For the sake of comparison, we’re starting with a list of the case's fans and their rotational speeds before moving on to the thermal measurements. We're using an Aqua Computer Aquaero 5 LT to measure RPM. The following results represent each fan at its highest setting.
| Fan RPM, Benchmark 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Front Fan | 2 x 120 mm Cooler Master A12025-18CB-3EN-F1 | 1857 RPM |
| Rear Fan | 1 x 120 mm Cooler Master | 1831 RPM |
| CPU Fan | 2 x 150 mm Noctua NF-A15 PWM | 1508 RPM |
Aggressive cooling performance is accompanied by lots of noise. Nothing in life is free, after all. Here are the exact numbers:
| Cooler Master HAF XB: All Fans at Maximum RPM | |
|---|---|
| Ambient Temperature | 22 °C |
| AMD FX-8350 (Core Temperature) | 47-48 °C |
| GPU (GeForce GTX 470) | 69 °C |
| 2136 RPM (45%) | |
| PhysX (GeForce GTX 650 TI) | 49 °C |
| 1200 RPM (37%) | |
| SSD | 32 °C |
| Hard Drive | 29 °C |
| Noise Level from Front, 50 cm | 50.2 dB(A) |
| Noise Level from Top Left Diagonal, 50 cm | 47.8 dB(A) |
| Noise Level from Top Right Diagonal, 50 cm | 48.0 dB(A) |
As we expected, the HAF XB's layout helps keep our components nice and cool. AMD's FX-8350, which isn’t exactly known for its appealing thermals, flips between 47 and 48 degrees Celsius. This is quite a ways from the 70 degrees where we know this chip will start throttling. There's clearly headroom available for an even higher overclock attempt.
The graphics cards are in similarly good shape. Gigabyte's 990FXA-UD7 gives us two slots between the Nvidia GeForce GTX 470 and GeForce GTX 650 Ti, which handles PhysX calculations. That's enough space to allow airflow from the front of the case to flow through. Consequently, the GTX 470 hovers at 69 degrees Celsius, while the 650 Ti stays at 49 degrees. Each card's fan is barely audible over the case's coolers, which you can certainly hear at 1800 RPM. Then again, this setup is optimized for thermal performance, not acoustics.
Color us impressed by these results, particularly since we didn't even use the optional 200 mm top cooler, which would have required a shorter CPU cooler than Noctua's NH-U14S.
Next, we'll try to answer whether Cooler Master's HAF XB continues to perform well when we tune for performance and noise. The following batch of measurements is taken with fan RPMs cut back.
- Introducing Cooler Master's HAF XB
- The HAF XB's Technical Specifications
- First Impressions And External 360° Picture Gallery
- Cooling And Dust Protection
- PSU Installation And Cable Management
- Optical Drive Installation
- Hard Drive And SSD Installation
- Motherboard And Graphics Card Installation
- Benchmark System And Conditions
- Results: Temperature And Noise Level At Full Fan RPM
- Results: Temperature And Noise Level At Reduced Fan RPM
- The Little Case That Could
Review the prodigy.
Good review, though.
Initially I wanted to go for an expensive 250$ case so my crossfire configuration could fit and have enough ventilation, but then I saw this thing for 125$, bought it and we have been happy ever since.
PROTIP - buy the quietest 120 and 140mm fans you can find or get a fan controller. If you keep the stock frontal fans, you're gonna have a noisy time.
Review the prodigy.
Good review, though.
For a lanparty, yes, the prodigy es better because it's smaller. As a high-end PC enclosure / testbench - HAF XB is way better. My sister used to keep a pair of GTX 480s in SLi in her HAF XB - it's one of the few cases with good enough ventilation for such hot hardware.
Given your experience with this case (and any previous case testing), do you think the HAF XB would cool well with better fans? You wouldn't happen to have the time and a couple of decent Noctua or Thermaltake (the models with the fluid bearing) to test with, would you?
Also, any thoughts on the stock fans rated CFM vs. actual amount of heat dispersed and any impressions with them? My experience with Coolermaster's case fans has been unfavorable over the years.
For the guy who suggested the Bitfenix Prodigy as an alternative to this: what are you, crazy? That thing is a mini-ITX case. It could never pull the duty of this case. It's worthless to any of my needs. Go play with your toys and leave the big boys to talk here.
1. the case only take Cooler master 200mm fans I have heard of some people using work around to fit other brands in, but since there is no "standard" for 200 mm fan's screw hole spacings, its best to get a cooler master brand for the best fit. they do have a really good red led 200 mm @ 700 rpm (non adjustable) also sadly its a sleeve bearing ...
2. when you do install the top fan you lose some range on how high of a cooler you can use. that being 30cm normally the case does fit 180 , but with a top fan in you can only fit a tower cooler that is 150 in height. this is why I haven't gotten an after market cooler for this cpu yet , its hard to find a tower cooler below this size. I however do have my eye on a Gemini low profile (the not so low model) cooler that is leagues above AMD's stock cooler and even offers clearance for tall ram dims., but I avhent had the bread to buy it after blowing my money on the rig itself.
3. last but not leat maybe CM fixed this by now , but at the time I bought this case , the hot swap board had been notorious for killing some Hard drives. On the flip side it is easy to remove the hot swap board all together and just use a sata cable to hook up your hard drives if you fear this problem rearing its ugly head at you which is what I did.
Cooler Master HAF XM
Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 750w
Intel 4670k
MSI Z87-G45 MB
Hyper 212 Evo Gigabyte gtx760 Windforce 3x Rev.2
Corsair Neutron 240gb SSD
2 3tb Hitachi Deskstars in Raid 0
I also have an unusual amount of desktop space, and don't do the LAN thing, except amongst my computers here at home. Even though the case isn't quite designed for my usage model, I have to say - well done CM!
If you looking for a case for pure passive cooling and natural convection this is probably the most well designed case on the market for it yet even though it was designed for a different intent in mind, but you could easily cool a Intel Core i3-2100T in one of these no problem silently with no fans using a good CPU tower cooler, a sdd, and a fanless psu and have a solid dead silent digital audio workstation system.
Don't give up on your e-atx dream! I've had this case since Christmas 2012 and installed an Asus Maximus V Formula e-atx mobo ( another Christmas gift from my better half) in the little beast with room to spare on the motherboard tray. This was one reason I asked for the XB. Btw it is strongly built. I couldn't resist trying what another pro reviewer did-popping off the top panel and sitting on it. Yep, it hold my 185 lbs without a complaint. And, pushing the envelope, I used the frame rails for a few pushups! No sweat for the case. The XB is located on a cabinet right by my desk about two inches below the desktop. Now it doubles as an armrest! Kudos to CM again( wife has a StormTrooper)!