continuationTest Settings
An old C0 stepping Core i7-920 processor produces a great amount of heat when overclocked, which is perfect for testing the ventilation of today’s cases.
Asus’ P6T keeps the processor stable at high temperatures and current loads.
A factory-overclocked XFX GeForce GTX 285 reflects the graphics power that gamers typically need.
Rosewill’s Fort 120 air cooler is large enough to expose any potential mounting space issues, noisy enough at full speed to reveal a case’s noise-isolation capability, and powerful enough to keep our overclocked CPU well below its thermal limits.
The most efficient 1,000W power supply we could find, OCZ’s Z1000 was originally obtained for use in an overkill CrossFire configuration. Though its debut article was cancelled, modular design and an 80 PLUS Gold rating still make this the perfect unit for high-end case reviews.
In order to create the maximum possible thermal load from our hardware, we dedicated a single CPU thread to FurMark and the remaining seven threads to Prime95 simultaneously, measuring the component temperatures after warming the system for one hour.
Galaxy’s low-cost CM-140 SPL meter takes care of our audio testing needs, though its 32dB minimum rating forces us to check audio levels at a .25m reduced distance. All readings are corrected to an industry-standard 1m distance (-12dB).
We’ve seen bold claims of cooling superiority for big cases, yet the largest full-tower case in today’s comparison barely edges out the smallest one. NZXT’s performance is especially impressive, since the Hades is too compact to support its side fan and our CPU cooler simultaneously.
In fact, the NZXT Hades actually beats the Element V at minimum fan speeds, and we think we know why: the Hades case is wrapped tightly around the CPU cooler, forcing its exhaust fans to draw air through it, rather than around it. The inverse would explain why the widest case in today’s roundup, Cooler Master’s Storm Sniper, has the worst low-fan speed results.
Cooler Master and Zalman tie for the quietest case fans at 25dB, yet neither of these does a particularly good job of blocking the excessive noise of our CPU cooler. For that, we again look to Thermaltake’s Element V and again find an easy explanation: by placing the Element V’s side fan and related ventilation holes below the CPU, Thermaltake allows only reflected noise to escape.
The SPL difference between directional and reflected noise can be significant, which is why this writer always places his PC to his left, so that ventilated side panels face away from his head. Yet, doing so makes it impractical to use cases with doors that swing to the right, such as NZXT’s Hades.
Good cooling and modest noise reduction allow Thermaltake’s Element V to easily pass other solutions in cooling-to-noise comparisons.
Thermaltake Wins!
With moderate noise suppression and excellent heat expulsion, the biggest case in today’s comparison wins. Yet, before we hear a collective “duh” from enthusiasts, we should also note that the smallest case in today’s roundup took a close second place in performance.
However, I don’t think any professional reviewer would settle for the second-place contender. At $100, NZXT’s Hades has panels as thin as most $30 cases and twists so easily that we were almost afraid to pick up the complete system. Other issues include a drive door that only swings to the right, while many of us require it to swing the other way, and the fact that no moderately-large CPU cooler will fit under its side fan. Living with the Hades thus begins to feel like living in Hades. We also have to question why anyone would want top-panel ports on a case that’s so small, since its only practical placement is on top of a desk where top-panel ports are hard to reach.
That last comment also applies to the sturdier Zalman Z7 Plus. The Z7 Plus would make a great low-cost desktop tower, if not for the fact that $80 is not a low price, and that putting it on top of a desk makes its top-panel jacks difficult to reach. Yet, with its solid design and top-quality finish, Zalman’s Z7 Plus at least looks and feels like an $80 case.
The most expertly-produced case in today’s lineup, Cooler Master’s Storm Sniper suffers from an almost-forgivable performance deficit. We say "almost" because it almost supports a double-fan radiator and internal liquid cooling that would more than compensate for its slightly lower air-cooled performance. The apparent effort Cooler Master put into design and production makes this tiny shortfall more of a big deal. Cooler Master, you could have won this one so easily.
The true winner of today’s comparison wasn’t perfect, either. We had trouble getting the Thermaltake Element V’s side-panel fan to work properly due to a slight misalignment of its surface-contact connector, and that connector isn’t even adjustable. The brush side of the connector is permanently attached to the fan, forcing owners to source any replacements directly from the factory. And the corners of the side panels were tight to the point that we had to yank the case open. Those are all elements that could have handed the win to a competitor, if not for its competitors' lack of an overwhelming feature.
Perhaps we shouldn’t expect perfection for $135. When the side fan works, the Element V is worth at least twice the $35 difference between it and the next-cheaper case, NZXT’s Hades, even though the cheaper model has a three-reading thermal display. The Element V thus gets our recommendation, with the reservation that buyers may need to exchange theirs if they encounter similar panel-fitment issues.
source:tomshardware end
