Testing Time

We followed our standard case testing methodology, as detailed in our previous heatsink and case testing article, and fitted the usual set of hardware into the chassis, doing our best to hide and tidy cables to ensure as few airflow restrictions as possible. Here's a reminder of the hardware we use.

CPU: Lapped Intel Pentium XE 955 (dual-core, 3.46GHz)
Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 Ultimate passive cooled
Motherboard: MSI P6N SLI Platinum
RAM: 2x 512MB Corsair XMS2-667
Hard Drive: 1x 250GB Western Digital WD2500 7,200RPM
Heatsink: Asus Silent Square Pro
Power Supply: Xilence XP700 700W PSU

While this isn't representative of current ultra high end hardware, the equipment we use is specifically selected to kick out the maximum amount of heat inside the case, with a passively cooled graphics card and 130W TDP processor at its core to really heat things up and push the case's ability to cope with toasty components to the limit.

In our experience, the CPU stress test is a good test to indicate a case's ability to exhaust hot air and the GPU stress test is a better indicator of a case's cooling ability as the GPU is generally further from the exhaust fan and so its operating temperatures rely more on case airflow than exhaust.

Following feedback from the bit-tech community, we've changed the way we display case thermal performance. We've removed ambient and case temperatures from our graphs and just left the more important values of GPU and CPU Delta T – the differences between the ambient temperatures and the component's temperature. We feel this provides a much clearer representation of a case's cooling ability where it counts, as well as producing results that are much easier to digest.

Following around our first bout of testing with the Cooler Master Scout, we were pretty disappointed with the case's cooling of the GPU, which despite the dual 120mm fan mounts and accompanying ventilation grill, ran very hot. As a result we decided to retest the case with a single Noctua NF-P12 120mm fan fitted into the side panel acting as an intake. Although Cooler Master, regrettably, has chosen not to include a 120mm fan for the side panel with the Scout, we feel the improvement in cooling afforded by using one is worth pointing out.

Cooler Master Scout Testing and Results

Case performance - Idle

Arranged by CPU Delta T

  • Thermaltake Spedo
  • Cooler Master HAF 932
  • Ikonik RA X10 SIM
  • Cooler Master Sniper
  • Cooler Master Scout +120mm side fan
  • SilverStone FT01
  • Antec Nine Hundred Two
  • Cooler Master Scout
  • Akasa Infiniti ZOR
  • Hiper Osiris
  • Cooler Master ATCS 840
  • Lian Li PC-9
  • Akasa Omega
  • Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000
  • Lancool K7 Metal Boned
  • Antec Skeleton
    • 12
    • 8
    • 13
    • 8
    • 14
    • 8
    • 18
    • 8
    • 13
    • 9
    • 20
    • 9
    • 13
    • 10
    • 21
    • 10
    • 22
    • 10
    • 15
    • 11
    • 15
    • 11
    • 21
    • 11
    • 21
    • 11
    • 16
    • 12
    • 18
    • 12
    • 10
    • 14
0
5
10
15
20
25
°C
  • GPU Delta T
  • CPU Delta T

Case performance - CPU stress test

Arranged by CPU Delta T

  • SilverStone FT01
  • Cooler Master Scout +120mm side fan
  • Thermaltake Spedo
  • Ikonik RA X10 SIM
  • Cooler Master Scout
  • Cooler Master Sniper
  • Cooler Master HAF 932
  • Hiper Osiris
  • Lian Li PC-9
  • Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000
  • Antec Nine Hundred Two
  • Akasa Infiniti ZOR
  • Cooler Master ATCS 840
  • Akasa Omega
  • Lancool K7 Metal Boned
  • Antec Skeleton
    • 21
    • 20
    • 13
    • 21
    • 14
    • 21
    • 15
    • 21
    • 21
    • 21
    • 19
    • 22
    • 14
    • 22
    • 19
    • 23
    • 21
    • 24
    • 15
    • 24
    • 13
    • 24
    • 24
    • 25
    • 16
    • 26
    • 19
    • 26
    • 19
    • 27
    • 12
    • 39
0
10
20
30
40
°C
  • GPU Delta T
  • CPU Delta T

Case performance - GPU stress test

Arranged by GPU Delta T

  • Antec Skeleton
  • Antec Nine Hundred Two
  • Cooler Master Scout +120mm side fan
  • Thermaltake Spedo
  • Lian Li Tyr PC-X2000
  • Cooler Master HAF 932
  • Ikonik RA X10 SIM
  • Cooler Master ATCS 840
  • Hiper Osiris
  • Akasa Omega
  • Lancool K7 Metal Boned
  • Cooler Master Sniper
  • SilverStone FT01
  • Lian LI PC-9
  • Cooler Master Scout
  • Akasa Infiniti ZOR
    • 24
    • 29
    • 28
    • 20
    • 31
    • 19
    • 31
    • 19
    • 32
    • 20
    • 32
    • 18
    • 37
    • 17
    • 38
    • 21
    • 42
    • 22
    • 45
    • 20
    • 46
    • 17
    • 47
    • 18
    • 48
    • 20
    • 49
    • 19
    • 54
    • 21
    • 59
    • 22
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
°C
  • GPU Delta T
  • CPU Delta T

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