Benchmarks: temperature and noise
To see how well the White Graphite 600T can cool our high-end test bench, we're comparing it against Corsair's standard 600T, 650D and 800D chassis, as well as Antec's Lanboy Air and Thermaltake's Level 10 GT. What we're interested in is whether or not this Special Edition chassis is any better than the original Graphite 600T.
Before we get onto the results, here are the pertinent specifications of all six comparison chassis, as well as a brief breakdown of our test system configuration and benchmark process:
Comparison Chassis |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corsair Graphite Series 600T | Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T | Corsair Obsidian Series 650D | Antec Lanboy Air | Thermaltake Level 10 GT | Corsair Obsidian Series 800D | |
| Case type | Mid-tower | Mid-tower | Mid-tower | Mid-tower | Full-tower | Full-tower |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 265mm x 507mm x 592mm | 265mm x 507mm x 592mm | 229mm x 521mm x 546mm | 222mm x 518mm x 490mm | 282mm x 584mm x 590mm | 229mm x 609mm x 609mm |
| Weight | 12.7kg | 12.7kg | 11.11kg | 9.2kg | 12.7kg | 10.2kg |
| Available colours | Graphite Grey and Black | White and Black | Black | Yellow/Black, Red/Black, Blue/Black | Black with red highlights | Matte black |
| Material | Steel structure with molded plastic accents | Steel structure with molded plastic accents | Aluminium faceplate and steel structure | Steel frame and mesh panels | Steel and plastic | Aluminium faceplate and steel structure |
| Motherboard support | mATX, ATX | mATX, ATX | mATX, ATX | mini-ATX, mATX, ATX | mATX, ATX, eATX | mATX, ATX, eATX |
| 5.25in drive bays | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3.5in / 2.5in drive bays | 6 x internal 3.5in/2.5in | 6 x internal 3.5in/2.5in | 1 x hot-swap 3.5in/2.5in 6 x internal 3.5in/2.5in |
6 x internal 3.5in 2 x internal 2.5in |
5 x hot-swap 3.5in/2.5in 1 x external 3.5in |
4 x hot-swap 3.5in 2 x internal 3.5in |
| I/O panel | USB 3.0 x1 USB 2.0 x4 FireWire x1 Audio x1 Mic x1 |
USB 3.0 x1 USB 2.0 x4 FireWire x1 Audio x1 Mic x1 |
USB 3.0 x2 USB 2.0 x2 FireWire x1 Audio x1 Mic x1 |
USB 3.0 x1 USB 2.0 x2 Audio x 1 Mic x 1 |
USB 3.0 x2 USB 2.0 x4 eSATA x1 Audio x 1 Mic x 1 |
USB 2.0 x4 FireWire x1 Audio x1 Mic x1 |
| Expansion slots | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 |
| Supplied fans | 1 x 200mm (front) 1 x 200mm (top) 1 x 120mm (rear) |
1 x 200mm (front) 1 x 200mm (top) 1 x 120mm (rear) |
1 x 200mm (front) 1 x 200mm (top) 1 x 120mm (rear) |
2 x 120mm (front) 1 x 120mm (rear) 2 x 120mm (side) |
1 x 200mm (front) 1 x 140mm (rear) 1 x 200mm (top) 1x 200mm (side) |
1 x 140mm (front) 1 x 140mm (bottom) 1 x 140mm (rear) |
| Power supply | ATX (not supplied) | ATX (not supplied) | ATX (not supplied) | ATX (not supplied) | ATX (not supplied) | ATX (not supplied) |
| Price | £120 | £130 | £130 | £140 | £205 | £220 |
System Configuration |
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|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS P6X58D | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7 980X Extreme Edition (with reference DBX-B cooler) | |
| Memory | 6GB (3 x 2GB) Corsair Dominator DDR3 | |
| Graphics card | AMD Radeon HD 6970 | |
| Power supply | Corsair HX1000W | |
| Storage | Intel SSD | |
To measure each chassis' CPU cooling performance, we set fan speed to low and record CPU temperature when the system is idle. We then apply a 15-minute load of the Prime95 stress test and record CPU temperature again. To demonstrate the chassis' optimum cooling capability, we also set all fans - including the CPU cooler - to high speed mode and re-run the Prime95 torture test for a further 15 minutes.
Similarly, GPU temperature is recorded in three states; idle, load with fans at standard speed and load with fans at high speed. In this test, GPU load is defined as a 15-minute stint of Furmark.
All three chassis are tested only with the standard manufacturer-supplied fans, and to take into account the fluctuating ambient temperature, our graphs depict the delta temperature - that's actual CPU/GPU temperature minus the ambient. Just so we're clear, room temperature at the start of testing was recorded for the six chassis as follows:
Corsair Graphite Series 600T - 19.8ºC
Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T - 20.2ºC
Corsair Obsidian Series 650D - 21.4ºC
Antec LanBoy Air - 18.1ºC
Thermaltake Level 10 GT - 18.9ºC
Corsair Obsidian Series 800D - 18.3ºC
Thermal performance
Corsair's Graphite 600T, White 600T and Obsidian 650D are all closely matched, but the latter two do benefit from the extra airflow attained by the use of high-speed fans.
The Special Edition White 600T is a marked improvement over the original Graphite, but the similarly-priced 650D has a slight edge at low fan speeds.
Our GPU temperature readings are telling; the White 600T and Obsidian 650D are built around the same steel frame as the original Graphite 600T, but the introduction of 1,000RPM fans has managed to lower GPU temperatures another notch or two.
For a mid-tower chassis, GPU cooling capability is rather good, and there's plenty of scope to expand on that by adding a couple of extra fans to the bundled mesh side panel.
Noise
We want to shed some analytical light on chassis noise levels when our high-end test rig is installed. To this end, we're using a PCE-318 noise meter placed at the front of each chassis to take decibel readings with the system idling in two modes; low fan speed and high fan speed.
Those high-speed fans might appease overclocking enthusiasts, but if you're looking for a more civilised PC experience, be warned; the 1,000RPM fans offer better airflow at the expense of noise.
The Graphite 600T and Special Edition White 600T create a similar amount of noise with their fans set to minimum speeds, but the gap widens significantly when you crank the dial up to maximum.
That creates a dilemma; do you need the added cooling capability of the White 600T, or the lower noise levels of the Graphite 600T?