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TEST RESULTS:
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System Measurements (ASUS EAH6850 DirectCU)
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System State
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Idle
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CPU + GPU Load
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Fan Speeds
(CPU / System)
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9V / 5V
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12V / 7V
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12V / 12V
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GPU Fan
Speed
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1660 RPM
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4040 RPM*
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3350 RPM*
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CPU Temp
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34°C
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92°C
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88°C
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HD Temp
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39°C
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41°C
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38°C
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GPU Temp
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44°C
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91°C
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90°C
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GPU VRM Temp
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50°C
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99°C
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96°C
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SPL@1m
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19~20 dBA
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37 dBA
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35 dBA
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System Power
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59W
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285W
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282W
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*set as low as possible to maintain a GPU temperature of ~90°C on load.
Ambient temperature: 22°C.
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Our test system, consisting of a Core i5-750 quad core CPU and a Radeon HD 6850 GPU, was sufficiently quiet in its idle state, measuring 19~20 dBA@1m with the CPU fan at 9V and case fans at 5V. There was also a distinct lack of hard drive related noise; the thick top cover fit very snugly on the chassis so it wasn't prone to shaking and the hanging drive mounting system with grommets neutralized most of the side-to-side vibration. However, the CPU and GPU temperatures were more than 10°C higher than we're used to seeing for this configuration in a typical microATX tower.
On full synthetic CPU + GPU load, the Node 605's underwhelming thermal performance was further exposed. The GPU fan had to be set to above 4000 RPM in order to keep the GPU at ~90°C and the CPU was equally toasty. Pumping up the case fans at full speed helped alleviate the load on the GPU fan, allowing it to spin down by 700 RPM, but noise level was still an earsplitting 35 dBA@1m. The CPU heated up close to throttling temperature so its fan was also cranked up to 12V (we normally leave it at 9V).
It seems that the components simply produced more heat than could be expelled by the case's cooling system. With the way the fans were arranged from the factory, both the CPU and GPU lacked direct airflow. In addition, our HD 6850, like many video cards on the market, uses a cooler that blows toward the PCB rather than an exhaust style, so much of the hot air built up above the GPU as the top of the enclosure doesn't have any ventilation points. The positive pressure airflow produced by the stock fans simply wasn't enough.
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ASUS EAH6850 DirectCU Test System: Comparison (Load)
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Case
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SS Temjin TJ08-E
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SS Precision PS07
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Lian Li
PC-V354*
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Fractal Node 605*
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System Fans
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low/10V
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2 x 9V
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3 x 9V (2 x exhausts)
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2 x 12V
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GPU Fan
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2330 RPM
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2300 RPM
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1740 RPM
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3350 RPM
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CPU
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59°C
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71°C
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60°C
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88°C**
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HD
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25°C
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30°C
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26°C
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38°C
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GPU
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89°C
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90°C
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89°C
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90°C
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GPU VRM
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87°C
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88°C
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76°C
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96°C
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SPL@1m
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24~25 dBA
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25 dBA
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26 dBA
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35 dBA
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*Tested with Noctua NH-C12P heatsink rather than the NH-U12P
(due to incompatibility).
**CPU fan set to 12V rather than 9V.
Ambient temperature: 22°C.
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The Node 605's temperatures and noise levels were significantly higher than previously tested microATX towers. From a thermal and acoustic perspective, it doesn't even come close to remotely stacking up. Desktop style enclosures are inherently at a disadvantage due to CPU heatsink restrictions and fan positioning limitations and the restrictive nature of the Node 605's design doesn't do it any favors.
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