Fractal Design Define R3: A Fan Favorite Keeps the Noise Down
by Dustin Sklavos on November 11, 2011 1:22 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- mid-tower
- Fractal Design
Testing Methodology
For testing ATX cases, we use the following standardized testbed in stock and overclocked configurations to get a feel for how well the case handles heat and noise.
| Full ATX Test Configuration | |
| CPU |
Intel Core i7-875K (95W TDP, tested at stock speed and overclocked to 3.8GHz @ 1.38V) |
| Motherboard | ASUS P7P55D-E Pro |
| Graphics Card | Zotac NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (244W TDP) |
| Memory | 2x2GB Crucial Ballistix Smart Tracer DDR3-1600 |
| Drives |
Kingston SSDNow V+ 100 64GB SSD Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 6Gbps Samsung 5.25" BD-ROM/DVDRW Drive |
| CPU Cooler | Zalman CNPS9900 MAX with Cooler Master ThermalFusion 400 |
| Power Supply | SilverStone Strider Gold 750W 80 Plus Gold |
A refresher on how we test:
Acoustic testing is standardized on a foot from the front of the case, using the Extech SL10 with an ambient noise floor of ~32dB. For reference, that's what my silent apartment measures with nothing running, testing acoustics in the dead of night (usually between 1am and 3am). A lot of us sit about a foot away from our computers, so this should be a fairly accurate representation of the kind of noise the case generates, and it's close enough to get noise levels that should register above ambient.
Thermal testing is run with the computer having idled at the desktop for fifteen minutes, and again with the computer running both Furmark (where applicable) and Prime95 (less one thread when a GPU is being used) for fifteen minutes. I've found that leaving one thread open in Prime95 allows the processor to heat up enough while making sure Furmark isn't CPU-limited. We're using the thermal diodes included with the hardware to keep everything standardized, and ambient testing temperature is always between 71F and 74F. Processor temperatures reported are the average of the CPU cores.
For more details on how we arrived at this testbed, you can check out our introductory passage in the review for the IN-WIN BUC.
Last but not least, we'd also like to thank the vendors who made our testbed possible:
Thank You!
We have some thanks in order before we press on:
- Thank you to Crucial for providing us with the Ballistix Smart Tracer memory we used to add memory thermals to our testing.
- Thank you to Zalman for providing us with the CNPS9900 MAX heatsink and fan unit we used.
- Thank you to Kingston for providing us with the SSDNow V+ 100 SSD.
- Thank you to CyberPower for providing us with the Western Digital Caviar Black hard drive, Intel Core i7-875K processor, ASUS P7P55D-E Pro motherboard, and Samsung BD-ROM/DVD+/-RW drive.
- And thank you to SilverStone for providing us with the power supply and SATA power cable.
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ven - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
If anybody wants ever more silent PC take a look at the CM silencio 550.Great look i was stunned by the mirror finish front panel of that case(yes of course that means more prone to scratches and finger prints).Only thing it lacks the R3 is by the fan count but that is not the problem for those who need a Ultimate silent PC if anybody decided there preference is silence then silencio will be a great option.And for those who has trade-of between silence and performance go for the R3.They both have same price range(95-110$)
piroroadkill - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
Good call. Looks nice, and has a removable cage too, if you want a massive card.ven - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
Yes, that's a nice option i like the silencio especially for that.And also silhouetted holes at rear of the case for water cooling making this case a solution for small,silent gaming ring.Dustin, check this case immediately it's a great competitor for R3.
For more information:
http://www.guru3d.com/article/cooler-master-silenc...
Peskarik - Saturday, November 12, 2011 - link
I looked at this case when I was choosing, also at Thermaltake Element S.Silencio does not have enough cooling expansion capacity.
ven - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
sorry not front panel the front door i meant to refer.geniekid - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
SPCR.com gives the nod to the R3 and the H2 over the Silencio, but it does note that the Silencio is cheaper than both (about $70 vs $100).http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1210-page8.ht...
I certainly wouldn't mind AT reviewing it though :)
Dustin Sklavos - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
Cooler Master stuff is a bit harder to get in and honestly I wasn't impressed with the Silencio 550 when iBuyPower used it for their workstation, since it utterly failed to dampen hard drive noise.Peskarik - Saturday, November 12, 2011 - link
What about Thermaltake Element S? Especially the version with side fan?XiZeL - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
Would a corsair H100 Fit well in this and would perform well?thinking about this case with a i5.2500k with reference 6950(blowing air out)
slacr - Friday, November 11, 2011 - link
Fit, sortof.Fit well, no. I originally wanted to place a 2*120mm radiator in the roof of my case, but the top cutouts are 2*140 with fan mount holes for 120 in the middle of them. This results in a spacing between the two 120mm mounts being too far apart for standard radiator hole spacing. Trying to use a 2*140 radiator will place it too close to the motherboard. So in order to fit it properly in this case you have to make modifications.
They did adress the watercooling/H100 issue with a different case, the Arc, see link here: http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&pr...
I don't have any experience with that case though.