Testing
Test Rig
Processor |
Intel C2D E8500 3.16GHz
|
---|---|
Motherboard |
Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
|
RAM |
Team Xtreem PC2-6400 CL4
|
Graphics |
MSI ATi HD5850 1GB /w Zalman VF900-cu
|
PSU |
Zalman ZM600-HP
|
HDD |
2x WD 250GB 16MB Caviar SE
|
The case was tested in the following setups:
- With stock cooling, closed case
- Intake: Front fan
- Exhaust: Both fans in upper room
- With optional and custom cooling, closed case
- Intake: Front fan, most upper fan
- Exhaust: Optional and back panel fans
- With optional and custom cooling, removed side panel
- Intake: Front fan, most upper fan
- Exhaust: Optional and back panel fans
Temperatures are measured in Degrees Celsius (°C) in a room which temperature was 20,5 °C
The program that I used to bring temperatures up to a reasonable level was the well-known game World of Warcraft. Put up to the highest settings where even a HD5850 and a 3.16GHz C2D get a hard time, theat is produced at a reasonable load level. The reason why I don’t use Burn-in programs for case testing is that they do not represent any form of real-world usage and therefore arn’t indicative of how the case will be used.
In general these temperatures are all fine. The customized setup leads to a better temperature overall for most components, which is a good thing since high temperatures tend to shorten the life of your components. As it seems, an open case produces the best temperatures but also leads to a more audible setup, which Nexus explicitly fights against with their range of prod
cts, all aimed at ‘Silence’ and ‘Quietness’.
All other setups were simply inaudible, meaning you could work in a closed room with no noise coming in, in a perfectly quiet atmosphere. This proves that the foam Nexus used on both side panels is working as intended.
Pricing
Nexus does not give a recommended price for this case on their product page. In the Netherlands the Nexus Edge case can be bought for €120.- excluding shipping, whereas in the UK the case costs £125.- which is a tad higher than pricing in the Benelux.
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