Experience/Thoughts on the NZXT S340?(Now with test results)

[fyleow]

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with the NZXT S340? I'm currently using the Fractal Design Define R4 and have been looking at new cases. The R4 is a very large and heavy case for my needs and is a bit inconvenient when moving it for LANs and such. It also feels antiquated, I haven't used a 5.25" bay in many years and they just sit there empty. The S340 is one of the most compact ATX cases out there and is even smaller by volume than some mATX cases like the Define Mini and Corsair 350D.

Specs:
Core i7 4770k
Gigabyte H97 mATX motherboard
Scythe Mugen 2 with Noctua 150mm PWM
MSI 650 Ti Boost
4 TB WD Green
2x SSD
Seasonic 460 watt fanless
2x Fractal front intake fans @ 7v
1x Corsair 140mm quiet exhaust fan @ 7v

Link to the NZXT S340
http://www.nzxt.com/product/detail/151- ... -case.html

I like the layout of the case but I'm worried it will be a big step back in temps and noise compared to the R4 which along with the FT 02/ Ft 05 type cases are one of the quietest tested here. The H440 tested here has a similar layout and the S340 seems to suffer from similar issues. The front is only vented at the top and bottom (which would be covered on carpeted floor) so the intakes might starve for air. I would also need to find a way to block the top fan vent and control fan voltages since it does not come with moduvents or a fan controller like the R4.

I'm also open to suggestions as I have an mATX motherboard, but I haven't seen many good small options. The SG10 is an obvious choice but does not perform well unless the top fan is used as an exhaust resulting in negative pressure. The side fan also has fitting issues with Seasonic power supplies.

The 350D/Define Mini are huge for mATX. The Air 240 has too many compromises as shown in the SPCR review and the graphic card limitations preventing the use of the quietest cards (MSI twin frozr, Asus Strix) is a deal breaker for me. It's also 33L with only 120mm max CPU cooler height compatibility. The TJ08/PS07 are also an option but my initial feeling is their inverted design will cause much higher GPU temps especially with a fanless PSU.

[quest_for_silence]

Does anyone have any thoughts or experience with the NZXT S340?

Very personal thougths: mid-league noise/cooling, at best.

The H440 tested here has a similar layout and the S340 seems to suffer from similar issues. The front is only vented at the top and bottom (which would be covered on carpeted floor) so the intakes might starve for air. I would also need to find a way to block the top fan vent and control fan voltages since it does not come with moduvents or a fan controller like the R4.

First of all, it would seem that reversing the airflow might be beneficial (top/back as intakes, front fans as exhaust, positive pressure setup).
Then, why don't you hook up the fans to the mobo's headers?

I'm also open to suggestions as I have an mATX motherboard, but I haven't seen many good small options.

If it weren't ugly for your tastes, the Bitfenix Prodigy M might be a viable option (and the lower handles eventually will have a real function, lifting from the carpet). Otherwise, whether you are a serious, skilled modder, you might think to cook up an heavily customized Antec NSK3480.
However, there are several threads about mATX enclosures in these forums, you might dig into them.

The TJ08/PS07 are also an option but my initial feeling is their inverted design will cause much higher GPU temps especially with a fanless PSU.

The (in your case, fanless) PSU has its own separate chamber, so why should it matter? About GPU temps, however, I agree that an air cooler may likely heat up the graphics, I mean, more than in a traditional design: perhaps the newer Silverstone KL06 might do better than both their siblings, at balancing noise and cooling, but nothing dramatically I guess.

[fyleow]

Thanks for your thoughts Luca. A local large retailer had this case in stock so I decided to give it a try since I could return it if it didn't work out.

I used HWMonitor to get the maximum temperatures and RPM during my test run. I ran Furmark under GPU stress test mode with Prime95 with the Large FFT setting and 4 threads.

First, the baseline results with my Define R4 with 7v for the 2 front Fractal stock fans and Corsair Air 140

Code: Select all

        Idle  Max  Difference
Core 0  29    93   64 
Core 1  29    94   65
Core 2  29    91   62
Core 4  25    87   62
Package 30    94   64

GPU     30    68   38
RPM    900  1830  930 

Next I tested the S340. I moved the 2 front Fractal fans to the front of the S340. The top exhaust fan was not used and blocked off. The rear fan was the NZXT 120mm fan. Unfortunately I could not use the Corsair Air 140 since the NZXT cannot fit a 140mm exhaust. All fans were running at 7v.

Code: Select all

        Idle  Max  Difference
Core 0  29    89   60 
Core 1  29    90   61
Core 2  30    87   57
Core 4  25    82   57
Package 30    90   60

GPU     30    66   36
RPM    900  1770  870 

CPU temps were lower by about 4C and the GPU ran slightly cooler with a lower rise of 2C and lower RPM under load. However the system was noticeably louder. After some investigation I determined the source of noise was the rear fan which was louder than the Fractal 140mm at the same 7v voltage.

I also suspected the front fans were starved of air due to open vents only on the top and the bottom of the door. I decided to repeat the test with the front door removed

Code: Select all

        Idle  Max  Difference
Core 0  29    83   54 
Core 1  29    83   54
Core 2  30    81   51
Core 4  25    76   51
Package 30    83   53

GPU     30    62   32
RPM    900  1500  600 

The results confirmed my suspicion. CPU temps dropped around 6C but the dramatic difference was with GPU cooling. The max RPMs dropped from 1770 to 1500 and the temps dropped by 4C. I think the system was quieter at full load with the door removed due to the lower RPMs of the GPU.

The case somewhat resembles an FT05 turned on its side and just for fun I decided to run some tests with the front of the case laying down on the floor to emulate the FT05 layout. Perhaps convection could play a role in temperature reduction? The door had to be left on in this configuration so it should be compared with the first set of results.

Code: Select all

        Idle  Max  Difference
Core 0  28    86   58 
Core 1  29    86   57
Core 2  30    84   55
Core 4  25    79   54
Package 29    86   57

GPU     30    66   36
RPM    900  1770  870 

The results are a slight improvement over the normal layout, around 2C cooler for the CPU with the GPU remaining the same. I suspect there's a bit more to the FT05 than simply convection. The intake fans are positioned closer to the GPU and CPU and the larger 180mm fans specially designed with directed airflow probably play a part.

Conclusion
The S340 gave better temperatures but noise levels were also higher. I tried to level the playing field by reusing the same fans between the cases with the same voltage but the exhaust on the S340 is limited to 120mm and the comparison is a bit unfair because it generated more noise and airflow compared to the Corsair 140 in the Fractal.

I think the Fractal can achieve similar temperatures as the S340 if the fans were turned higher, perhaps at the 12V setting.

Overall my impressions of the S340 were positive. This case is rather inexpensive at USD $70 MSRP and has a lot going for it. It has a pretty understated design and all exposed surfaces are metal. The interior is easy to work with and it's trivial to create a nice clean layout by hiding cables behind the PSU shroud or the metal bar near the front of the case. It's also an extremely compact case at just 38L compared to other ATX cases out there. Another plus is the fan configuration can easily be set up for positive pressure to reduce dust buildup.

As for the negatives I think the front of the case can be improved for better airflow. The sides should be vented instead of just the top and the bottom. To their credit the legs of the case are quite tall which leaves the bottom intake of the door unobstructed even on carpeted flooring (unlike the R4 which are blocked on my carpet).

I'm not a big fan of the top exhaust vent either, especially since there's no way to easily block it off with something like the moduvents included with the R4.

It's a case worth looking at for those who are fine with quiet rather than silent. In fact it might pass the silent test (at least on idle) if were temperature controlled via motherboard headers.

Hope my test results are useful to those that are interested in this case.

BTW some might be wondering or are concerned about the high CPU load temperatures. The reality is that the 4770k exhibits very high temperatures and even though the TDP is lower than SPCR's LGA1366 test platform the temperatures do seem to be higher. I swapped the Mugen 2 with a Kotetsu using the same configuration and re-used the same Noctua fan with both heatsinks. The Kotetsu came out to be 4C cooler in both the normal test and the test with the front door removed when compared to the Mugen 2. This is roughly the difference that SPCR's own tests showed between the two heatsinks at lower fan RPMs using their reference fan.

[CA_Steve]

Thanks for the analysis!

[xan_user]

Thanks for the detailed write up!
I will recommend this case to my son, for his new gaming rig.