show that traditional ATX case formats are no benchmark and can easily be outperformed by a more compact design.

Coming back to the Z1 and DS4, they give identical results at the same noise level. From this we can conclude that the presence of soundproofing does not seem to matter much with modern and high-quality components. By this we mean that any platter seekings or whistling coils are somewhat absorbed by the damping mass, otherwise it doesn’t make much sense. This has been confirmed to us in the past in other tests. Although the sound damping allows higher fan speeds at the same noise level, on the other hand, it seems to make cooling worse at the same speed, which we will test exactly in the future in the same case (with and without the sound damping material).

The Zalman is a hair more powerful than the DS4 at max RPM, proportionally to how much noisier it is. One of its shortcomings is the more pronounced whirring fans, which made it impossible to regulate it to the quieter of the test modes, to 32 dBA.

Then there’s the Cooltek W1 with the board horizontally, which is fairly atypical for a tower case, but it’s not unique. You’ll be familiar with the more popular counterpart to this case, the BitFenix Prodigy. Although the cooling performance is similar to the other two towers, it is a hair worse, so there is no revolution.

Passive cases are a special group. However, they are still a marginal group. They are relatively expensive and designing suitable cooling is considerably more difficult than for conventional solutions. Just check out the block and heatpipe network of the Impactics C3LH. VRMs and SSDs usually suffer the most (using high-performance NVMe is out of the question). In this, the Streacom FC9 has a slight edge over the Impactics, partly because it has a perforated shroud, unlike the C3LH. However, if we are to evaluate the elegance of the CPU cooling, the Impactics case leads the way. Streacom wastes potential already just by not using both cooling panels and the second one is for decoration and maintaining external symmetry, which is a pity. Even after years since the release of this case, there’s no support for graphics cards that are compaible with the loose finning. Of course, some related cases have it sensibly solved this way.

• Contents
• Overview and methodology
• Chieftec IX-03
• Akasa Crypto VESA
• Impactics C3LH
• Streacom FC9
• SilverStone Raven RVZ01
• Cooltek W1
• Nanoxia DS4
• Zalman Z1
• Maximum cooling performance
• Equal, higher noise level
• Equal, lower noise level
• Graphics card cooling
• Conclusion