Performance
Test System Configuration |
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|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | ASUS Sabertooth Z77 | |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-3570K @ 4.4GHz | |
| CPU Cooler | Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 | |
| Memory | G.Skill Ripjaws-X 8GB (F3-12800CL7D-8GBXH) | |
| Memory Speed and Timings | 1,600MHz, 7-8-7-24-2N | |
| Graphics Cards | 2x Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 OC in CrossFireX | |
| Storage | 120GB SanDisk Extreme SSD | |
| Optical Drive | Pioneer DVR-S19LBK DVD Writer | |
| Power Supply | Corsair HX1050W | |
Our Z77 test platform consists of an ASUS Sabertooth motherboard, an Intel Core i5-3570K processor overclocked to a modest 4.4GHz, an Arctic Cooling Freezer 13 cooler, 8GB of high-performance G.Skill Ripjaws-X memory and two factory-overclocked Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 OC graphics cards in a CrossFireX configuration.
To find out how well the chassis can cool this particular setup, we record the CPU temperature after a 15-minute stint of the intensive Prime95 stress test is applied to all cores. To get an idea of GPU cooling performance, we record GPU temperature after 15 minutes of running Aliens vs. Predator. Last but not least, we also record chassis noise by using a PCE-318 noise meter to take readings when idle and while running Aliens vs. Predator.
All chassis are tested only with the standard manufacturer-supplied fans (any/all of which are set to 'silent' in the ASUS BIOS or low-speed using a fan controller if present), and to take into account the fluctuating ambient temperature, our graphs depict both actual and delta temperature - the latter is the actual CPU/GPU temperature minus the ambient. For the record, room temperature while testing the Antec One was recorded as a cool 19.7ºC.
The Antec One might be the cheapest chassis in our line up, but its combination of lots of mesh up front and two exhausts toward the back appears to be working well. Despite the 4.4GHz overclock, it has our Ivy Bridge chip running comfortably cool.
We were surprised by the GPU temperature readings - so much so that we ran the test for a further 15 minutes to see if heat would increase - but the two Radeon cards continued to run nice and cool in the Antec chassis. The fact that the side panel has a mesh fan mount positioned right next to the graphics cards clearly isn't doing these temperatures any harm.
Antec's chassis doesn't do a lot to minimise noise when the system is idle - there are rubber feet and small pads beneath the power supply but little else - yet the cooling performance helps keep under-load noise down to a comfortable level.