Temperature Testing

Stress Test

We measure several temperatures and the system noise level across all cases. Every test is performed with the same set of components installed. The out-of-the-box fan setup is used, connected to the motherboard, which adjusts fan speed automatically. This puts the onus of noise and performance on the case manufacturers and motivates them to actually care about thermal performance instead of simply using active cooling as a marketing bulletin point.

On the software side, the test setup includes Windows 10 Pro with Furmark and Prime95 both running at the same time to put the maximum load on both the processor and the graphics card.

While Real Temp offers excellent and repeatable temperature results, we employ a REED Instruments SD-947 Data Logging Thermometer with four K-Type sensors that have been placed as closely as possible to the benchmarked areas of the CPU, GPU, M.2 SSD, and motherboard chipset. A fifth sensor is used to monitor the room temperature for an accurate delta T result.

We let the chassis sit at idle until temperatures reach equilibrium. Next, our stress-testing load is started, and it continues to run until temperatures are stable. The temperature result for each section of the case is the highest value measured during the test run. All reported temperatures are normalized to 20°C room temperature.

Gaming Test

To measure how the case and our standard hardware stacks up in gaming, we let the system cool down to reasonable temperatures before using Doom Eternal with VSync off at 1080P and full details, which lets the GPU throw everything it can at the system. By turning off VSync, the GPU renders all the frames it possibly can, thus eliminating any bottlenecks due to the monitor refresh rate. This system was once again left running for 30 minutes to allow for temperatures to level out. We will include proper comparison bar graphs once we have a few more results from other enclosures.

Comparison

While I usually let the numbers mostly speak for themselves, the Antec DF600 Flux warrants more. There has been this trend to provide the "best possible cooling and airflow" this year, which I don't believe should be the primary focus when purchasing a chassis—that said, others may be stauncher believers in a 2–3 °C difference making or breaking a chassis.

Antec is approaching this with their extreme scenario of providing a solid five fans inside a $70 chassis. But these fans are extremely loud when connected to the PCB as it runs all of them at full power all the time. While this may make the DF600 Flux the best performer, it also results in the loudest chassis by far. Even if you are lucky enough to have a motherboard with five 3-pin headers, which is simply not the case with most entry-level boards and, thus, the target audience for the DF600 Flux, you have the loudest system we have ever tested right next to you on your desk.

Noise Testing

Noise levels are recorded with a calibrated REED Instruments R8050 Sound Level Meter, Type 2. It is placed at chassis height on a Manfrotto Tripod. Measurements are taken from a 45° angle towards the case, at a distance of 10 cm to the closest edge of the chassis.