ThermalTake A6000B Aluminum Case: Quiet Cooling

Bring On the Heat:

For our benchmarks on the A6000B, we have several intensive tests lined up.  Our testbed consists of:

Our first test will compare the noise level of the Generic brand case versus that of the Xaser II.  Each machine is equipped with the same amount of fans, (2 intake in the front, 2 exhaust in the rear and one side panel fan.)  Both cases are using the standard fans shipped with the case.  Since the Xaser II did not come with a power supply, we used the same TurboLink 420W supply in each machine.  To duplicate a production system as close as possible, we kept the cases closed during the entire testing period.

Thermometer Positions

Heat and Sound

The Heatsink position is actually the temperature inside the heatsink.  CPU temperature is also recorded.  All temperature is recorded in degrees Celsius.  The heat tests were each performed inside the closed case with the external temperature of 23.0 degrees Celsius.

We were very surprised to see the dramatic changes in temperature concerning the hard drive.  The aluminum is definitely doing its job as the hard drive measured to be approximately 10 degrees Celsius cooler than that of a generic case.  Furthermore, we also noted that overall temperatures were generally one to two degrees cooler in the Xaser II case.

Sound is recorded in decibels from 12” away from the closed case to most accurately replicate a production system.

As we can see, the ThermalTake fans have a definite advantage over the generic ball bearing fans in terms of sound.  The sound of the Xaser II is a little less than that of a human voice talking at a normal level (60dbA).  We were a little surprised to see the lack of a change in the noise level when switching between “Low” and “High” on the front panel.  Since there appeared to be very little sonic value in keeping the fan on low, for all intents and purposes, we have decided to leave the fan speed on high.