The tests were performed in a controlled environment with the temperature maintained at a constant 24°C. Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 30 minutes. Load measurements were acquired by running Furmark and Cinebench together. As this is a home entertainment system, we decided to measure the temperatures while playing a 1080P movie.
The confined space in which the components operate limits the amount of cool air that can reach them. As Arctic mainly use laptop-designed components, higher temperatures are well within their safe operational limits.
A point worth noting is that the brushed aluminium chassis radiates heat away from the components. It effectively acts as a heatsink. While this may help reduce component temperatures, the casing reached the dizzying heights of over 45°C during our testing. It would be advisable to leave plenty of space around the chassis for cool air to circulate.