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TEST RESULTS - CONFIG 1 (IGP)
Our test system running integrated graphics ran quiet and cool, measuring 21 dBA@1m at full load or idle. There was no point increasing any of the fan speeds as the cooling was more than adequate. At a meter distance, any cyclical or tonal idiosyncracies of fan noise were low enough in level to be effectively inaudible. There was a muted but still distinct hum which can be attributed to both the fans and the vibration from the hard drive. The vibration of the hard drive can be felt when any part of the chassis is touched. The 3 dBA increase from the sweetspot baseline low of 18 dBA is due to the addition of the CPU cooler fan and the vibration from the hard drive.
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System Measurements (IGP)
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System State
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Idle
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CPU + GPU Load
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Fans
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Back, Top and 1 Front on LOW
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SPL@1m
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21 dBA
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CPU Temp
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30°C
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49°C
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SB Temp
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34°C
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38°C
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HD Temp
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30°C
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31°C
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System Power
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49W
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189W
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CPU fan set to 100% speed.
Ambient temperature: 22°C.
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The screenshot of the frequency spectrum shows a sharp peak around 1200 Hz, but this is not really audible. The 2nd harmonic peak around 240Hz and the next harmonic at ~500Hz are much more audible; these are most likely caused by the vibration of the hard drive, whose fundamental noise peak can be seen at 120 Hz (corresponding to 7200 RPM). What we heard and measured confirms our earlier hunch that the rubber grommets for the HDDs are too thin to be very effective.
The IGP configuration measured 18 dBA@1m at full load. |
COMPARISONS
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IGP Configuration Comparison (Load)
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Case
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Lian Li PC-B25S
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Fractal Design Define R2
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Antec P183*
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Antec Sonata Elite*
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Active Fans
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front, top, rear @ low
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front & rear @12V
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rear @low
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rear @low
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SPL@1m
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21 dBA
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19~20 dBA
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19~20 dBA
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20 dBA
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CPU
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48°C
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51°C
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50°C
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55°C
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SB
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38°C
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38°C
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38°C
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37°C
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HDD
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30°C
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34°C
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37°C
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30°C
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*CPU fan set to 9V rather than 12V.
Ambient temperature: 22°C (results adjusted accordingly)
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Compared to the Fractal Design Define R2, Antec P183 and Sonata
Elite, some established quiet cases, the Lian Li PC-B25S is a trifle louder but a touch cooler as well. It provided the best CPU and HDD temperatures, while being on par with the SouthBridge chip temperature.
It should be noted that the two Antec cases were tested with the CPU fan at
9V rather than 12V, which in our experience typically results in a 3~4°C
increase in CPU temperature and about half a dBA less noise at the 20 dBA level.
Also, both Antec cases were tested with a single fan in the rear exhaust position,
a 120 mm Antec TriCool fan. The fans in the Fractal are quieter than the Antec or Lian Li cases.
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