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TESTING
Before the usual gamut of tests were run, some time was spent using the system, web browsing, and updating the Windows XP Pro installation that the unit came supplied with. It worked swiftly without any hiccups.
Measurement and Analysis Tools
The test procedure is to measure noise (SPL), key component temperatures, and AC power consumption at various loads. No performance testing was performed. The performance of an Intel i7-920 is evry well documented all over the web; suffice it to say that it should be up to tackling any digital audio tasks.
TEST RESULTS
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StoneWave Pro Studio i7 Test Results
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Test State
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CPU*
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GPU
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HDD†
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AC Power
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SPL‡
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Off
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-
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-
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-
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2.9W
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-
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Sleep (S3)
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-
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-
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-
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3.5W
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-
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Idle
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40°C
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52°C
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30°C
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93W
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17 dBA
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Prime95 + Furmark
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90°C
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72°C
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39°C
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237/250W
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23 dBA
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* The hottest of the 8 reported temperatures (4 cores, 4 hyperthreads)
† The higher of the two hard drive temperatures was reported.
‡ Sound Pressure Level - measured 1m from front of case in 11 dBA anechoic chamber
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The loudness level at idle and low load is low, and mostly broadband; thus, benign.
The overall level goes up by over 6 dBA@1m under full extended load. Overall, it can still be considered a very quiet PC. |
Noise Analysis
The PSi7 is a very quiet PC in normal use. It is unlikely to be heard in any normal recording studio, even when no one is making any music. Not only is the level very low at 17 dBA@1m, the overall character is smooth and benign. The hard drives could be heard when seeking but barely when idle.
The 23 dBA@1m level was reached after more than an hour of extreme stress testing of both the CPU and the video card. The increase in noise was the result of the two fans on the heatsink speeding up in response to the heat of the CPU. At this intense load level, the overall noise is plainly audible in a quiet room. However, it is unlikely that any DAW in a simple record mode would see such a high load as our test of Prime95 and Furmark.
Power
The AC power consumed in off or sleep mode was very low. The 93W load at idle just clears the Energy Star requirement for a workstation of this class. It's not low for PCs in general, but modest for a system of these components. There are two numbers for full load AC Power: 237W is the load seen when the stress test was first begun, and 250W was seen at the end, more than an hour later. This is fairly typical, the result of components heating up and becoming less efficient as a result, particularly the voltage regulators around the CPU on the motherboard, and the power supply unit itself.
Temperature
Both hard drive and graphics card temperatures stayed well within safe limits. The aluminum enclosures for the HDDs may have helped in this regard. The CPU temperature under load was too high, however. While no ill effects or instability was observed, 90°C is too high a temperature for comfort. You may recall that the back panel of our sample had only one 80mm exhaust fan. This means that the exhaust airflow was limited. Also, the open hole for a second fan next to the first could also act as a "short circuit" of air, causing outside air to be pull into the fan to be blown right out without any cooling effect for the hot CPU half a foot inside.
There's some question about what is the ideal airflow design for a rack-mount workstation that's meant to be used as a DAW. If it is really mounted in a rack that's fully populated with other gear, then the only reliable source of cooler outside air lies at the front of the chassis. For such an application, the PSi7 sample reviewed here is not ideal, because most of the cooler outside air is obtained via the top panel, the perforated back portion which lies over most of the motherboard. On the other hand, if this rack is used discretely atop a desk, couuntertop or workbench, then the airflow design is perfectly fine, as long as the top panel is not blocked.
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