Cooler Master Elite 130 Review

Cooler Master Elite 130 - Performance Analysis

It didn't take a genius to predict that the Elite 130 was going to outperform its predecessor. The mesh front panel clearly aided the front 120mm fan in dropping the CPU delta T by 6°C, leapfrogging half the graph in the process. It's still not a spectacular result - the BitFenix Prodigy and SilverStone Sugo SG08 were still noticeably cooler here, but being able to cool an overclocked CPU with room to spare bodes well for the Elite 130 to stand proud as a capable mini gaming case.


As for the GPU delta T, there was hardly any difference for the simple reason the case still relies on the graphics card intake being right next to the large vented side panel. This isn't a terrible idea at all and the Elite 130 was only 8°C off the top spot, and the same ahead of the worst-performing case on test. The 80mm fan proved to be fairly loud above the din of the rest of the case, and the mesh front panel does allow more sound to travel out of the case too. However, overall the Elite 130 is one of the quieter mini-ITX cases we've tested.


As an extra test, we reversed the 120mm fan so it acted as an exhaust, leaving the 80mm fan as an intake. This lowered the CPU delta T by a further 3°C - clear evidence that the case could well benefit from a negative air pressure cooling setup. Without it, the warm air just collects around the CPU cooler when what's needed is a more aggressive means of getting it out of this small case quickly.


Conclusion

Cooler Master has made some thoughtful changes to the design of its mini-ITX case with the Elite 130. It's CPU cooling is much improved and despite being smaller, it has just as much expansion as its predecessor. So long as you're prepared to spend a bit more time cable tidying and either investing in a modular PSU or even an SFX model to save space, there really isn't a lot to complain about, aside from the somewhat lacklustre design - a BitFenix Prodigy it isn't.

Practically, though, CPU cooling is the only issue and we suggest trying the front fan as an exhaust and really maximising the cooler you opt for based on the 65mm height restriction. Even so, it was far from poor and will likely handle Haswell K-series CPU overclocks up to 4.5GHz with similar CPU coolers to the one we used. With that in mind, unless you're really gunning for a sky-high overclock, the Elite 130 is a great mini-ITX case, made all the sweeter by the super-low price tag.