Cooler Master HAF XB Mid-Tower Chassis Review

Today, to test this chassis we have set our Sound Level Meter one meter away from the case.

We then temporarily turned the two Akasa Venom Voodoo fans off, which leaves us with only the included case fan and very little noise from the power supply fan.

As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

Sadly the overall build is very loud indeed and rather annoying. The 120mm fans spin up to 1800 rpm but don't do it quietly. This chassis is clearly aimed at the hardcore enthusiast. It would be possible to replace these fans with high grade units from Be Quiet!, however you are going to lose airflow.

There is however the potential to fit a 240 mm radiator at the front and create a silent chassis, but this will add to the overall cost substantially.

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