Performance
For a case with no dedicated intakes and only two 120mm rear exhausts, the S340 Elite appears to be coping surprisingly well. Our overclocked Core i5-3570K is kept suitably cool during an all-core stress test.
The good work continues in the graphics department, with our dual GeForce GTX 970 graphics cards managing to keep just below the 80ºC thermal target. It hasn't escaped our attention that the dual-fan S340 Elite is delivering lower temperatures than the quad-fan H440, so what gives?
The answer rests in the way the fans are connected. The H440's integrated PWM hub keeps fan noise down to a minimum when idle, while in contrast the S340 Elite maximises negative air pressure by attaching its dual exhausts to the PSU for constant running at high speed. The end result, unsurprisingly, is a loud system. Circumventing the Molex splitter and connecting the stock three-pin fans to motherboard headers is an obvious workaround, though do expect temperatures to rise as a result.