KitGuru KitGuru.net – Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards
For our tests we will be using an Intel Reference Cooler to cool the Intel Core i7 3770K CPU. Our test system also features an AMD Radeon HD 6950 graphics card. We tested the system at stock settings as the reference cooler wasn't capable of a significant overclock because of its thermal limitations.
Test System:
Processor: Intel Core i7 3770K
Motherboard: MSI Z77IA-E53
Cooler: Intel Reference Cooler
Thermal Paste: Arctic Cooling MX-2
Memory: 4GB (2x 2GB) Kingston HyperX Genesis
Graphics Card: AMD Radeon HD 6950
Power Supply: Corsair GS800
System Drive: Intel 520 Series 240 GB
Monitor: Viewsonic VX2260WM
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Software:
CPUID Hardware Monitor
Prime95 64-bit
Furmark V1.9.2
To test the thermal performance of the Fractal Design Define R4 we loaded our test system for 15 minutes using Prime95 and Furmark and recorded the maximum temperatures reached using CPUID Hardware Monitor. We then restarted the system and left it for 15 minutes before recording idle temperatures. Room temperature was maintained at 20 degrees C for the duration of our tests.
These temperatures are quite toasty which is a likely combination of the reference CPU cooler and restricted airflow. This isn't surprising in such a compact chassis though.
To test the acoustic performance of the case we placed a digital dBA meter 1m from the front of the case and replaced the Radeon HD 6670 with a HD 5550 Silence. We also momentarily detached the CPU cooler fans so we were only taking the noise from the case fans into the final reading.
We were quite impressed by the acoustic performance of the Elite 120 Advanced as it recorded a fairly low noise level in our tests.
The case doesn't offer great sound insulation for the other components in the case, though, and the graphics card fan was quite noticeable on our Radeon 6950 as it's positioned right next to a large vent in the side of the case.
