Cougar just released the CFV235 and CFV235 Mesh, a mid-tower PC case design that features a unique “Central Floating Ventilation” structure that physically separates your motherboard, CPU, and GPU from the PSU and SATA storage drives. According to ComputerBase, the gap between these two sections allows for 270 degrees of airflow, allowing the main compartment access to fresh air from four sides. With a setup like this, PC builders can ensure that both the CPU and GPU get cooler outside air for optimal cooling performance.

Cougar Gaming has steadily evolved from a peripheral and cooling specialist into a comprehensive system builder's partner, with its power supply division earning particular recognition for innovative designs and solid engineering principles. The company's journey into the premium power supply market represents a calculated gamble that appears to be paying dividends, as evidenced by its latest flagship offering.

We examine the Polar X2 1200W, Cougar's latest venture into Platinum efficiency territory, which positions itself as a premium solution for high-performance gaming systems and workstations. Does it belong on our list of Best Power Supplies? The Polar X2 represents more than just another power supply launch; it embodies Cougar's commitment to competing with established premium manufacturers while maintaining its distinctive design philosophy. The unit boasts full ATX 3.1 compliance with a native 12V-2×6 connector, advanced thermal management, and premium components throughout. With a retail price of $260 and a comprehensive 10-year warranty, this unit targets enthusiasts who demand uncompromising performance and reliability from their power delivery systems.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Cougar Polar X2 1200W arrives in a substantial cardboard box featuring a sophisticated black and white aesthetic theme that hints the size and design of the unit itself. The packaging design emphasizes the unit's elegant white chassis, while its robust construction and packaging foam inserts provide protection during shipping and handling.

The included bundle strikes a balance between practicality and cost, containing the necessary mounting hardware and an AC power cable, as well as several premium cable management straps.

The unit features a completely modular design utilizing high-quality flat, ribbon-style cables with black connectors and wires. The sole exception is the 12V-2×6 PCIe connector, which comes with a black nylon sleeving.

External Appearance

Cougar has invested considerable engineering resources in the exterior design of the Polar X2, creating a power supply that functions as both a high-performance component and an aesthetic centerpiece. The unit is 180mm long, which significantly exceeds the ATX design guide recommendations. While this extended length should not present compatibility issues with modern advanced cases, builders should verify clearance requirements to avoid potential fitment problems.

The unit features a matte white chassis finish, with decorative embossments of the company logo on the unit's sides, while the electrical specifications and certification label occupies the top surface, resulting in a clean, professionally organized layout. The fan finger guard features an attractive hexagonal pattern and sports a distinctive silver paint that adds visual interest without appearing ostentatious.

The front panel is home to the standard AC cable receptacle and power switch. The unit incorporates hybrid fan mode functionality, though users cannot manually disable this feature. The rear panel is home to the modular cable connectors, with a subtle black company logo discreetly positioned at the upper right corner.

Internal Design

Cooling duties are handled by a DWPH EFF-14E12H 135mm fan equipped with a hydraulic bearing system. This bearing technology represents a significant advancement over conventional fluid dynamic bearing designs, offering comparable noise characteristics while providing substantially extended operational lifespan. The hydraulic bearing system utilizes pressurized lubricant circulation to minimize friction and wear, resulting in consistent performance throughout the unit's operational life. DWPH represents an intriguing choice for power supply applications, as this manufacturer rarely appears in PC PSUs despite their extensive experience in industrial and power transmission equipment.

The OEM behind this power supply is XHY-Power, a Chinese company whose products we rarely encounter in PC products. However, XHY-Power has established themselves as a capable manufacturer, with their products thus far appearing in mid-to-high-end applications from respected brands like Cougar and CoolerMaster. This selective market presence suggests a focus on quality over volume production.

The filtering stage implements a standard design featuring four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. There are two rectifying bridges mounted on a substantial heatsink immediately following the filtration stage. The APFC circuit’s active components consist of two MOSFETs marked "65R078W" plus one diode, positioned on a large heatsink that spans across the board's edge. The passive components are one large inductor and two TK 680 μF capacitors.

The primary inversion stage employs four NCE 65TF130 MOSFETs configured in a full-bridge topology. These components receive their own dedicated heatsink. The heatsinks throughout the design are generously sized with substantial heat dissipation surfaces.

Eight CRSM016N06L2 MOSFETs located on the underside of the main printed circuit board handle the primary 12V line generation, while separate DC-DC conversion circuits on a vertical daughterboard manage the 3.3V and 5V secondary rails. The secondary side capacitors are all sourced from Nichicon and Nippon Chemi-Con. These manufacturers are widely recognized as the premier suppliers of high-quality capacitors for PC applications.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

During cold testing conditions, the Cougar Polar X2 1200W demonstrated exceptional efficiency performance that substantially exceeds its 80Plus Platinum certification requirements. At 115 VAC input voltage, the unit achieved an outstanding average nominal load efficiency of 90.5%, while 230 VAC input improved efficiency to an impressive 92.2%. The unit has earned both 80Plus Platinum and Cybenetics Platinum certifications with an input voltage of 115 VAC, missing the 230 VAC certification by being unable to meet at 94% efficiency at 50% load.

The efficiency curve peaks at approximately 50% load with consistently excellent performance throughout the entire operational range. The efficiency under very light loads, however, is very low, to the point that increasing the load above 5% actually reduces the unit’s power losses.

The fan remains off up to 50% load and starts spinning slowly after that, with its hydraulic bearing providing whisper-quiet operation that proves practically inaudible in typical system configurations. Even at maximum load, the fan maintains relatively low speeds while delivering excellent thermal performance, demonstrating the effectiveness of the generous heatsink design and premium component selection.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

High ambient temperature testing reveals the true engineering excellence of the Polar X2. Unlike many power supplies that exhibit significant performance degradation under elevated temperatures, this Cougar PSU maintains exceptional electrical performance with minimal efficiency reduction. Average nominal load efficiency decreases only marginally to 89.8% at 115 VAC and 91.4% at 230 VAC, a reduction of roughly 0.7%, representing outstanding thermal stability.

The unit demonstrates zero signs of thermal stress even under prolonged high-temperature operation. The fan response naturally is more aggressive, with it starting at 40% load but increasing its speed smoothly after that, reaching maximum RPM only during sustained 100% capacity operation.

Internal temperature management proves exemplary, with the fan control system maintaining optimal component temperatures while minimizing noise output. The unit appears to be programmed to make the fan go full blast whenever the temperature reaches 100°C even though the OTP threshold is significantly higher, demonstrating a cautious, thoughtful design approach that allows the unit to operate without generating much noise while possible but sacrificing everything for reliability when it has to.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The Cougar Polar X2 1200W delivers exceptional electrical performance and power output quality that rivals the finest power supplies available in the market. Voltage ripple filtering proves outstanding across all rails, with maximum ripple levels of only 40 mV on the 12V rail, 14 mV on the 5V rail, and 14 mV on the 3.3V rail. Voltage regulation demonstrates brilliant performance across all rails, achieving remarkable 0.2% regulation on both the 12V and 5V rails, and 0.25% on the 3.3V rail. While the minor rails are often neglected in comparison to the 12V rail, the designer of this unit took voltage regulation very seriously.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.

OCP activates at 130% for the 3.3V rail, 132% for the 5V rail, and 128% for the 12V rail, providing robust protection without unnecessary sensitivity. OPP triggers at 130% under hot conditions, offering excellent protection margins while accommodating the power excursion requirements of modern systems. The calibration feels excellent for an ATX 3.1 certified unit.

Bottom Line

The Cougar Polar X2 1200W represents a competent engineering effort that delivers solid electrical performance, delivering flagship-level performance with exceptional build quality and sophisticated thermal management. The unit succeeds in meeting its efficiency and regulation specifications, with electrical performance that genuinely impresses and justifies consideration for high-performance applications.

The decision to partner with XHY-Power as the OEM has resulted in a mature, well-engineered platform that demonstrates excellent electrical performance and robust construction quality. The premium component selection, particularly the Japanese capacitors and hydraulic bearing fan, provides confidence in long-term reliability, though we feel that the company could benefit by sourcing active components by more well-known brands. The comprehensive 10-year warranty demonstrates Cougar's confidence in their engineering and component selection, providing users with exceptional peace of mind for their investment.

The unit's exceptional thermal performance under all conditions, combined with whisper-quiet operation and outstanding electrical characteristics, makes it an ideal choice for high-performance gaming systems, workstations, and enthusiast builds. It will not be stressed or lose any significant portion of its performance in a hot environment. The Achille’s heel of the Polar X2 is very low loads, where the unit’s efficiency plummets.

At $260 retail pricing, the unit faces formidable competition from manufacturers with more extensive market presence, but its exceptional electrical performance characteristics, unique aesthetics, premium component selection, and comprehensive warranty package create compelling value proposition. For enthusiasts, overclockers, and users demanding uncompromising performance from their power delivery systems, the Cougar Polar X2 1200W represents an excellent investment that delivers on its promises.

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One of the most interesting companies you'll come across in modern computing is Cougar. Cougar is known for making some of the most niche cases, such as the Conquer 2 and the FV270 — which we took a look at, not too long ago. The aggressive, unique Cougar designs usually extend to their peripherals, too... but not today.

Cougar's newest gaming mouse, the Revenger Pro 4K, is oddly simple for a company that's known for going above and beyond with its designs. This basic 5-button mouse features a simple, plain, lightweight (55g) design that looks practically mundane next to Cougar's cases.

Design and Comfort

The Cougar Revenger Pro 4K is a new mouse from Cougar; a company not really known for its peripherals. The Revenger Pro is available in either white or black and features a matte finish that isn’t grippy, nor slick — it’s the right finish in my opinion. However, if you get the black model, keep in mind that it will attract palm sweat. I can’t fault Cougar too much for this; it’s practically inevitable.

According to Cougar, the mouse has been sculpted to make room for two fingers on each button, meaning you can rest your middle and ring finger on the RMB (right mouse button). I have very large hands and while this was somewhat doable, it was not comfortable at all and I was practically resting my middle finger on the scroll wheel. I should mention that just because this type of grip didn’t work for me, it’s not because this mouse is abnormally small. In fact, it’s a really nice size. It’s a bit smaller than the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro and weighs only 1.94 ounces (55g).

However, if you’d like to add some bulk to the Cougar Revenger 4K, the company was generous enough to include rubber grip tape in the box. Speaking of generosity, the mouse also comes with a little sack for traveling and extra skates so you can truly get the most out of this mouse. These skates aren’t cheap plastic either; they are 100% PTFE. It also comes with both 1,000 Hz and 4,000 Hz polling rate dongles, a USB dongle adapter, and a USB-C to USB-A paracord cable.

For reference, the measurements of the Cougar Revenger Pro 4K are 4.9 inches (124mm) long by 2.6 inches (65mm) wide by 1.5 inches (38mm) tall. In contrast, the DeathAdder V3 Pro is 5.01 inches long (127.3mm) by 2.65 inches wide (67.31mm) by 1.6 inches (40.6mm) tall. Yes, while the size difference is minuscule, it could be a dealbreaker for some.

The side buttons on the Revenger Pro 4K are crafted perfectly. They’re light enough to use on the fly, but not too light to the point where you’re making errors. This is huge for me because I’m the type of person who swears by side buttons for regular computing.

One of my favorite parts about the Revenger Pro 4K is the switches, which are optical and made by Omron and are rated for 70 million clicks. They felt more lively, clicky, and satisfying than the switches on my Death Adder V3 Pro.

What isn’t satisfying is the scroll wheel: it's notched and somewhat loud, and while it didn't give me any issues, it just wasn't very satisfying to use.

Specs

Performance

The Cougar Revenger 4K is very simple looking; arguably as simple as the Logitech G Pro. However, its performance is the opposite. It’s amazing.

After using the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro as my primary gaming mouse for over two years, I was genuinely concerned about switching to Cougar’s new mouse. However, I had nothing to worry about, as I absolutely adored this mouse's performance.

If you’re unaware, I’m a huge fan of the zombies mode in Call of Duty, and with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, there was no better time to test a mouse. Call it a coincidence, but before switching to the Cougar, I was stuck at a high round of 32 — which is decent, but not great. But after switching, I was able to hit round 53 after a few games — and then round 62 a few days later.

Everything on the Cougar Revenger Pro 4K feels crisp and smooth. The left and right mouse buttons have a nice, firm tactile bump and the side buttons never felt mushy or unresponsive (and I rely on those a lot for melee attacks). The PixArt 3395 sensor works flawlessly; I use a pretty high DPI for FPS games (1,900) and I never experienced any lag or issues with the lift off distance.

That said, when I set the report rate to 4,000 Hz, my 1,900 DPI felt more like 800 DPI. Could I bump up the DPI? Yes, but that defeats the purpose of the dongle.This was a bit of a bummer, because while there are some people who obsess over high polling rates, this demonstrates that it's not just the polling rate that can create lag or latency issues. Plus, there are plenty of mice on the market today that boast even higher polling rates (8,000 Hz), without this issue.

The battery life on the Cougar Revenger 4K is fantastic without the dongle — according to Cougar, it's rated for 150 hours, which is on par with or above that of most premium gaming mice. With the dongle and a 4,000 Hz polling rate, that drops to 45 hours, which isn't great but could certainly be worse.

Despite the fact that I couldn't get the 4,000 Hz dongle to work correctly, the Cougar Revenger Pro 4K’s performance still blew me away, especially at its price point of only $70.

Features and Software

The software supporting the Cougar Revenger 4K is simple, yet effective.

You can adjust the DPI and polling rate, and turn on ripple control, angle snapping, and motion sync. The polling rate will automatically bump up to 4,000 Hz when you're using the 4K dongle, but you can still adjust it down in the software if you want to.

The Bottom Line

While it was disappointing that the Cougar Revenger Pro 4K had issues with its 4,000 Hz polling rate dongle, I still loved this mouse — especially for $70. I'm not too concerned about the polling rate because I don't think it's necessary, but there are plenty of mice with 4K or 8K polling rates — such as the $130 Glorious Model D 2 Pro 4K/8K.

As CPU enthusiasts anticipate Intel's Panther Lake CPUs next year, the firm is likely working on several other undisclosed projects. One of them is Wildcat Lake, allegedly succeeding the Alder Lake-N "Intel Processor" lineup, catering to the lightweight laptop and mini-PC market (via x86deadandback). While we don't have more information than a few shipping manifests detailing the BGA socket type and CPUID, expect these processors to arrive sometime in 2025.

Intel's current product segmentation positions Lunar Lake as a unique, one-off design to eclipse the competition in efficiency while delivering solid performance. Conversely, Panther Lake-H will succeed Arrow Lake-H, making it hard to pinpoint Wildcat Lake's placement in Intel's mobile roadmap. Architecturally, its design is rumored to employ a P+LPE core combination, similar to Lunar Lake. However, other sources hint that Wildcat Lake resembles Alder Lake-N or the now-abandoned Pentium and Celeron series. These CPUs are used in thin Chromebooks, embedded devices, NAS, and home servers, you name it. If true, this will be quite the leap for the mini-PC market, considering Alder Lake's age.

The shipments appear to have slipped under our radar, dating back to October 30 this year. The listings mention CPU reball jigs or reballing stations for the BGA 1516 socket, measuring 35 x 25 mm, the same socket that supports these new Wildcat Lake processors. This is likely to prep these CPUs for RVPs (Reference Validation Platforms) by applying solder balls at the underside of the chip.

It is too early to speculate about Wildcat Lake's specifications, as it is probably still in early development. Still, the chips are expected to be fabricated using the 18A process. Likewise, Panther Lake, also built on 18A, has ES0 samples ready with eight OEMs per Intel. This development is a significant boost for Intel Foundry since at least two products on its flagship node are most probably undergoing validation as we speak.

Furthermore, speculation abounds that Wildcat Lake features next-gen Cougar Cove P-cores and Darkmont LPE-cores in a 2P+4LPE configuration. This unconventional core layout likely means that the P and LPE cores don't share a ring bus, mirroring Lunar Lake.

A significant selling point behind Lunar Lake is Xe2. While Intel is already working on Xe4, we might not see Xe3 (Celestial) before late 2025 or even 2026. This, coupled with the absence of two P-cores, makes Wildcat Lake highly unlikely to supersede Lunar Lake, but it may be well-suited for the sub-10W segment.

Remember when you could only see into your PC through a small, likely scratched-up acrylic window? I sure do, but those days are long gone, especially with the case we’re testing today, the Cougar FV270.

The Cougar FV270 is one of the more unique glass-focused PC cases due to its curved and angled front panel, mimicking three-sided designs like the Hyte Y60, but with two pieces of glass. The case is priced at $180 and is offered in both white and black. That price certainly isn’t cheap, but it’s the same as the competing (non-curved) Phanteks NV7, and comes with one 120mm aRGB fan, while the NV7 doesn’t ship with any fans.

Is the Cougar FV270 worth the money, and is worthy of a spot on our best PC cases list? Let’s look at the specs, then we’ll get into its details and testing results and find out.

Specifications of the Cougar FV270

Features of the Cougar FV270

The Cougar FV270 isn’t your average glass-engulfed mid tower, as it features a curved tempered glass panel. This isn’t the first case to feature this shape, but most competing models, including the NZXT H6 Flow, do so with multiple pieces. So props to Cougar for giving this case a curved front edge.

As you may have noticed, the need for a GPU support bracket is growing more and more necessary each year, due to the increase in size and weight of graphics cards. Fortunately, the Cougar FV270 comes with dedicated GPU support, something more case companies should consider.

In addition to a GPU support stand, the FV270 has a rotatable PCIe bracket, which allows for a vertical GPU. However, you will need to purchase a riser cable, as the FV270 does not include one. I really like the design of the rotatable bracket; it doesn’t wobble like the one on Lian Li’s Lancool 216.

The Cougar FV270 has a ton of room for cooling, but only comes with one fan, in an angled section up front where it can blow cool air at your GPU. The included fan is a 120mm aRGB spinner but does not include any sort of controller. You’ll still have to add your own fans, though, because a single intake fan isn’t going to be enough to keep high-end components cool when they’re also surrounded by glass.

On the bright side (literally), Cougar makes a little stand for this front area, where you to display your favorite action figure, called Center Stage. However, I haven’t been able to find any links to buy the Center Stage separately here in the US; I’ve only seen it come with this version of the case that has preinstalled fans.

Like most of Cougar’s higher-end cases, it seems like water cooling would be the most ideal for this chassis. The top of the FV270 can fit up to a 360mm radiator, with a 280mm on the side, 240mm above the PSU shroud, and up to 140mm in the rear.

The case’s IO is decent, with one Type-C Gen 2, two USB 3.0, separate audio jacks, and a reset button.

The Cougar FV270 is larger than most mid towers. At just under 21 inches tall, it’s arguably a full-tower case. In fact, the FV270 is the same height as the Phanteks NV7, and according to Phanteks, that chassis is a full tower.

Room for hard drives and SSDs isn’t great for a case this big. You can fit two 2.5-inch drives or one 3.5-inch drive behind the motherboard, or four 2.5-inches or two 3.5-inches if you decide to use the dedicated hard drive caddy that connects the back of the power supply area.

As expected from a chassis of this size, you have a lot of room for the largest GPUs and CPU coolers. The FV270 can fit graphics cards up to 16.5 inches, which is more than enough for a giant RTX 4090 with a radiator. While air cooling might not be the best choise with a case like this, you can fit heatsinks up to 7.1 inches tall.

Testing Hardware

Our testing hardware uses Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake platform. We’re using a Core i7-12700KF, cooled by a Noctua U12s air cooler. Our graphics card is a Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC and our motherboard is the MSI Pro Z690-A WIFI.

Acoustic Results for the Cougar FV270

Our acoustic test consists of three scenarios: We run the CPU at full load, the CPU and GPU at full load, and an optimized mode. The CPU full load test runs the CPU and case fans at their maximum speed. For the CPU and GPU full load acoustic test, we also stress the Gigabyte RTX 3070 Ti Gaming OC and set the fans at 75% speed, because in gaming, the fans never run at 100 percent and are far too loud when they do.

For the optimized mode, we run the GPU fan speed at 30% and the CPU and included case fans at the lowest speed they will spin.

Because the Phanteks NV7 and the Cougar FV270 are very similar, we also tested them the same way. When we reviewed the NV7 (which doesn’t ship with any fans), we added two Noctua AF120 fans (one on the side and in the rear for intake and exhaust) since the tower doesn’t shop with any.

While the Cougar case does include a single 120mm fan, it does not include an exhaust, so we installed the same AF120 in the rear as we used in the Phanteks case. After testing the acoustics, the FV270 proved to be quite loud, but keep in mind these are stress tests and do not represent everyday scenarios.

Thermal Results for the Cougar FV270

For the thermal tests, all case and CPU fan speeds are set to 100%. The Core i7-12700K is set at a 4.7GHz clock at 1.3v on all performance cores to ensure consistent power consumption across test scenarios. Letting the GPU run at 75% fan speed enables it to maintain its power target while sticking to one reasonable fan speed, so the temperature is the only variable.

Just like with the acoustic test, we had a single Noctua 120mm fan screwed into the rear of the case for exhaust.The GPU thermals are not good, especially with the Cougar where you have a fan angled toward the GPU for almost dedicated intake. Besides that, the CPU thermals were fine and could only be improved with more fans.

Bottom Line

While sporting a curvedl glass panel and a ton of room for custom cooling, I don’t recommend the Cougar FV270 over the Phanteks NV7, given the two have the same MSRP of $180. With that said, I am not a custom cooling enthusiast. Those interested in a custom loop might be more interested in the panoramic view that the FV270 offers.

Sure, the option to install Cougar’s Center Stage platform is cute, but I haven’t been able to find it sold separately in the US; I’ve only seen it included in the FV270 variant that comes with pre-installed case fans, and that will set you back $360. The Cougar FV270 is a decent case, particularly if you love the idea of curved glass. If you can live without it, the Phanteks NV7 is a better choice – but be prepared to bring your own fans for either option.

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Cougar, founded in 2007, is a well-established manufacturer in the PC peripherals and components industry. The company initially gained recognition for its high-quality gaming cases and cooling solutions, and has since expanded its product portfolio to include power supply units (PSUs), gaming peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and headsets, as well as gaming chairs and other accessories.

In this review, we will be examining the Cougar GEX X2 1000W, a power supply unit designed to comply with the ATX 3.0 standard. This 1000W PSU is very compact and yet powerful solution, featuring all-black ribbon cables and a 12VHPWR connector to accommodate modern graphics cards. The GEX X2 has a 80Plus Gold certification that, along with the rest of its features and current retail price, place it in-between the mainstream and the premium gaming/workstation PC market. Based on our testing, we can say that it’s not quite efficient enough to surpass any of the best power supplies, but the $169 Cougar GEX X2 is more than functional enough for most builds.

Specifications and Design

In the Box

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is packaged in a large, firm cardboard box that features Cougar's distinctive black and orange color scheme. The front of the box prominently displays an image of the PSU, while the unit itself is well-protected inside by a nylon pouch and packaging inserts, ensuring it remains secure during transit.

The bundle included with this PSU is functional and not too generous. It comes with the necessary mounting screws, an AC power cable, a basic manual, and a few cable straps to help with cable management.

The GEX X2 features all-black, ribbon-style cables with black connectors, designed to maintain a clean and organized build. Most of the cables are flat and without nylon sleeving, which enhances flexibility and makes routing easier. The sole exception is the 12VHPWR cable, which has nylon sleeving protecting it. The unit includes a 12VHPWR connector, along with six 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors distributed across three cables in pairs of two.

External Appearance

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is housed in a chassis measuring 140 mm in length, precisely adhering to the standard ATX dimensions as specified by the ATX design guide. This compact size is impressive for a 1000W unit, making it compatible with a wide range of ATX-compliant cases - however, it also limits the size of the cooling fan and affects thermal performance.

The GEX X2 features a sleek matte black finish that gives it a refined and durable appearance. The fan cutout on the top side is distinguished by a unique tile design that incorporates Cougar's logo, adding a subtle yet distinctive touch to the PSU's overall aesthetic. Strangely, both the left and right sides are adorned with stickers detailing the electrical specifications and certifications of the unit, as if Cougar really wanted these to be visible from the side of the PC case regardless of the mounting orientation.

The front side of the PSU includes the standard on/off switch and AC power receptacle. This unit does have a zero-RPM fan mode but there is no switch to turn it off completely. The rear side is dedicated to the modular cable connectors, with a very subtle legend printed next to them. The top side of the PSU is entirely plain.

Internal Design

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is equipped with a DWPH EFH-12E12H 120 mm fan, which features some kind of sleeve bearing engine. Although the specific technical details of this fan cannot be found online, it is capable of reaching a maximum speed of 2300 RPM. DWPH is a company whose products we almost never find in PC PSUs but they are a seasoned manufacturer of DC fans.

The GEX X2 1000W is produced by Huizhou Xinhuiyuan, a rising OEM that has recently made significant strides in the PC power supply market. We usually encounter their platforms in Cooler Master PSUs and this is the first time we saw one of their designs used by another company.

The internal design of the GEX X2 showcases proven topologies that emphasize on reliability. The input filtering stage is robust, consisting of four Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. Directly after this stage, two rectifying bridges are mounted on their own heatsink to manage heat dissipation effectively. The Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) circuit includes two NCE 65TF099 MOSFETs and a diode, working in tandem with a Nippon Chemi-Con 820 μF capacitor and a plastic-shielded inductor.

The primary inversion stage employs four CS20N50F MOSFETs configured in a full-bridge LLC topology, with these components mounted on two substantial heatsinks in pairs to enhance thermal management. The secondary stage utilizes four CR Micro CRSM016N06L2 MOSFETs located on the underside of the PCB, which are responsible for generating the primary 12V line using a synchronous rectification topology. The 3.3V and 5V lines are derived from DC-to-DC conversion circuits situated on a vertical daughterboard. The electrolytic and polymer capacitors at the secondary side are of top quality from reputable Japanese manufacturers such as Nippon Chemi-Con, Rubycon, and Nichicon, ensuring long-term reliability and performance.

Cold Test Results

Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts.

During cold testing, the Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU comfortably meets the 80Plus Gold certification requirements across different input voltages. With a 115 VAC input, the PSU achieves an average nominal load efficiency of 90.2%, which further improves to 91.8% when using a 230 VAC input. The efficiency peaks at around 35% load, slightly earlier than typical PC PSU topologies. Although there is a 1.6% efficiency drop when using a 115 VAC input, the GEX X2 still exceeds the certification requirements. Its average efficiency is very high and the design could meet the 80Plus Platinum levels if it could improve its top efficiency at half load. However, its efficiency drops below 80% at very low loads, which is a common challenge for many PSUs relying on traditional topologies.

The fan in the Cougar GEX X2 starts spinning at a relatively low load of around 200 Watts, slightly sooner than when the company suggests it would. As the load increases, the fan speed scales linearly, ensuring adequate cooling without excessive noise at low-to-medium loads. The fan never reaches its maximum speed, not even at full load, although it does come very close to it. The internal temperatures of the unit remain controlled, indicating good thermal management without running overly hot.

Hot Test Results

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

During hot testing, the Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU experiences a colossal decrease in efficiency under heavy loads, with efficiency figures dropping to 87.6% at 115 VAC and 89.1% at 230 VAC, compared to 90.2% and 91.8% during cold testing. An efficiency degradation of more than 2.5% is unexpected for a quality unit, even if the platform is rated at 40°C. Closer observation reveals that the efficiency drop is significantly greater when the unit is heavily loaded, suggesting thermal stress of the unit’s active components.

In these hotter ambient conditions, the fan of the GEX X2 activates much sooner than during cold testing, starting at a low load of around 80 Watts and ramping up more quickly as the load increases. It reaches its maximum speed when the unit operates at about 90% capacity but the temperatures never get too high – as a matter of fact, they are quite low all things considered, most likely due to the sizable heatsinks. The fan is quiet at first and the noise is tolerable up to medium loads, with the GEX X2 becoming intrusively loud only when it is continuously operating at above 75% capacity.

PSU Quality and Bottom Line

Power Supply Quality

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU offers outstanding electrical performance, with several key features that set it apart. The unit demonstrates exceptional voltage regulation, maintaining the 5V and 3.3V rails at a mere 0.3% deviation, which is remarkable for a power supply of any caliber. The 1.2% regulation on the 12V rail is also very good but not as impressive. Manufacturers usually neglect the minor voltage lines and focus on the 12V line – it seems that the designer of this platform did not cut any corners.

When it comes to ripple suppression, the GEX X2 excels for a unit of its class, with measured maximum ripple values of 40 mV on the 12V line, 20 mV on the 5V line, and 18 mV on the 3.3V line. These figures are well within industry standards, ensuring that the power delivered to your components is clean. Although these numbers might not be record-breaking, they are competitive with most products of similar tier and price range.

During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU successfully passed all critical protection tests without issue.

The OCP settings for the 3.3V and 5V rails are set to activate at 128% and 126%, respectively, a little high considering their maximum power rating but not far from what we expected. The 12V rail’s OCP activates at 122%, a sharp setting for an ATX 3.0 compliant unit, possibly a deliberate choice to balance accommodation for the power surges common with today’s powerful graphics cards with assurance of the unit’s reliability.

Bottom Line

The Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is a fairly well-designed power supply that caters to modern gaming and workstation setups, particularly for users requiring a robust unit with support for the latest graphics cards. Its compact ATX-compliant chassis, stylish matte black finish, and clean, organized cable design make it an appealing option for builders looking for a sleek and functional PSU, making the GEX X2 especially competitive for ITX and custom system builds where space is at a premium. However, while its compact size makes it versatile for a range of applications, this also constrains the cooling capabilities and, to an extent, its thermal performance. It also boasts solid build quality, with passive components sourced from reputable Japanese manufacturers, ensuring reliable long-term performance. However, the choice of less familiar brands for the fan and active components introduces an element of uncertainty.

In terms of electrical performance, the GEX X2 1000W delivers solid results, particularly with its excellent voltage regulation across all rails. The 12V rail, responsible for powering the most demanding components, exhibits a deviation of 1.2%, while the 5V and 3.3V rails perform momentously better with minimal deviations of 0.3%. This level of precision is commendable and ensures stable power delivery, crucial for the reliability and longevity of high-performance systems.

Ripple suppression is also strong, with maximum ripple values well within industry standards. Efficiency during cold testing was high, with the unit achieving 90.2% efficiency at 115 VAC and 91.8% at 230 VAC. However, the unit's efficiency dropped to 87.6% at 115 VAC and 89.1% at 230 VAC during hot testing, which is a significant decrease, suggesting that the GEX X2's components are under considerable thermal stress when operating under heavy loads in high ambient temperatures.

The thermal and acoustic performance of the GEX X2 1000W PSU is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the fan begins to spin at a load of around 200W, which is earlier than Cougar suggests. Still, one cannot argue that the cooling solution is highly effective, keeping internal temperatures within safe limits even while the unit is heavily stressed. The fan ramps up gradually and manages to cool the unit adequately, also thanks to the sizable heatsinks used. The noise level becomes intrusive only when the PSU operates above 75% capacity, which should not be of much importance to gamers but could deter workstation users.

In conclusion, the Cougar GEX X2 1000W PSU is a capable and well-built power supply that delivers solid electrical performance with good voltage regulation and ripple suppression. However, although the performance results are generally very good, they do not set new benchmarks, and for its price, the GEX X2 does not offer a clear advantage over other units in the same class. With an 80Plus Gold certification and its basic features being the compact design and compliance with the ATX 3.0 standard, its retail price of $170 places it at a challenging intersection between mainstream and premium markets. While the GEX X2 is a reliable and well-constructed PSU, its price-to-performance ratio may limit its appeal, particularly among budget-conscious consumers and enthusiasts who expect top-tier performance for the price they pay.

MORE: Best Power Supplies

MORE: How We Test Power Supplies

MORE: All Power Supply Content

Cougar has brought a trio of new cases to Computex 2024, with two completely new designs and one shrunken variant of a recent success. The FV270, MX600 Mini RGB, and Airfare Eco all exemplify why Cougar is favored for its weird and fun case design choices.

The FV270 enters the fray of fishtank PCs with its tempered glass front and side panels, but with a collection of new additions to stand out from the crowd. The front side panel makes a smart curve as the case tapers to the front, looking almost like a bullet from the top-down. The interior provides plenty of room to show off your components, including E-ATX motherboards and 420mm long graphics cards.

The case also optimizes airflow. Two 120mm case fans can rest near the nose of the case, and one extra fan hides below, pulling up air from the underside of the chassis. For collectors who want to show off more than they need airflow, an RGB turntable attachment can be purchased separately to replace the front bottom intake fan, spinning your Funkos with a tasteful rainbow underglow. 

The FV270 has been in consumers' hands for a few weeks and sold out across most sellers lightning fast. If you can find it, you'll pay $179 for the Cougar FV270 in either white or black, with an additional $25 for its marquee turntable.

The MX600 Mini RGB is a shrunken version of the MX600 RGB, taking the mid-tower and crunching it down into a mini-tower. While it won't be winning over any SFF fans with its large footprint and volume for an ITX case, its twin 160mm front intake fans will undoubtedly provide more airflow than most ITX builds. With room for up to 10 fans, a 360mm top-mounted radiator, and 380mm long graphics cards, the MX600 Mini seems mini in name only, but it provides an easier build experience than a true SFF chassis. No pricing or release dates are available yet for the MX600 Mini.

Cougar's Airfare Eco has also arrived for the eco-conscious builder who wants to ensure peak efficiency in thermals and power. Cougar describes the Airfare Eco as being designed from its existing Duoface Pro's skeleton, with new features including the cheese grater front panel bringing to mind a Mac Pro, with holes designed to focus airflow and thermal efficiency into the twin 180mm intakes, replacing the three 120mm fans on its older brother to push more air for less power.

Bonus features include a vertical GPU mount, a movable front I/O panel, and a retooled dust filter. No price details or launch date is available for the Airfare; we expect it to cost a bit over the $100 price tag of the Duoface Pro.

Noctua is known for its “plain” brown colors,  but German company Cougar is known for having orange accents in many of its products, and especially for its orange fans (although you won’t find one here). We have Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential on our test bench, a budget-conscious successor to its Forza 85. 

Does Cougar’s latest offering perform well enough with modern CPUs like AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700x and Intel’s i7-13700K to earn a spot on our best CPU coolers list? We’ll have to put it through testing to find out, but first here are the specifications, direct from Cougar.

Forza 85 Essential Specifications

Packing and Included Contents 

Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential arrives in a box that is similar in size to other coolers in its class.

The inner contents are protected by molded foam, plastic, and cardboard to ensure the cooler arrives undamaged.

Included with the package are the following:

• CPU Heatsink
• Fan clips for 2x fans
• 1x 120mm fan
• Mounts for all modern CPU sockets (including AM5 & LGA1700)
• A small tube of thermal paste
• A screwdriver
• User Manual

Installation on LGA1700 and AMD AM4 AM5

The setup and installation of Cougar’s Forza 85 is simple. The process is similar for both AMD Ryzen and Intel motherboards and differs only with the mounting bars installed. 

1. If you’re running an AMD Ryzen system, you’ll need to start by removing the default retention bracket. Intel users will need to apply the backplate to the motherboard.

2. Place the mounting standoffs on the motherboard.

3. Next, place the mounting bar/bracket on top of the standoffs and secure it with the included screws and screwdriver.

4. After applying thermal paste, place the heatsink on top of the mounting bars. Use the included screwdriver to secure the heatsink.

5. The last step is to attach the fan to the heatsink and connect its PWM header to the motherboard.

Features of Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential

⋇ A single tower with a thick radiator

Cougar’s Forza 85 is a single-tower air cooler, but it features an extra thick radiator for enhanced heat dissipation.

⋇ Vacuum Tunnel Fin Design

The Forza 85 Essential was engineered with a 90-degree flip shape on the ends of the fins of the heatsink. The company says this closed space creates an air tunnel that prevents leakage from the sides of the radiator, and in turn, increases the total static air pressure.

⋇ Copper CPU plate with 6 Heatipes

The Forza 85 dissipates heat through a nickel-plated copper CPU plate, combined with 6x 6mm copper heatpipes.

⋇ Fan clips for optional second fan

While the “out of the box” performance should be sufficient for most users, Cougar includes extra fan clips for those who want a little extra cooling performance by adding another fan

⋇ 1x 120mm MHP fan

There’s more to a cooler than just the heatsink or radiator. The bundled fans have a significant impact on cooling and noise levels. The Forza 85 Essential comes with a single Cougar MHP 120 fan. Cougar advertises that these fans feature anti-vibration pads, improved hydro dynamic bearings designed for long lifespans, and a metal-reinforced motor hub and shell.

Foreword

Modern CPUs, whether Intel or AMD, are difficult to cool in intensive workloads. In the past, reaching 95C+ on a desktop CPU might have been a cause for concern – but with today’s processors, it is considered normal operation. Similar behavior has been present in laptops for years due to cooling limitations in tight spaces. 

Since last fall, Tom’s Hardware has brought you cooling reviews using one of the most power-hungry desktop CPU on the market – Intel’s flagship i9-13900K. To give you an idea of what it takes to cool Intel’s behemoth, we’ve tested it with a variety of coolers from basic low end air coolers like the Amazon Basics CPU cooler, to high-end 420mm AIOs such as Corsair’s iCUE H170i Elite.

While it’s nice to see how Intel’s flagship responds to different levels of cooling, those results don’t always correlate with lower-tier CPUs. Today’s review features two CPUs more commonly purchased by end users:  AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X and Intel’s i7-13700K.

Testing Methodology

All testing is performed at a 23C ambient room temperature. Multiple thermal tests are run on each CPU to test the cooler in a variety of conditions, and acoustic measurements are taken with each result. These tests include:

1. Noise normalized testing at low noise levels

2. “Out-of-the-box”/default configuration thermal & acoustics testing.

     a.) This means no power limits on Intel’s i7-13700K, and AMD’s default power limits on AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X.

      b.) Because CPUs hit Tjmax in this scenario, the best way to compare cooling strength is by recording the total CPU package power consumption.

3. Thermal & acoustics testing in power-limited scenarios.

      a.) With Ryzen 7 7700X, I’ve tested with limits of 95W and 75W enforced.

      b.) On Intel’s i7-13700K, I’ve tested with limits of 175W and 125W enforced.

The thermal results included are for 10-minute testing runs. To be sure that was sufficiently long to tax the cooler, we tested both Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE and DeepCool’s LT720 with a 30-minute Cinebench test with Intel’s i9-13900K for both 10 minutes and 30 minutes. The results didn’t change much at all with the longer test: The average clock speeds maintained dropped by 29 MHz on DeepCool’s LT720 and 31 MHz on Thermalright’s Assassin X 120 R SE. That’s an incredibly small 0.6% difference in clock speeds maintained, a margin of error difference that tells us that the 10-minute tests are indeed long enough to properly test the coolers.

Testing Configuration – Intel LGA1700 Platform

Testing Configuration – AMD AM5 Platform

Thermal Results with noise normalized to 38.2 dBA

Finding the right balance between fan noise levels and cooling performance is important. While running fans at full speed can improve cooling capacity to some extent, the benefits are limited and many users prefer a quiet system.  

In this test where the fans have been set to low noise levels, the Forza 85 Essential performs a little better than Thermalright’s Silver Soul 135, but behind coolers like Cooler Master’s Hyper 622 Halo. This is about where we expect most mid-range air coolers to perform.

No Power Limits Thermal Results

Without power limits enforced on Intel’s i7-13700K, the CPU will hit its peak temperature and thermally throttle with even the strongest of air coolers. In this test, we measure the total amount of watts the cooler is able to dissipate from the CPU.

In a maximum heat workload, Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential does very well – performing on par with BeQuiet’s Dark Rock Pro 4. Unlike BeQuiet’s model, however, it operates with a moderately loud noise level of 48.7 dBA in order to achieve this level of performance. While it doesn’t bust eardrums, this is the loudest result I’ve recorded from an air cooler.

175W Cinebench Results

Most coolers on the market are able to keep Intel’s i7-13700K under it’s peak temperature if the power consumption is limited, so for this test we’ll be looking at the CPU’s actual temperature.

With this slightly restricted workload, Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential doesn’t perform very well with an average CPU temperature of 85C (62 degrees over a 23C ambient temperature). What’s worse is that in this test it’s the loudest cooler I’ve tested – reaching the same noise level as it did in the unrestricted test with a noise measurement of 48.7 dBA.

125W Cinebench Results

The lowest power limit I test with Raptor Lake CPUs is 125W. This is a high enough limit to allow the CPU to maintain it’s base clockspeeds even in the most intensive tests, and most coolers should be able to keep the CPU below Tjmax – even low-end coolers.

With a thermal measurement of 47C over ambient, Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential isn’t the best result here – but in this scenario thermal measurements are largely academic. What’s more important at this restricted TDP are noise levels. While the Forza 85 Essential doesn’t run loud by any sense of the word in this workload, it is the loudest result I have from any mainstream air cooler. This is frankly a disappointing result.

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Thermal Results

It’s great to see how coolers perform with hotter CPUs like Intel’s i7-13700K, but that performance doesn’t always directly translate to how other CPUs will operate with the same coolers. Some coolers might perform better – or worse – depending on the CPU it’s paired with. Today’s review I’ve includes AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X to show how coolers might respond with more commonly used CPUs.

Thermal Results with noise normalized to 36.4 dBA

With noise levels set to 36.4 dBA, I measured 117W cooled on average during the course of testing. This is good result, comparable to Cooler Master & Thermalright coolers, and is only a few watts short of the cooler’s performance when noise levels are not restricted.

Maximum Cooling Capacity with maximum fan speeds

Our next test is to test the cooler’s maximum cooling capacity by allowing the fans to run at full speed. In this test, Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential handles 123W placing it amongst air coolers like BeQuiet’s Dark Rock Pro 4. This is a decent result, only 7W shy of the best air cooling results I’ve recorded with AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X. At 44.9 dBA, its maximum noise levels are acceptable in this system and are comparable to that of other quality air coolers.

Thermals and Acoustics with a 95W Power Limit

Not every task will force the CPU to use it’s full potential or maximum power draw, so it’s good to test coolers in a variety of power limits. In these situations it’s generally more important to consider the noise levels. The Forza 85 Essential performs acceptably here in both measurements, with noise levels of 44.6 dBA and thermal performance similar to that of Thermalright’s Peerless Assassin.

Thermals and Acoustics with a 75W Power Limit

With power draw reduced to 75W on AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X, this thermal load shouldn’t be difficult for most coolers to cool. This is roughly the amount of power Ryzen 7 7700X CPU will use during gaming, and it’s also the maximum power consumption of AMD’s non-X Ryzen 7 CPU.

At 38.9 dBA, the noise levels for the Forza 85 Essential are low and shouldn’t bother anyone.

At this lower level of power consumption, cooling difficulty isn’t hard at all and even the most basic coolers should have no problems here. In this situation, the temperature of the CPU isn’t very important – even the most basic coolers should be capable of handling the heat of a 75W power limit.

Conclusion

Cougar’s Forza 85 Essential is a steamlined version of the Forza 85 which offers a more value oriented price tag with similar cooling performance. It performs decently with AMD’s Ryzen 7 7700X, but it struggles under the heat of Intel’s i7-13700K. While I do recognize the improvements that the essential brings to Cougar’s lineup, this cooler fails to distinguish itself in a crowded market. It is worth considering if you should find it on sale, but I wouldn’t purchase it at its MSRP of $44.99. And as of this writing, that’s also its street price.

Cougar has taken the wraps off several new gaming chairs at Computex 2023. Probably the most interesting new piece of gaming furniture it revealed is dubbed the Cougar NxSys Aero, which integrates a 200mm aRGB cooling fan. Before we go on, it is important to make it clear the NxSys Aero cooling is directed at your back, so those with hot derrières should perhaps look elsewhere for relief.

In the northern hemisphere, it is indeed starting to heat up, so devices that cool the user start to become as appealing as those that keep the PC cool. Moreover, according to Cougar, chair cooling will help the user remain "comfortable and focused for hours on end."

As well as the 200mm aRGB fan section in the back of the chair, dubbed 'Cold Fusion', Cougar has implemented some complementary technologies to keep your back cool and comfortable during the hottest PC gaming sessions. It claims that its 'Air Bender' system uses hollow spaces in the elastomeric mesh, as well as a ventilated back cover to provide adaptive cushioning. 

At Computex, Managing Editor Matt Safford had a chance to sit in the chair and he said that it felt very comfortable and was just what he needed after three days running around trade shows. 

Cougar told him that the chair will cost $399 but come without a battery. Users will have to bring their own USB power banks and connect them. Cougar reps told us that it would get around 50 hours from a fully-charged, 10,000 mAh battery.

Cougar's NxSys Aero chair also features a built-in lighting and fan controller. This is a good choice for those that prefer the immediacy and simplicity of an application-less device. Specifically, Cougar says users can adjust both the fan speed and aRGB lighting intensity via handy built-in controls.

Last but not least, Cougar supplies what it describes as a physiotherapy-grade lumbar pillow with the NxSys Aero. An adjustable magnetic neck cushion is also provided with the chair, for all around ergonomics.

At the time of writing we don't have Cougar NxSys Aero chair pricing and availability information. Please stay tuned for release info and more.

This isn't the first chair with a built-in fan that we have seen. Last August we reviewed the $999 Mavix M9. Fans aren't standard with this chair though, you have to pay an extra $130 for an attachment that slots into the lumbar support to add heating, cooling fans, and a vibrating massager.

Currently, Cougar has no gaming chairs placed in any of our Best Gaming Chairs 2023 categories. Perhaps the aRGB fan cooled NxSys Aero has what it takes to make the grade, but we will have to wait until we get a review sample to judge it.

Other Cougar products at Computex you might want to check out include its Hotrod and Armor EVO chairs (pictured above), and the Panzer 800 full-tower PC case.

German company Cougar, founded in 2007, has a lineup that includes many peripherals, from CPU coolers to keyboards, and even gaming chairs. While companies like Noctua are known for their “plain” brown colors, Cougar is known for having orange accents in many of its products, and especially for its orange fans (although you won’t find one here). 

We have Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360 on our test bench, an AIO Liquid Cooler which features a 360mm radiator. Is the GT 360 capable of taming Intel’s Core i9-12900K and earning a spot on our best CPU coolers list? We’ll have to put it through testing to find out, but first here are the specifications, direct from Cougar. The Poseidon GT 630 is currently available in Canada for $149.99. It’s also available in Australia and Taiwan and should be available in other regions soon. 

Specifications for the Cougar Poseidon GT 360

Packing and Included Contents

Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360 is packaged in a medium-sized, long box, with molded cardboard and soft coverings of the individual parts for protection.

Included with the package are the following:

• CPU Block + Radiator
• 3x Cougar MHP 120 fans
• Mounts for all modern CPU sockets, including LGA1700, TR4, and AM4/AM5 motherboards
• Thermal Paste
• Information Leaflet
• Fan Splitter
• ARGB Controller

Cooler Installation

Installing Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360 was simple enough. To begin, you’ll first want to secure the radiator to your case. Next, press the backplate against the motherboard and secure it using stand-offs and silicone pads.

Cougar doesn’t pre-install the thermal paste, but includes a small tube of thermal paste with the unit. After applying the thermal paste, press the CPU block against the standoffs, and then use the included thumb screws to secure it. 

New Testing Configuration

What's different than other coolers?

CPU block with ARGB Lighting & Rotatable Infinity Mirror

The CPU block has ARGB lighting support and an “Infinity Mirror” with Cougar’s logo which can be adjusted to any position you desire. This means you can install the pump in any rotation without the logo being in an odd orientation.

Hardware ARGB Controller

Some coolers on the market require the use of proprietary software in order to change lighting settings. Cougar’s Poseidon doesn’t have software, which means you’ll generally need to use either your motherboard’s BIOS controls to change lighting options or download a tool such as OpenRGB or SignalRGB in order to make adjustments. However, Cougar includes a SATA-powered hardware ARGB controller which allows you to change ARGB settings, quite literally with the click of a button.

Cougar MHP 120 Fans 

There’s more to a liquid cooler than just the radiator and pump. The fans included have a significant impact on cooling and performance. Included with the Poseidon GT 360 are three Cougar MHP 120 fans, which have a solid black color and high static pressure. These fans don’t support ARGB lighting, a choice we felt was odd, considering the CPU block does have RBG lighting. 

Radiator with “UTTERIGHT” Fins Design

Many radiators use fins with curved endings – but not Cougar’s Poseidon AIOs. Instead, Cougar uses “UTTERIGHT” fins, which are shaped at a right angle. Cougar states that this design allows for greater heat transfer area and increased cooling efficiency in comparison to more common fins designs.

Testing Configuration

I'll be testing Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360 with Intel's Core i9-12900K, paired with an MSI Z690 A PRO DDR4 motherboard and Be Quiet’s Silent Base 802 casease. Due to the increased thermal density of the Intel 7 manufacturing process, as well as changes to core and component layouts, Alder Lake CPUs are more difficult to cool than previous generation CPUs in the most heat-intensive of workloads. 

This means that coolers that kept previous generation products like the i9-10900K nice and cool sometimes struggle to keep Intel's i9-12900K under Tj max–the top temperature before the CPU starts to throttle. Many coolers I’ve tested have failed to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max when power limits are removed in workloads like Cinebench and OCCT. We’ll find out before long how this compares to AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 CPUs, which also have higher TDPs than previous-gen chips.

Please note there are many factors other than the CPU cooler that can influence your cooling performance. A system's motherboard can especially influence this, as there are motherboards on the market with CPU sockets that aren't up to Intel's spec, which can cause warping or poor contact with the CPU. The case you use will also influence cooling results.

With Alder Lake's cooling demands in mind, I'll be rating CPU Coolers in 3 different tiers.

Tier 1: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K below TJ max in most loads, with no power limits enforced. I expect only the best liquid coolers to meet this standard. 

Tier 2: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under the TJ max threshold with CPU power limits of 200W enforced. I expect most liquid coolers and the best air coolers to meet this standard.

Tier 3: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max with CPU power limits of 140W enforced.

Testing Methodology

To test the limits of a cooler's thermal dissipation capabilities, I run two primary stress tests: Cinebench and OCCT, each for 10 minutes. While this may be a short amount of time, it is sufficient to push most coolers - air and liquid - to their limits. 

While stress testing in Cinebench, I run both with power limits removed and with an enforced 200W CPU power limit. In this test setup using MSI’s Z690 A Pro DDR4 Motherboard and Be Quiet’s Silent Base 802 Computer Case, only the best coolers are able to pass Cinebench testing when power limits are removed. 

I don’t test OCCT without power limits because attempting to do so results in CPU package power consumption jumping to over 270W and instantly throttling with even the best AIO coolers. Instead, I test at 200W to give coolers a chance at passing. I’ve also included 140W results to give data comparable to a CPU that doesn’t use as much power, such as AMD’s Ryzen 5800x or Intel’s i5-12600K.

• MORE: Best CPU Coolers
• MORE: Raptor Lake All We Know
• MORE: How to check CPU Temperature

Cinebench Test Results

I first attempted to run Cinebench without power limits enforced. If the cooler can handle it, this load will use a little more than 230W. The Poseidon GT 360 wasn’t able to pass this test, but most coolers can’t.

When testing Cinebench limited to a more reasonable 200W CPU power limit, Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360 averaged 60 degrees Celcius over ambient, making it the best-performing cooler I’ve tested in this particular test. Limiting fan speeds to 50% raised the average CPU package temperature to 68 degrees C, which is in line with other top-performing AIOs we’ve tested recently.

OCCT Test Results

I usually like to run OCCT's small set stress testing for stability when overclocking. But on Alder Lake, I haven't found a cooler that's capable of handling OCCT without throttling unless power limits are enforced. I prefer to test OCCT at 200W to demonstrate a thermally demanding load, but also with a 140W power limit enforced to show how these coolers might perform with a CPU that's easier to cool, like Intel's Core i5-12600K or AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X.

While running the OCCT stress testing at both 200W and 140W, Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360’s results were among the best we’ve tested thus far, even when fans were limited to 50% speed.

Noise Levels and Acoustics

To test noise levels, I used the SLM25TK Sound Level Meter positioned 18 inches behind the rear of the Be Quiet Silent Base 802 PC case, and recorded early in the morning to achieve the lowest noise floor possible. The chart below shows averaged results, measured over the course of five minutes, to account for sudden variations in measurements.

While the cooling performance of Cougar’s GT 360 is unbeaten while restricted to 200W or less, in the hottest of workloads (above 200W of CPU package power) the fans will get relatively loud if you don’t put any speed restrictions on them – louder than any of the competing coolers we’ve tested it against.

If you restrict the speed of the MHP 120 fans to 50%, they run fairly quietly, but they still make a bit more noise than the fans of most other coolers we’ve tested.

Conclusion

Cougar’s Poseidon GT 360 is a good performing “Tier 2” Cooler, capable of cooling 200W+ when paired with Alder Lake CPUs. This cooler performs great with Intel’s Core i9-12900K.

• MORE: Best CPU Coolers
• MORE: Raptor Lake All We Know
• MORE: How to check CPU Temperature

Cougar has released a new exotic tempered glass computer chassis known as the Cratus. This case offers a very striking case architecture, employing the use of tubular runs for the case's structural foundation. This along with an open air design give the case a striking look of performance and aggression - akin to that of a muscle car.

The design, combined with tempered glass covers on the front, top and sides of the case, show off as much of the internals as possible. At the same time, airflow is completely unimpeded, largely due to the numerous gaping holes surrounding the chassis. So any high end internals should keep their cool even under high performance.

The case supports the largest computer hardware you can think of in the computer industry today, including E-ATX motherboards and 460mm graphics cards (which should include Nvidia's upcoming RTX 4090.) If storage is a concern, the case offers a selection slots / spaces for up to three 2.5 inch and two 3.5 inch drives.

Cooling is key for any PC, and the case also features a plethora of radiator options, including radiator sizes of up to 360mm at the top, up to 280mm in the front, and up to 360mm radiators on the side. This large array of radiator support also applies to fans, with support for three 120mm fans on the sides and top, and up to two 120mm fans on the front. Plus one rear 120mm fan. Alternatively the front and top mounts can also house twin 140mm fans if needed.  The case comes with three RGB fans to compliment the tempered glass side panels

If RGB is your thing, then you are well catered for as Cratus features an integrated RGB light bar installed at the top of the case, right next to the front I/O. Mix that with the RGB fans and you have your own desktop based Aurora Borealis. 

In many regards, Cougar's Cratus is very similar to its other exotic designs, such as the Conqueror, but the new case features a different design language. The most conspicuous part of the case is its tubular construction - paired to metal supports and finished in a dark metallic color, which gives the case its muscle car vibe.

Pricing and availability are unknown at this time.

Update 8/29/2022: The initial version of this review stated that a long screwdriver required for installation was not included in the box. Cougar does include this, housed in the foam protective packaging. So we have removed that con and altered the text slightly below.

German company Cougar, founded in 2007, has a lineup that includes many peripherals, from CPU coolers to keyboards, and even gaming chairs! While companies like Noctua are known for their “plain” brown colors, Cougar is known for having orange accents in many of its products, and especially for its orange fans (although you won’t find one here). 

We have Cougar’s new Forza 85 on our test bench, which features a thick single tower radiator. Is the Forza 85 capable of taming Intel’s 12900K and earning a spot on our best CPU coolers list? We’ll have to put it through testing to find out, but first here are the specifications, direct from Cougar.

Specifications for the Cougar Forza 85

Packing and Included Contents 

Cougar’s Forza 85 is packaged in a fairly typical mid sized box that's approximately 6 inches on each side, with foam and cardboard for protection.

Included with the package are the following:

• Heatsink
• 1x 120mm MHP120 fan
• Mounting Clips for 2x 120mm fans
• Mounts for all modern CPU sockets, including LGA1700, TR4, and AM4/AM5 motherboards
• Thermal Paste
• User Manual

Cooler Installation

Installing the Cougar Forza 85 was simple. To begin, you secure the backplate against the motherboard using the standoffs and mounting brackets. After applying thermal paste, press the heatsink against the mounting brackets and tighten the screws attached to the heatsink. You’ll need a long Philips head screwdriver in order to install the cooler, as one of the mounting screws is accessible only by putting the screwdriver through the radiator. Cougar does include a screwdriver for this in the box, although it's a black screwdriver housed in the black protective foam packaging around the cooling tower. So make sure you don't throw it out before installing the cooler.

What's different than other coolers?

Thick radiator with a Vacuum Tunnel Design

The Forza 85 has a thick tower radiator, measuring 85 x 135 mm, to transfer heat from the CPU. The heatsink was designed with a 90-degree flip shape on the ends of the fins, which closes air from the sides of the radiator. Theoretically this results in the ends of the cooler having different air pressure levels, which boosts air flow for maximized cooling.

Under 160mm height

Unlike many large air coolers, the Forza 85 is only 160mm (6.3 inches) in height. This means it can be installed in most cases available without any problems being caused by height incompatibilities.

Cougar MHP120 Fan

There's more to a cooler than just its size and surface area. The fans have a huge impact on cooling performance and noise levels. Included with the Forza 85 is a single black 120mm MHP120 fan with a strong 4.24mm H2O static pressure. A unique feature of this fan is that it has a built-in fan splitter, which will come in useful if you decide to add another fan to the other side of the cooler.

Testing Configuration

New Testing Configuration

I'll be testing the Cougar Forza 85 with Intel's Core i9-12900K. Due to the increased thermal density of the Intel 7 manufacturing process, as well as changes to core and component layouts, Alder Lake CPUs are more difficult to cool than previous generation CPUs in the most heat-intensive of workloads. This means that coolers that kept previous generation products like the i9-10900K nice and cool sometimes struggle to keep Intel's i9-12900K under Tj max–the top temperature before the CPU starts to throttle. Many coolers I've tested aren't able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max when power limits are removed in workloads like Cinebench and OCCT.

Please note there are many factors that can influence your cooling performance. A system's motherboard can influence this, as there are motherboards on the market with CPU sockets that are not up to Intel's spec, which can cause warping or poor contact with the CPU. The case you use will also influence cooling results.

With this in mind, I'll be rating CPU Coolers in 3 different tiers.

Tier 1: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K below TJ max in most loads, with no power limits enforced. I expect only the best liquid coolers to meet this standard. 

Tier 2: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJ max with CPU power limits of 200W enforced. I expect most liquid and air coolers to meet this standard.

Tier 3: These coolers are able to keep the i9-12900K under TJMax with CPU power limits of 140W enforced.

Testing Methodology

To test the limits of a cooler's thermal dissipation capabilities, I run two primary stress tests: Cinebench and OCCT each for 10 minutes. While this may be a short amount of time, it is sufficient to push most coolers –air and liquid– to their limits. 

While stress testing in Cinebench, I run both with power limits removed and with an enforced 200W CPU power limit. In this test setup using MSI’s Z690 A Pro DDR4 Motherboard and Be Quiet’s Silent Base 802 casee, only the best coolers are able to pass Cinebench testing when power limits are removed. 

I don’t test OCCT without power limits because attempting to do so results in CPU package power consumption jumping to over 270W and instantly throttling with even the best AIO coolers. Instead, I test at 200W to give coolers a chance at passing. I also include 140W results to give data closer to a lower-end CPU, such as AMD’s Ryzen 5600X or Intel’s i5-12400.

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Cinebench Test Results

Running Cinebench without power limits is the most thermally demanding load in my testing, and most coolers don't pass this specific test. While the Cougar Forza 85 does well in other metrics, it wasn’t able to handle the heat of this test without throttling. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s just a sign of how hard the i9-12900K can be to properly cool in some scenarios. Other CPUs, such as AMD’s Ryzen 5900K or Intel’s i5-12600K won’t be nearly as difficult to cool in these scenarios.

When power limits are restricted to a more reasonable 200W, the Forza 85 runs warmer than the AIOs it’s tested against (which is to be expected), but on par with DeepCool’s AK620 air cooler.

OCCT Test Results

I usually like to run OCCT's small set stress testing for stability when overclocking, but on Alder Lake I haven't found a cooler that's capable of handling OCCT without throttling unless power limits are enforced.

I test OCCT at 200W to demonstrate a thermally demanding load, but also with a 140W power limit enforced to show how these coolers might perform with a CPU that's easier to cool, like Intel's i5-12600K or AMD's Ryzen 5800X.

OCCT’s cooling results are a little different from Cinebench for Cougar’s Forza 85. The Cougar’s cooling performance is a few degrees warmer than DeepCool’s AK620 at both 200w and 140w power limits.

Low Wattage Results

I’ve also tested the Forza 85 in OCCT while limiting CPU power consumption at 95w to emulate lower TDP CPUs like AMD’s Ryzen 5600K, but also to collect better comparison data for coolers which don’t pass high TDP testing. I have limited results for this testing, as this wasn’t something I tested until this review, but I will have more of these tests in future reviews.

In this test the Cougar Forza 85 performed on par with DeepCool’s AK620 when limited to 50% fan speeds, while running the default fan curve it performed 1 degree Celsius better than DeepCool’s AK620.

Noise Levels and Acoustics

To test noise levels, I use the SLM25TK Sound Level Meter positioned 18 inches behind the rear of the Be Quiet Silent Base 802 PC case, and recorded early in the morning to achieve the lowest noise floor possible. The chart below shows averaged results, measured over the course of five minutes, to account for sudden spikes in measurements.

Even with hotter workloads, Cougar’s Forza 85 will run rather quietly. At both 50% and full fan speeds, the Cougar Forza 85 is slightly louder than BeQuiet’s Pure Loop 2 FX and is roughly equal to Cooler Master’s PL360 Flux, but quieter than DeepCool’s LS520 and Cougar’s own Poseidon GT360.

Conclusion

The Forza 85 runs cool and quiet, with noise levels comparable to BeQuiet and Cooler Master Liquid Coolers. With Alder Lake’s increased cooling difficulty, many air coolers can’t handle the heat. While the Forza 85 won’t be able to run Intel’s 12900K without power limits, this air cooler is able to adequately cool the i9 if limited to up to 200w of power - and that’s more than powerful enough for the vast majority of users.

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Cougar has introduced the Dust 2 Mini-ITX case, which has been designed with a militaristic aesthetic and given special consideration towards its portability and dust-filtering capabilities (Cougar really highlights the second part in the case's name). The Dust 2 features three choices of colors (desert sand, iron gray and space silver), which change the appearance of the front and back aluminum paneling. There are quick releases for the side panel and a pair of handles on the top of the case make it easy to carry with you to your next LAN party.

The Dust 2 is a 175 mm x 299 mm x 403 mm (6.9 x 11.8 x 15.9-inch) chassis, not including the handles, making it a compact affair. It does seem expertly designed - the graphics card is actually separated from the motherboard by a riser cable (a PCIe 3.0 x16 cable is included in the case), and sits behind it rather than in front of it. This design choice serves the rest of the Dust 2's organization. It features enough space for a 280 mm radiator on the top of the case, or a couple of 140 mm fans to serve as exhaust outputs. Three separate compartments between the PSU, CPU and GPU help to alleviate temperature problems that could arise in such an enclosed space, especially considering how can fit it an up to 160 mm PSU and up to a 330 mm long, 60 mm high GPU.

Elsewhere on the case, we find the space for a pair of 2.5-inch drive bays, and a single 1x 3.5-inch bay (which when used, impedes installation of a radiator on the top of the case, so beware of this option). And for I/O, besides whatever your Mini-ITX motherboard of choice already offers, you can find a power button, a reset button, a 3.5mm front panel jack, one USB 3.1 Type-C port and one USB 3.0 Type-A port.

Cougar hasn't announced pricing, but some Chinese retailers are already listing the Cougar Dust 2 for the equivalent of $165 (€135).

Cougar has revealed a very unique gaming desk called the Mars Pro 150. This gaming desk has all the goodies you'd expect from a 'gaming desk,' like a carbon-fiber finish and dual-sided RGB lighting. It's also a powerhouse for streaming or professional use with several USB-C ports that you can use for connecting displays, along with support for multiple monitor mounts.

The desk measures 60 x 29.5 x 30 inches, so it's not the biggest desk you can buy. However, it should be perfectly adequate for people who don't use their desks for anything except their computer gear.

Among the coolest features of this desk is its three-mode height adjustment — you can position the desk at 29.5, 31.5, or 33.5 inches high. Don't expect to use this desk as a standing desk with such low height adjustments, though. However, it's perfect for adjusting your desk height to accommodate your office or gaming chair.

The desk also comes with a good array of front I/O connectivity, with dual USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a headphone and microphone jack, and a Type-C port that works as a monitor port. This monitor extension is aimed towards laptop users, allowing you to plug your laptop's Type-C port directly into the desk instead of the monitor.

Unfortunately we don't know when Cougar will release the new desk, or pricing. Given the Cougar Pro Mars 150's expansive features, we don't expect it to be cheap.

Corsair's new H150i Elite Capellix is creating a bit of buzz, but not just for the reasons you might initially think when we mention the words ‘new AIO cooler.’ The H150i Elite Capellix’s performance aligns well with other 360mm AIO coolers in the marketplace. And Corsair adds value by including a Commander CORE hub / control module that provides system builders the flexibility to extend control and management of their PC beyond that of the cooler.

Similar modules from Corsair cost about $75 on their own. That makes the H150i Elite Capellix a surprisingly solid value for those already invested in iCue devices or those willing to take the leap for great cooling and simple integrated system monitoring and control. Oh, and the Capellix RGB lights on the pump look good, too.

Corsair H150i Elite Capellix Specifications

Features

The Corsair H150i Elite Capellix comes equipped to support AMD AM4, Threadripper TR4 (gen1 and 2) as well as the new Threadripper sTRX4 socket. On the Intel side, the H150i Elite is compatible with Intel 1200, 115x, 2066 and 2011x. Also included is an extra, interchangeable Corsair logo faceplate, interlocking mounting brackets and typical retention hardware. A Commander CORE RGB / fan /pump control module rounds out the accessory list as a welcomed addition for users hoping to add a bit more control to their system.

Corsair covers the H150i Elite Capellix with a 5-year warranty.

The top of the H150i Capellix features only the Corsair logo as part of a clear top with opaque backing. Behind the face, 33 RGB LED lighting nodes sit in wait to provide the color palette to match your system scheme. A pair of 90-degree swivel fittings allow for adjustment and orientation of the nylon-sleeved tubing for the cooler.

The interchangeable face plates are easily swapped using the included hex key and four set screws, with each top providing a different pattern for RBG lighting to shine through.

The base of the H150i Elite Capellix features a brushed copper cold plate which arrives with a patch of pre-applied thermal compound. The inside of the cold plate makes use of a set of dense, micro-skivved cooling fins to the tune of 128 fins per inch.

Pump control and management exists as a multi-pin connector cable and 3-pin power/tach header. The multi-pin cable connects to the Commander CORE control module for pump management and RGB control.

The cooling plate of the H150i Elite Capellix is only just slightly convex, which allows for thermal paste contact to spread evenly when the cooler is being installed.

A consistent contact patch is easily achieved when evenly tensioning the mounting screws in a typical x-pattern, which is recommended for nearly every CPU cooler install, liquid and alike.

The Commander CORE module is similar to Corsair’s Commander Pro, but is focused primarily on the H-series pump management by use of the multi-pin connector. A set of six (6) each PWM and RGB headers adorn each side of the Commander CORE module, which provides enough expansion for a few other Corsair fans or RGB components.

The CORE module pulls power from a SATA 12v connection, while data is interfaced to a motherboard 9-pin USB header.

A trio of 120mm ML120 RGB fans provide the delivery of cool air over the H150i Elite Cappelix 360mm radiator and are rated up to 2400 RPM. Fans speeds are managed via 4-pin PWM, whereas the 8 LEDs per fan are handled by a 4-pin Corsair RGB clip connector.

The Corsair H150i Elite Capellix uses of a 360mm aluminum radiator for a large thermal exchange surface area. Having this extra volume allows for the cooler to effectively discharge more heat during sustained processing, while also allowing for optimized performance curves to make use of lower fan RPMs and quieter operation under light loads.

Installation of the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix is relatively straightforward, provided your chassis has the room to support a 360mm AIO cooler. Setup of the Commander CORE control module requires only minor planning to provide enough space for fan and lighting connections, as well as SATA power.

Usage and setup of iCUE is relatively easy for new users, although we always recommend reading the included documentation as well as FAQs and information on the company website. iCUE provides the capability to manage fan and pump performance profiles, RGB lighting options, as well as hardware and system management with logging.

If you are familiar with other Corsair/iCUE product setups, the Commander CORE configuration for the H150i Elite Capellix should come quite naturally.

We evaluated the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix with other 360mm performance AIO coolers, the NXZT Kraken Z73, Cougar Helor 360 and Cooler Master Master Liquid ML360R RGB. Each of these has seen hours of working on our Intel Core i7 5930K running at 4.20ghz and 1.20v on an MSI X99S XPower AC motherboard, 16GB of Crucial Ballistix memory, 1200w be quiet! Dark Power Pro power supply, Gigabyte GTX 1050Ti and Corsair Graphite 760T chassis.

Note that we have assembled the parts for a new cooling testbed with a Core i9-10850K, and you can expect testing on that platform going forward. But for now, the overclocked 140W-TDP Intel Core i7 5930K still taxes modern coolers quite substantially despite being six years old at this point.

The Corsair H150i Elite Capellix performs within mere decimal points of some of the best 360mm AIO coolers we’ve tested. This bodes well for users seeking performance liquid coolers, as there are some great options, each of which provide a bit different feature set and price point.

Fan speeds vary somewhat for each of the coolers in the testing group, while pump RPM is a bit more consistent.

Fan RPM often dictates relative noise levels and we see the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix edges past the others in the testing group in terms of recorded decibels.

Evaluation of thermal performance and noise levels provides us with a chart that determines how effective a cooler performs as a function of acoustic efficiency. A combination of good thermal performance and noisy fans can negatively impact effectiveness just as much as a quietly operating cooler might exhibit while experiencing higher thermal load temperatures.

Performance value takes unit pricing into consideration while maintaining the previous acoustic efficiency rating. Priced at $180 at release, the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix is actually a solid value in the 360mm performance segment when compared to some of its peers. While this comparison between coolers of the testing group might be attractive as-is, don’t forget the added usefulness of the Commander CORE management module and the ability to manage fan curves and RGB lighting for three additional fans or devices supporting Corsair iCUE.

Looking at the Corsair H150i Elite Capellix with our FLIR ONE Pro thermal imaging camera, we can see some slight thermal load differences in the tubing and lateral channels of the 360mm radiator between 50% and 100% fan speed. Compare this with the CPU thermal load differences at the same speeds and it’s evident that the H150i Elite Capellix easily can operate at lower fan speeds with a balanced performance curve to better manage decibel levels.

The H150i Elite Capellix itself is no cooling slouch, as the Corsair performance AIO easily keeps pace with some of our best-rated 360mm coolers. Toss in the added benefit of having the Commander CORE unit to manage pump speed, PWM fan curves, logging, alerting and monitoring as well as RGB lighting and you have an excellent liquid cooler setup in the H150i Elite Capellix plus the ability to manage a few extra Corsair case fans.

While this does nudge users to expand their PC horizons by utilizing the Corsair iCUE and RGB ecosystem, it still makes a compelling argument by providing centralized management of the H150i Elite Capellix cooler as well as additional components. Power users want full control of their systems, and the ability to have a simplified, centralized setup with granular administrative control is always an appealing option.

Cougar Gaming has steadily added to its catalog and repertoire over the last decade plus, by providing chassis, power supplies, gaming peripherals, system fans and liquid cooling AIOs.  Their Aqua series of AIOs is touted as a high-performance line of liquid cooling solutions with RGB-accented pumps pushing coolant while the radiators are paired with Vortex Omega fans to move air and dissipate heat.  

Specifications

Features

Cougar sends its Aqua 240 out into the world well-equipped to cover nearly all current-gen Intel and AMD CPUs, save for Threadripper models.  A syringe of thermal compound is included, alongside mounting components and brackets.  A handheld remote is provided and works by default to control lighting on the pump, or users can opt to integrate lighting with their other RGB-managed devices by means of the 5v pigtail.

Support of the Aqua 240 is covered by Cougar’s 2 year warranty on liquid coolers.

The top of the CPU pump module hosts an opaque white face with RGB lighting accents.  The pump itself is SATA powered and rated at 3200 RPM, although there is not a tach or PWM header to manage speed (or measure speed). This defaults the pump to operating at 100% at all times. That’s not really an issue, although some users do value the ability to run their AIO pump from a performance curve.  

The RGB pigtail for external lighting control also originates from the CPU pump module, and although the pump face is the only illumination piece on the Aqua 240, the cable does include a splitter if you wish to plug in other RGB devices from here as well.

The coldplate of the Aqua 240 offers a semi-polished copper base, which should adequately provide full coverage of all CPUs supported.  The interchangeable mounting brackets slide into place via a groove near the base of the pump module and snap over tabs within the channel itself . This makes simple work of changing between necessary hardware for your specific socket application.

A pair of swivel 90-degree fittings easily pivot to allow for multiple mounting orientations, and the rubber coolant tubing is sleeved with black nylon braid.  

Cougar ships the Aqua 240 with a pair of its 120mm Vortex WB fans, which are rated up to 2000 RPM (+/- 10%).  The fans ship with rubberized mounting pads for noise isolation when paired with the 240mm aluminum radiator.  They are managed via 4-Pin PWN and are devoid of RGB lighting, making cable management during installation a bit simpler overall. 

Installation of the Cougar Aqua 240 follows common cadence to most other AIO installs, with mounting posts and the backplate providing a location for tension screws to snug the cooling block against the CPU IHS.  Tubing length on the Aqua 240 is an ample 16”/406mm, allowing for easier installation in either top- or front-mount setups.  As we mentioned previously, using non-RGB fans simplifies cable management by process of elimination and the lessens excessive wiring spaghetti. 

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We tested the Cougar Aqua 240 on our standard cooling rig consisting of an Intel i7-5390k on an MSI X99S XPower AC motherboard clocked to 4.20 Ghz @ 1.20v, 16GB of Crucial Ballistix DDR4-2400 and standard application of Arctic MX-4 thermal compound.  

Using data collected from previous cooling tests, we can compare the Aqua 240 against a few other recently-covered 240mm AIOs: the Corsair H100i Pro, Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 CPU Digital RGB and the DeepCool Castle 240 EX. 

Right away we see an impressive comparison as the Cougar Aqua 240 manages to just barely squeak past the revered Corsair H100i Pro in our thermal load testing. The Corsair is a cooler we’ve used as a baseline benchmark for many of our cooling comparisons. 

Even though fan speeds of the Aqua 240 are bit slower than on the Corsair H100i Pro, Cougar seems to have paired the right fans for their cooler to optimize its performance.   

Higher fan RPM often indicates an expected increase of noise level, which tells a bit of a story on the fans used for each cooler.  The fast-spinning blades on the Corsair H100i Pro peak the normalized decibel levels above all others in the testing group, although the Cougar Aqua 240 fans are not far behind at 100% RPM. 

Our performance value chart depicts a reference of overall thermal performance when evaluated with noise levels.  While the Cougar Aqua 240 and Corsair H100i Pro sit well in front in terms of load temperatures above ambient, they each do so at significant decibel deficit when compared to the Alphacool Eisbaer Aurora 240 and DeepCool Castle 240 EX. 

 Taking our acoustic efficiency chart one step further allows us to consider thermal and noise effectiveness as a product of unit pricing. The Cougar Aqua 240 is currently poised as the cheapest cooler of our evaluation group with a web price of $85.

Thermal imaging from our FLIR ONE Pro camera shows minimal difference in heat soak under load on the Cougar Aqua 240 at both 100% and 50% fan speeds.  Differences can be spotted along the lateral edges of the radiator, the end tanks and the coolant lines where some additional thermal soak is shown.  At 100% fan speed, the center hubs of the radiator cooling fans have a bit of noticeable heat bloom over the 50% image, which is expected due to added power being required by the fan motors.

Retailing at $85, the Cougar Aqua 240 presents itself as a real cooling bargain for a 240mm AIO, priced 40% less and performing just as well as the Corsair H100i Pro.  By comparison, the H100i Pro does make use of Corsair’s iCUE software. ANd software control is an obvious component missing from the Cougar Aqua 240 toolkit.

While price and performance are very much on point, the lack of software UI for pump and overall cooler management are missing, making fan curves entirely dependent on motherboard PWM or a standalone controller. But for value-seeking power users comfortable with setting fan curves themselves, this Cougar is a cool steal.

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Whereas Cougar is normally known for creating relatively budget-oriented solutions, it seems they’ve built something that takes a swing in a totally different direction. This something is the Conquer 2, which is a chassis that looks like none other, as reported by TechPowerUp.

The chassis’ external features are wild, with a wicked metal frame that can be completely disassembled for modding and adjusting. Its design is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, though rather than describing it, we reckon we’d be better off letting the images do the talking. Go ahead and click through the gallery below.

Because of its rather unusual shape, the case doesn’t have a panel you can pop off to get inside it and build your system. Rather, it features a so-called sub-chassis, which can be slid right out the back for easy access. Despite that, we can’t imagine this being easy to build in, as sliding it on when there’s lots of cables and clutter around might prove challenging, though should be doable. Inside, there is space for up to ATX size motherboards and multiple graphics cards up to 400mm long (there are 8 expansion slots plus one area for vertical GPU mounting).

To cool your system, it’s clear that Cougar is pointing you towards liquid cooling, as the system has space for a 240 mm radiator at the front and a 360 mm unit at the top exhaust. The company also hasn’t listed a maximum CPU cooler height restriction.

A single RGB-enabled fan is included at the front intake, as shown in the images.  The case also comes with RGB lighting all over its front, which can be controlled through your motherboard’s lighting ecosystem with its addressable RGB support.

Though no information was given about availability or pricing, we reckon this chassis won’t come cheap as it looks like the manufacturer’s attempt at showing off what it’s capable of building with higher budgets.

Features and Specifications

Revered for its aggressively-styled line of gaming-ready cases, mice, keyboards, power supplies, and headsets,  Cougar’s Helor 360 adds a large 360mm radiator to its recent line of liquid cooling solutions. Paired with synchronized, addressable-RGB options that illuminate across both the pump unit and a trio of 120mm cooling fans, its flagship Helor 360 offers competitive performance amidst a market flooded with familiar names and logos.  Currently priced at $160, the Helor 360 pivots itself around as a great performance value.

Specifications

Features

Despite supporting most CPU sockets on the market today, the Helor 360 comes sensibly packaged with enough mounting hardware and shared components to minimize waste of unused kit. While Cougar utilizes its own custom aRGB connectivity, it also provides common 3-pin and 4-pin RGB connection cables to support motherboard or stand-alone PC lighting controls. 

A nifty RF remote is included to help manage various preset lighting effects by those who opt to only use Cougar’s included lighting hub, and it even ships holding a fresh CR2025 battery. Packets of thermal compound and a small bottle of coolant to top off the system (should that be needed) round out the accessory parts list.

Adorned by a clear plexi top donning the Cougar logo and direct view of the pinwheel flow meter contained within, lighting modules inlaid around the perimeter of the flow meter fill the top of the Helor 360’s pump housing with the rich glow of the user’s chosen color palette as it is diffused through the coolant. The inclusion of the threaded fill port fitting on the side of the housing allows for simple access to top off the liquid level using the included 100mL bottle of coolant, which is a feature not seen on many sealed AIOs. 

The base of the Helor 360 gleams in nickel-plated copper which is milled to a soft finish. Coolant tubing boasts handsome, braided nylon sleeving which runs the entirety of the tubing and then terminates beneath a pair of 90° swivel fittings at the pump housing. Integrated mounting ears built into the base of the CPU block are reinforced with gussets seen from the top of the unit.

Cougar ships the Helor 360 with a fairly standard 360mm aluminum radiator and a trio of nine-bladed Cougar Vortex Omega 120 fans trimmed which are rated at 78.4 CFM @ 1800 RPM. Each fan houses ten RGB LEDs which results in a saturated glow throughout the partially opaque fan from hub to tip.  Anti-vibration rubber mounting tabs at each corner assist in managing unwanted noise.

Installation of the Helor 360 is simple and minimal, assuming your case supports large, 360mm radiators. As with nearly all aRGB/RGB devices, the management of cables and the Cougar lighting hub will require additional attention during planning and mounting of the unit. With the Helor 360 in place, the aRGB lighting bathes the interior of the chassis with the chosen lighting scheme. While the 90° swivel fittings allow for moving the cooler about as needed for installation, the 400mm of length on the tubing runs could be just a bit longer to allow for more mounting options and overall flexibility.

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Testing Results and Conclusion

We’re going to take a closer look at the performance of the Cougar Helor 360 by evaluating the cooler against peer 360 AIOs in the Cooler Master Master Liquid ML360R RGB, the Cooler Master Master Liquid ML360P Silver Edition and the NZXT Kraken X72. The quartet of 360mm AIOs have each been tested on our Intel Core i7-5930k overclocked to 4.20Ghz @ 1.20v on the MSI X99S XPower AC motherboard, loaded up with 16GB of Crucial Ballistix Sport memory, all nestled within our Corsair Graphite 760T chassis.

The Cougar Helor 360 aligns well with the other coolers of the testing quartet by keeping within reach of the high-performing Cooler Master Master Liquid ML360R RGB and the NZXT Kraken X72, and edging out the Cooler Master Master Liquid ML360P Silver Edition. The thermal performance grouping is relatively close overall, making small differences in subsequent chart comparisons appear more profound.

Fan and pump speeds provide us with a technical look at what is under the hood powering each cooler in the test group, although pump RPM does not necessarily provide anything other than information, since we do not know actual flow rates of each. Fan RPM, however, gives us good indication on performance and noise level as all four coolers make use of 120mm parts.

Registered noise levels often shows slower fan speeds provide lower decibel levels, however this isn’t the case with the Cougar Helor 360 as it creeps into sound levels offered by others in the testing group running higher RPM fans. Meanwhile, the Cooler Master ML360P Silver Edition shows another level of quiet using fans only just slightly faster than the Helor 360.

Despite having a close thermal load performance grouping, the differences in noise level are amplified between minor differences in degrees Celsius on our load test observations and various differences in decibels on our acoustics chart. Acoustic efficiency calls to light the benefits of low-noise levels for lesser-performing thermal cooling tests, while noisier fans detract from better-performing coolers to provide some equilibrium to the comparison quartet. 

Priced at $160, the Cougar Helor 360 swings near the low end of our testing group unit cost, bested only by the Cooler Master ML360R RGB at $140. Comparable thermal performance and noise levels make this group of four 360 AIOs user preference based on cooler presentation, aRGB/RGB lighting functionality and ultimately cost.

Thermal imaging from our FLIR ONE Pro camera shows some slight heat soaking at 50% fan speed in both the radiator sides and end tanks as well as a bit more through the coolant tubing compared to 100% fan RPM. At full speeds, the radiator and coolant return line appear to effectively dissipate thermal loads by our overclocked i7 CPU. 

Providing brilliant aRGB lighting and comparable thermal load effectiveness, the Cougar Helor 360 represents a viable 360 AIO option in the vast oceans of available cooling options while remaining financially attractive in the marketplace. It might not boast as many secondary features as other 360 AIO solutions, but the Cougar Helor 360 does offer marked simplicity, value and solid performance for those seeking alternatives in liquid cooling. 

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Features and Specifications

In today's crowded case market, it seems as though every vendor has a fancy RGB-lit case with the latest trends, such as hinged tempered glass panels, support for vertical graphics cards and customizable I/O panels. This means that, to the average consumer, many PC cases are starting to look virtually the same.

The Gamdias Talos P1A is yet another trendy case vying for PC builders' attention. But it's not just good-looking, it also packs good performance. However, its lack of an intake fan filter and USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port may be a deal breaker for some--especially with such a crowded market leading many consumers to make their pick based on price. 

Gamdias Talos P1A PC Case Specs

Exterior

Constructed of steel and plastic with tempered glass panels on four sides, the Talos P1A measures 18.93 x 8.46 x 21.65 inches (481 x 215 x 550mm) and tips the scales at 22.33 pounds (10.13kg). In addition to the four tempered-glass panels, triple 120mm RGB fans and a one-year warranty on parts and labor provide some value add, offsetting the price.

Tempered glass over triple 120mm LED-lit RGB fans that provide solid thermal performance are the Talos P1A's top selling points. A trapezoidal shape allows air to be drawn between the tempered glass and its plastic frame. Behind the front fascia are three of the company's 120mm Aeolus-brand RGB fans.

Up front are an I/O panel with two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, plus power, reset and fan / RGB buttons and a hard drive activity light. This panel can be relocated from the upper edge of the front panel to the bottom if desired.

Fans of RGB-everything will delighted to know that the Talos P1A is equipped with 4mm-wide RGB strips on the exterior for accent lighting. Both tempered glass side panels are darkly tinted and attached to the chassis via hinges at the rear of the panel. Strong magnets affixed to the top / front of the panels hold them shut.

The rear has a fairly standard layout of seven standard expansion-card slots (plus two vertical for showing off your graphics card), a motherboard I/O area, an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU and a 120mm exhaust-fan mount with slotted screw holes that let you adjust the position of the fan to fine-tune airflow or make room for system components.

In the bottom of the Talos P1A is a 6 x 8-inch removable plastic mesh filter that slides out from the rear. Large, rubber-coated feet keep the case approximately 1 inch off the floor to facilitate air intake to the power supply.

The filtration system is a bit of a disappointment overall: It can be remedied with an additional aftermarket filter for the front, but that will, of course, add to the cost. You have the option of using the magnetic top filter to cover the intake fans in the front of the chassis, but that leaves the top of your PC exposed to dust and debris. 

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Test Configuration

Drivers and Settings

Interior

There are a total of 11 passthroughs for cable management: six large holes with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray, two smaller holes in the top of the PSU tunnel and three cable passthrough holes with rolled metal edges. The smaller holes at the upper left edge of the motherboard tray are specifically designed for routing fan cables and the ATX12V / EPS12V power cable.

The component compartment is extremely spacious and well laid out. A large hole behind the CPU socket area facilitates heatsink changes without removing the motherboard. The Talos P1A can support CPU coolers as tall as 170mm. A total of nine (seven standard plus two vertical) expansion slots can accommodate multi-GPU set-ups up to 380mm in length.

For a case of its size, we found it a bit surprising the Talos P1A can only accommodate two 3.5-inch hard drives and / or a total of four 2.5-inch SSDs (two convertible from the 3.5-inch drive racks) in the secondary compartment behind the motherboard tray.

It's also rather odd that the two dedicated SSD mounting locations actually block two of the cable passages in the motherboard tray.

We tested power supplies up to 200mm in length without any issues. That said, we recommend using a modular PSU because of the lack of space between the PSU and hard drive racks.

You can change the RGB effects using the RGB button on the front of the case. The built-in controller also allows RGB-capable motherboards to control fan lighting via software from manufacturers like Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte and MSI.

Cooling

Mounting locations for up to seven fans include three 120mm or 140mm fans on both the front and top panels and a single 120mm in the rear. The Talos P1A ships with three Aelous RGB intake fans in the front but lacks an exhaust fan.

The rear mount supports 120mm radiators in single and dual-fan configurations, while the front and top support 280mm and / or 360mm max. A little advice for those of you planning to use a 360mm radiator: mount the radiator first, then install the fans from the bottom up.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

Comparison Products

We tested the Talos P1A with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform, comparing it against the DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB, the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the Fractal Design Define S2 Vision and Cooler Master MasterCase H500M with similar sizes and feature sets.

Heat

Triple 120mm intake fans provided a good deal of airflow into our test system. CPU temps maxed out at 60 degrees Celsius over ambient temperature. The lack of an exhaust fan created a positive pressure condition that ultimately did not have a positive or negative effect on cooling. To test this, we removed the bottom front intake fan and used it as an exhaust fan during testing. The results were less than one degree Celsius higher or lower.

GPU temperatures maxed out at 49 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, on par with the other cases used for comparison.

Noise

We took sound pressure level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan speed set at the maximum 1,200 rpm, our test system registered 30.5dBA at idle. With the test system under load, sound output increased to 35.5dBA, making it one of the louder chassis we have recently tested. That said, by moving the bottom front intake fan to the rear exhaust location, sound output levels dropped by almost 7% under load. This is due to the fact that the tapered front tempered glass panel leaves a large portion of the bottom-most intake fan exposed.

Value

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value. Great thermal performance, combined with a low noise output, make this chassis very appealing compared to most of the cases in the comparison group with the exception of the DIYPC Trio-GT-RBG.

Bottom Line

The Gamdias Talos P1A is a very nice case, even when you take its shortcomings into consideration. The lack of an intake filter can be easily remedied, and most motherboards still lack a connector for front USB-C. So it all boils down to the fact that the Talos P1A at the time of writing is priced at least $20 lower than much of its direct competition (the Fractal was $178 at the time of writing, the Cougar $180 and the Cooler Master $200), with the exception of the phenomenally priced DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB ($70). That makes this is a solid value. 

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Features and Specifications

When you think of mid-tower ATX cases that are equipped with four RGB fans, three hinged tempered glass side panels, great thermal and acoustic performance and an integrated RGB fan controller, the first thing that comes to mind is likely "must be expensive." What if I told you there is just such a case, priced at just $89.99 (£71)? Sure, there are a few things you will have to live without but, for the price, were not sure you can beat DIYPC’s Trio-GT-RGB. When we wrote this, the chassis on sale for $70 on Newegg, making it an even better value.

Specifications

Features

Constructed of tempered glass, plastic, and steel that’s painted black inside and out, the DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB measures 19.70 x 8.50 x 18.00 inches (500 x 216 x 457 mm) and weighs 20 lbs (9.07kg). In addition to the trio of tempered-glass panels, four 120mm ARGB fans and a one-year warranty on parts and labor provide added value to the DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB's $90 regular price.

Covered in 4mm-thick tempered glass attached to a plastic frame with vents running down both sides, the front panel features three of the case’s 120mm ARGB fans. The intake vents are smaller than average and could impact overall cooling performance, but we’ll investigate that later in this review.

Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, power and reset buttons, RGB and a fan control switch are embedded in the leading edge of the top panel. The top of the chassis is covered by slotted vent holes that span front to back.

Both tempered glass side panels are darkly tinted and attached to the chassis via hinges at the rear of the panel. Strong magnets affixed to the top / front of the panels holds them closed.

The chassis has eight standard expansion-card slots, an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU and a 120mm ARGB exhaust-fan fan that’s fitted to slotted screw holes that let you adjust its position to fine tune airflow or make room for system components.

A 6 x 8 inch filter covers the PSU vent on the bottom of the case. Large, rubber-coated rectangular feet keep the case approximately one inch off the ground to facilitate air intake to the power supply.

The small front intake vents are not filtered, and accessing the filter in the bottom requires moving the entire system. Overall, the filtration system is a let-down, but it can be remedied with aftermarket filters -- but that will of course add to the cost.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

A small plastic bag contains the DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB's accessories: zip ties, a single expansion-slot cover, system speaker and a variety of screws, all of which is attached to the rear of the motherboard tray with a wire twist tie. The case manual can also be found in the bag.

Test Configuration

Drivers and Settings

Interior

The Trio-GT-RGB accommodates CPU coolers up to 162mm tall, and GPUs up to 383mm in length. A large hole behind the CPU socket facilitates heatsink changes without removing the motherboard, and six additional holes in the motherboard tray (and two top of the PSU tunnel) provide a total of eight passassages for cable management. The smaller holes at the upper left-hand edge of the motherboard tray are specifically design for routing fan cables and the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable. All holes have rolled-metal edges.

The interior of this chassis has an abundance of space and is very well laid out. The vented PSU cover and lack of traditional hard drive racks contribute to the overall clean look. The eight expansion slots can easily accommodate multi-GPU setups.

The Trio-GT-RGB can accommodate up to two 3.5-inch hard drives and/or a total of five 2.5-inch SSDs (three convertible from the 3.5" drive racks) in the secondary compartment behind the motherboard tray.

Color changes and basic RGB effects such as breathing, fading and pulse, are all selectable from the button on the front of the case. The built-in controller, which is located behind the motherboard tray, also allows those with ARGB-capable motherboards to control the LED-lit ARGB fans via lighting software from manufacturers like Asus, ASRock, Gigabyte and MSI.

Cooling

Mounts for up to six 120mm fans include three in the front, two in the top panel, and a single rear. The rio-GT-RGB ships by default with three ARGB intake and an ARGB 120mm exhaust fan.

Oddly enough, the company lists radiator and all-in-one cooler support as a maximum of 240mm in the front of the chassis. During testing we found that coolers up to 360mm easily fit in the front of the case. The rear mount supports 120mm radiators in single and dual-fan configurations while the top of the case supports up to 240mm radiators.

We tested power supplies up to 200mm in length without any issues. That said, we recommend using a modular PSU because of the lack of space between the power supply and hard drive racks.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

Comparison Products

We tested the DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we brought in the NZXT H700i, the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the be quiet! Dark Base 700 and the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M with similar sizes and feature sets.

Benchmarks

Triple 120mm intake fans coupled with the 120mm exhaust fan provided ample airflow to the components in our test system, despite the small size of the intake vents on the sides of the front panel. The result was CPU temperatures that maxed at 59 degrees Celsius over ambient. These results put the Trio-GT-RGB ahead of the majority of other cases used for comparison and dead even with the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M--a case that costs $200. GPU temperatures maxed out at 50 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, solidly in the middle of the pack.

We took sound pressure level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan speed set at the maximum 1,200 rpm, our test system registered a just 29.5dBA at idle. With the test system under load, sound output increased to 32.1dBA. These results aren't surprising, given the size of the fans and the amount of tempered glass panels.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value. Great thermal performance, combined with a low noise output, make this chassis easy to recommend.

Bottom Line

Considering everything the Trio-GT-RGB offers, combined with its low price, it’s an impressive case that should be on your short list.The filtration system is its only major drawback. Sure, the case lacks a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, but at $90 or less, can you really complain? Most motherboards still lack a connector for front USB-C anyway. Most cases with similar features, performance and RGB lighting are far more expensive. Add in the fact that this case can currently be found for $70 at various online retailers, and we wholeheartedly recommend the DIYPC Trio-GT-RGB, even with its minor flaws.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Features and Specifications

The market for mid-tower cases is absolutely packed with RGB-lit, tempered glass-clad cases struggling to stand out from the crowd. While most manufacturers are trying to be "innovative" or "different," Cougar just wants to be "better."  Priced at $189.99 (£ 149.43) the Gemini T will have to be significantly better than the competition to earn your hard-earned case money.

Specifications

Measuring 227 x 535 x 527 mm (WxHxD) and tipping the scales at nearly 32 lbs, the Cougar Gemini T is constructed of steel, plastic, and tempered-glass. It’s painted black inside and out with orange vent panels. The top panel is adorned with three opaque white plastic strips that span nearly the entire length of the case that function as RGB lighting diffusers. Directly under the top panel is space for three 120mm or two 140mm fans.

The leading edge of the top panel is home to one USB 3.1 Type-C and two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, along with headphone and microphone jacks, a hard drive activity light, RGB lighting, power buttons.

The front of the case also features a trio of RGB-lit white plastic strips down the center of the panel. Directly behind the front fascia you'll find mounts for up to three 120mm or two 140mm intake fans, with one 120mm fan factory installed. Filters on each side of the front panel are hidden from view by the tempered-glass side panels.

Instead of using rubber-coated locating pins and thumbscrews, these wrap-around glass side panels are attached to the chassis via rear mounted hinges. Two flat pieces of tempered glass and a black-finished aluminum junction achieve the look of a wrap-around side panel without the additional expense.

The rear of the chassis features a fairly standard motherboard I/O layout with a total of nine expansion slots (7 + 2 vertical), a 120mm exhaust-fan mounted on slotted holes that lets builders make minor adjustments to the vertical position, and a bottom-mounted PSU location that can house power supplies up to 200mm.

The bottom of the case features a large removable mesh filter. The four rubber-coated feet are attached to a plastic housing that raises the base of the case approximately one inch to facilitate air intake to the power supply.

The front intake fans are clever and simple to remove for cleaning, but accessing the magnetic filter in the bottom requires moving the entire system, and the lack of a filter in the top is a let down as well. And no, the orange ventilation holes along the sides of the top panel aren’t "filters."

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

A brown box containing a variety of screws and a dozen or so zip ties comes packed into one of the open 3.5" drive bays. The box also contains a case manual, warranty information and adapter cables for addressable RGB and/or Cougar’s Core Box v2.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

Interior

Inside the black interior, four large cable pass-through holes with rubber grommets perforate the motherboard tray (one hidden under the PSU cover), along with a hole in the top of the PSU tunnel. The hole in the upper edge of the motherboard tray is specifically designed for routing the ATX12V/EPS12V power and fan cables.

This chassis can be equipped with coolers as tall as 170mm. A large hole behind the CPU socket area facilitates heat sink changes without removing the motherboard. The Gemini T has a total of nine expansion slots, seven standard and two vertical, and can accommodate multi-GPU setups up to 400mm in length.

RGB functionality for the Gemini T is controlled via the front-mounted button, motherboard software, or Courgar’s Core Box v2 RGB controller (not included). The RGB button allows for color change and basic RGB effects. For those with ARGB-capable motherboards, the RGB-lit strips on the top and front can be controlled via your motherboard's RGB lighting software via the included adapter cable. The Gemini T is certified for compatibility with Asus Aura Sync, Gigabyte RGB Fusion, MSI Mystic Light Sync, and ASRock Polychrome Sync.

The Gemini T features mounting locations for two 3.5-inch and up to five 2.5-inch (two convertible from 3.5-inch) internal drives. The three stamped-steel 2.5-inch drive caddies are located on the back of the motherboard tray, and the two plastic 3.5 / 2.5 inch drive caddies are mounted under the power supply shroud.

Cooling

There are mounts for up to seven 120mm fans: three in the front, three in the top and one in the rear. The Gemini T also can be outfitted with up to two 140mm fans in the front and top mounting locations. Two 120mm fans can also be installed within holes on the motherboard tray, but doing so prevents the installation of front fans. The chassis ships by default with one 120mm intake fan in the front and a single 120mm exhaust fan in the rear.

As with any chassis that is equipped with a single 120mm intake/exhaust fan, we highly recommend installing a second intake fan or, at the very least, a higher-volume 140mm fan. The two factory-installed fans simply do not provide enough airflow to keep the components in our test system cool. More on that on shortly.

Radiators can be mounted in the rear, top, and front or right side of the chassis. The rear mounting location supports 120mm coolers while the top and front supports radiators up to 240 and 360mm, respectively. The side mount supports radiators up to 240mm, but prevents the use of the front mount. Although a 360mm radiator is an extremely tight fit, installation is possible.

The side mount on the motherboard tray is less than ideal due to the lack of ventilation in the side of the case. If you are going for looks over performance, feel free to mount your all-in-one cooler or radiator in this location. Just expect higher case temperatures as a sacrifice to aesthetics. 

Unlike the majority of PSU tunnels we see today, this cover is not a part of the frame and is constructed of plastic. Removing the cover is a simple matter of pushing the side in with your thumbs until the plastic tabs are free of the notches cut into the frame.

Every power supply we tested, from the smaller EVGA 450 BT, all the way up to larger units like the Corsair HX1200i and the Thermaltake Toughpower 1475W, fit without a problem.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Cougar Gemini T with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we brought in the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the NZXT H700i, the be quiet! Dark Base 700 and the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M to give you a solid idea of where this case stacks up against competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

The single 120mm intake fan coupled with the 120mm exhaust fan just couldn't provide enough airflow to keep our test system cool. CPU temperature leveled off at 64 degrees Celsius over ambient. These results put the Gemini T in last place. GPU temperatures didn't fare much better, peaking at 53 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, again, worse than all the other cases used for comparison.

The Gemini T's poor thermal performance is no doubt due to the fact that the chassis is equipped by default with a single 120mm intake-fan and 120mm exhaust-fan. This configuration just isn't able to provide the airflow needed for adequate cooling.

We took sound pressure level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan speed set at the maximum 1,200 rpm, our test system registered a whisper quiet at 29.4dBA at idle. With the test system under load, sound output increased to 31.8dBA, easily besting the rest of the pack. Obviously, due to the number and size of the included fans, these results aren't surprising.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value. Poor thermal performance, combined with a low noise output, make this case chassis a bit difficult to recommend without some modifications.

Bottom Line

Anyone buying the Gemini T will want to at least add one or intake fan to the system build, if not more. Unfortunately, that would add to the overall cost of the case. Also, even though the added fans would enhance cooling performance, that would introduce more system noise, negatively impacting its acoustic-efficiency rating.

The competing Cooler Master MasterBox MB500 TUF Edition costs less while performing better, and Cougar’s own Panzer EVO RGB delivers more features and better performance. If you like the looks and features of the Gemini T and aren't put off by shortcomings, you might want to consider the cost of added cooling components, and wait for a sale, before making your purchase.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Features and Specifications

Fractal Design's Define series has long been a favorite in the enthusiast community for its high-quality construction and class-leading performance. That said, the company had fallen a bit behind when it comes to lighting options--until now. The Define S2 Vision bundles classic Fractal Design styling with integrated addressable RGB (ARGB) lighting and enough tempered glass to show it all off. But at $280 (£215), there might be other options out there.

Specifications

Constructed of tempered glass, plastic, and steel that’s painted black inside and out, the Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB measures 21.4 x 9.2 x 18.3 -inches (543 x 233 x 465mm) and weighs almost 26.5 lbs (12kg). This $280 (£215.22) chassis comes with a two-year limited warranty.

Aside from its performance and build quality, the case’s biggest selling points are the added tempered-glass panels and ARGB lighting. The Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB incorporates the company's latest AR-4020 ARGB LED lighting strip, the Adjust R1 RGB controller, and four Fractal Design Prisma AL-14 PWM ARGB fans. A non-RGB 'blackout" version of this chassis is also available for about $90 less.

The entire front panel and the majority of the top panel are tempered glass, attached to a plastic exterior frame. The front features filtered vents running down both sides, and three of the case’s Prisma AL-14 PWM ARGB fans are mounted behind it.

Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, headphone and microphone jacks, power and reset buttons and a hard drive activity light are embedded in the leading edge of the top panel. The top of the chassis is equipped with a strip of LED lights and can be configured in two ways: either with a glass panel that has an unrestricted view of the interior, or with an included cooling bracket and filter set built for fans, radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 360mm. 

Much like Cooler Master and NZXT, Fractal Design has also ditched the use of rubber-coated locating pins and thumbscrews, opting instead for a tempered-glass panel bonded to a metal frame. This assembly attaches to the chassis via push pins. The opposite side panel is also made of tempered glass. Both side panels are secured in the rear with metal thumbscrews.

The rear of the chassis has a fairly standard layout; here you'll find seven standard expansion-card slots (plus two vertical for showing off your graphics card), a motherboard I/O area, an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU, and a 120mm/140mm exhaust-fan mount with slotted screw holes that let you adjust the position of the fan to fine tune airflow or make room for system components.

A large removable plastic mesh filter cover is the entire length of the bottom of the case. The large, rubber-coated feet keep the case approximately one inch off the ground to facilitate air intake to the power supply.

Filters cover every intake fan mounting location. And although the filters mounted in the edges of the front panel are less than ideal, the full-cover bottom filter slides out from the front for quick and easy cleaning.

As mentioned earlier, there’s an optional top panel that is essentially one big filter. Removing the top panel is a simple matter of pressing a large button in the rear of the chassis. 

Although the visual appeal of a case is subjective and will vary from person to person, we believe most people will find the introduction of ARGB lighting to the handsome design of the Fractal Design S2 Vision RGB extremely attractive.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Accessories for the Fractal Design Define S2 Vision are in separate cardboard box that contains various screws, zip ties, a plastic vented top panel, a metal panel for fans and radiators, an RGB controller and a printed manual.

Test Configuration

Drivers and Settings

Interior

Four large holes with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray, two smaller holes in the top of the PSU tunnel, and an additional three cable pass through holes with rolled metal edges provide a total of nine pass throughs for cable management. The smaller holes at the upper edge of the motherboard tray are partially blocked when a motherboard is installed, but this does not interfere with fan cables or the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable.

Thanks to the PSU cover and lack of traditional hard drive racks, the component compartment is extremely spacious and well laid out. The Define S2 Vision can be equipped with CPU coolers as tall as 180mm. A large hole behind the CPU socket area facilitates heat sink changes without removing the motherboard. A total of seven (plus two vertical) expansion slots can accommodate multi-GPU set-ups up to 440mm (17.3 inches) in length.

The Define S2 Vision can accommodate up to three 3.5-inch hard drives and/or a total of five 2.5-inch SSDs (three convertible from the 3.5" drive racks) in the secondary compartment behind the motherboard tray.

Color change and basic RGB effects are selectable from the included Adjust R1 RGB controller, which is located behind the motherboard tray.

Cooling

Mounting locations for up to nine fans include three 120 / 140mm fans on both the front and top panels, two 120 / 140mm in the bottom, and a single 120 / 140mm in the rear. The Fractal Design Define S2 Vision ships by default with a total of four Prisma AL-14 PWM ARGB fans, three in the front and one in the rear.

The rear fan mount supports radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 140mm, while the front and top support 280mm and/or 360mm, max.

We test fit power supplies up to 220mm in length without any issues. Fractal Design lists support up to 300mm in length. 

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We brought in the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M, Thermaltake's A500TG and the Apexgaming X-Mars Junior to our comparison charts, to give you a solid idea of where the Fractal Design Define S2 Vision RGB stacks up against competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

Triple 140mm intake fans coupled with the 140mm exhaust fan provided more than enough airflow to keep our test system cool and comfy. CPU temperature leveled off at 58 degrees Celsius over ambient. These results put the Define S2 Vision ahead of the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M and dead even with the Cougar Panzo EVO RGB.

GPU temperatures maxed out at 47 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, better than all the other cases used for comparison.

We took sound pressure level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan speed set at 1,400 rpm, our test system registered just 29.9dBA at idle. With the test system under load, sound output increased to 32.1dBA, right in the middle of the pack. It should be noted that, although the chassis is fairly quiet, there was an audible "whooshing" sound made by the air being drawn through the front vents. This noise was nothing we considered annoying, but it was present nonetheless.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value. Solid thermal performance, combined with a low noise output, make the Define S2 Vision a great candidate for a wide variety of system builds.

Bottom Line

Considering everything the Define S2 Vision brings to the table, we feel that price is its only drawback, even though it is more or less in line with the competition. Waiting for a sale is always an option, or you can pull the trigger on the Define S2 Black Out version that is almost identical to this chassis (minus RGB fans), priced at $190 (£147), which gives you the option to add RGB lighting as your budget allows. Many cases with similar features, performance and RGB lighting are competing for your hard earned money. Fractal delivers an excellent case when all is said and done, but we'd love to see it priced a bit lower.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Features and Specifications

Although the styling is somewhat of a throwback to the late 90's, the X-Mars Junior has all the features a modern high-end PC requires including E-ATX motherboard support, USB 3.1 Type-C, VR support, RGB lighting, brushed aluminum and dual 4mm-thick tempered glass side panels. Sporting a premium price tag of $190 (£146.20), this chassis needs only the builder’s choice of fans to bring it up to performance expectations.

Specifications

With large vents, bulging panels and features that often incorporated the name of the chassis into the design, the bold styling of Apexgaming's X-Mars Junior reminds us of gaming cases from decades past. Measuring 238 x 535 x 552mm (WxDxH) and tipping the scales at more than 24 lbs, the X-Mars Junior seems rather large for a mid-tower until we consider that its top panel protrudes roughly three inches out and away from the frame, as does the front panel.

Constructed of steel, aluminum, plastic, and tempered-glass, the X-Mars Junior painted black inside and out. Directly under the brushed aluminum top panel is space for three 120mm or 140mm fans, which are covered by a large removable magnetic filter.

A 2” x 8" (~50x200mm) section of the top panel is home to one USB 3.1 Type-C and two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI for VR, headphone and microphone jacks, a hard drive activity LED and an RGB, reset and power buttons.

Two large brushed aluminum bars form the shape of a large X across the entire plastic front panel from top to bottom. RGB lighting strips are embedded into the base of the front plastic, and mounting locations for three 120mm or two 140mm fans are behind it.

The full-coverage tinted tempered glass side panels have cut outs at the top, bottom and both sides. The rear of the tempered glass side panels are raised approximately an 1/8th of an inch away from the frame. This, as well as the gaps at the top of the TG side panels, allows for dirt and dust to completely bypass the filtration system. The X-Mars Junior uses rubber-coated locating pins and thumbscrews to secure the panels to the frame.

The rear of the chassis is home to seven card slots, a motherboard I/O area, an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU, and an exhaust-fan mounting location for 120mm fans.

The bottom of the X-Mars Junior has a power supply dust filter and four rubber-coated feet. The front feet elevate the chassis almost a full inch while the feet in the rear measure just under a half an inch.

Overall, the fan filtration system on the X-Mars Junior does a decent job in terms of its ability to prevent dirt and dust particles from entering your system...with a caveat. When the system has positive air pressure, the filters work as intended. The system as it ships from the factory with a single exhaust fan, negative case pressure allows dust and dirt to be drawn into the system from the rear and upper edge of the tempered glass side panels.

The filter on the top of the case is attached by magnetic seals around its edge. Dual-layer metal mesh built into the front panel acts as a filter for front fans, so that cleaning and maintenance is best done with the entire panel removed. Removing the nylon filter that covers the opening for the power-supply fan from the case's rear often requires moving your entire system to gain access.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

A small ziplock bag containing zip ties, a variety of screws, and a USB extension cable is located in one of the open 3.5" drive bays. The case manual can be found in the PSU area.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

Interior

Three large holes with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray, a smaller hole in the top of the PSU tunnel, and an additional four cable pass through holes with rolled metal edges provide a total of eight pass through holes for cable management.

The small hole at the upper left hand edge of the motherboard tray is specifically designed for routing fan cables and the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable.

Those of you using E-ATX chassis should note that the main cable passages with rubber grommets are blocked when an E-ATX board is installed. 

The component compartment is extremely clean, and has more than enough room for a variety of different system builds. The X-Mars Junior can be equipped with CPU coolers as tall as 200mm. A large hole behind the CPU socket area facilitates heat sink changes without removing the motherboard. A total of seven expansion slots and can accommodate multi-GPU set-ups up to 432mm in length.

The X-Mars Junior can accommodate up to two 3.5-inch hard drives and/or a total of five 2.50-inch SSDs (two convertible from the 3.5" drive racks) in the secondary compartment behind the motherboard tray and under the power supply shroud.

The X-Mars Junior comes with a built in RGB controller located behind the motherboard tray that allows for color change and basic RGB effects such as breathing, fading and pulse, which are selectable from the button on the front of the case.

Cooling

There are mounting locations for up to seven 120 or four 140mm fans, including three 120 or two 140mm fans on both the front and top panels, and a single 120mm in the rear. The X-Mars Junior ships by default with a single 120mm exhaust fan in the rear.

It should go without saying that, unless you want to cook your components, we recommend installing one or more intake fans in any chassis that is equipped with a single 120mm exhaust fan. The factory-installed 120mm exhaust fan simply does not provide enough airflow to keep the components in our test system cool.

Radiators and all-in-one coolers can be mounted in the front and rear of the X-Mars Junior. The rear mount supports 120mm radiators while the front and top support 280mm and/or 360mm, max.

We tested power supplies up to 220mm in length without any issues. That said, we recommend using a modular PSU because of the lack of space between the power supply and hard drive racks.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Apexgaming X-Mars Junior with our new Intel i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we used the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M, Lian Li Lancool One Digital, Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, and Bitfenix Enso Mesh to give you a good idea where this case stands against other cases that are of similar size and feature sets.

The X-Mars Junior's temperatures are, by a large margin, higher than all the other cases we used for comparison purposes. This is obviously due to the fact that the chassis' single 120mm exhaust-fan isn't able to provide the airflow needed for even basic cooling, even though its panels have adequate ventilation. These results would improve with the addition of extra cooling fans, but the as-shipped results are abysmal.

We take sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan at default speed (1,000 rpm), our test system registered a whisper quiet 28.2dBA at idle. The sound output barely changed under load up to just 30.1dBA, which is lower than that of all the other comparison cases. These results of course are a bit misleading because end users will no doubt be adding additional fans for cooling.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value.

Bottom Line

This chassis'  $190 (£146.20) asking price puts it squarely into the middle of the pack when it comes to pricing. Of course the cost of additional intake fans will somewhat skew the overall value of this chassis, but we feel we feel that the $190 (£146.20) asking price is reasonable overall considering what you get for your money. Those concerned about price should wait for this chassis to go on sale and spend the extra money for additional intake fans.

Image Credits: Tom's Hardware

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Features and Specifications

It's probably fair to say that a $700 (£ 534.52)-MSRP dual-chambered case with room for two complete system builds (one ATX, one Mini-ITX) occupies a fairly small niche in the PC builder space. But with the seemingly ever-increasing number of gamer streaming their exploits for fun and profit, a premium dual-system chassis is probably a bigger niche than you might think. Cougar's Gemini X is huge, with an equally grandiose price ($561 on Amazon when we wrote this and $620 on Newegg), that targets a specific group of gamers who want a high-end gaming system and a Mini-ITX streaming build all in the same case. But a host of issues, plus the high price and missing basic features (like fans) make it tough to recommend to anyone.

Specifications

Exterior

Once you get it out of the box, the first thing you notice about the Gemini X is its size. In the image below, you can see just how large this case is compared to a standard ATX mid-tower chassis. In fact, this case is almost the same size as two full-tower cases standing side by side. It would be understandable if the Gemini X could house two full-sized systems, but the fact that one side is dedicated to a mini-ITX build makes its size somewhat ridiculous.

Constructed of black anodized aluminum and tempered-glass, the Cougar Gemini X can be orientated either horizontally and vertically. Measuring a massive 20.7 x 10 x 24inches (426 x 635 x 525mm), it also tips the scales at just under 39lbs (17.7 kg) when empty. In the vertical position, the four top and bottom panels are bare with the exception of two 120mm fan holes per panel, for a total of eight open fan holes. There are no fan grills included with this chassis and, in order to use the included fan filters, two 120mm fans must be installed per mounting location. 

The front of the chassis is fitted with tempered glass panels emblazoned with the Cougar logo. The leading edge between both halves of the chassis is home to USB 3.1 Type-C, two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, a hard drive activity LED, and a reset and power button for each side of the case.

The side panels are made of 5mm-thick darkly tinted tempered glass, which is bonded to 4mm-thick metal frames and held in place by rubber-coated locating pins and large thumbscrews.

Metal mesh inserts in the rear of the chassis are held in place by thumb screws on each end. The panels cover openings for both power supplies and a total of ten expansion-card slots, eight in the primary compartment and two in the secondary.

Four aluminum bars with large rubber feet keep the chassis elevated a half inch when positioned horizontally or two inches off the ground when in the horizontal position.

The fan filtration system is a mixed bag at best. By design, the only way to use the included fan filters is to populate the fan holes with two 120mm fans per panel (not included). These filters are sandwiched between the fans and the frame of the chassis. End users could opt to install intake fans on one end of the system with a filter in place and leave the mounting locations on the opposite end of the chassis open without filters, but that would be less than optimal for preventing dirt and dust particles from entering your system. Ideally, allfan mounting locations should be populated with filters between the 120mm fans and the frame. This design also makes it a hassle to remove filters for cleaning.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Included accessories for the Cougar Gemini X are pretty sparse given the case's high price. You get cable tie downs, various screws, four fan filters and a printed manual.

Test Configuration

Drivers and Settings

Interior

The case is divided into two separate compartments, a primary side that is able to accommodate an ATX system build with graphics cards up to 13.77 inches (350mm), and a secondary side that supports mini-ITX motherboards and graphics cards as long as 12.99 inches (330mm). Both sides can be equipped with air coolers up to 5.51 inches (140mm) tall.

The primary side of the Gemini X features five large laser-cut cable passages in the motherboard tray and five smaller holes for fan, power and SATA cables. The eight expansion slots will accommodate graphics cards up to 12.99 inches (330mm), even in multi-GPU configurations. The large hole behind the CPU socket area, designed to make heatsink changes easier by eliminating the need to remove the motherboard, is blocked by the secondary chamber. Obviously, this means the motherboard has to be removed to install a new CPU cooler. The pass through holes in the upper-left corner of the motherboard tray enable users to route the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable and fan cables to the power supply in the secondary compartment.

The secondary side houses PSUs for both systems, as well as all hard drive mounting locations. This means that the primary compartment is dependent on the secondary side, while the mini-ITX side is able to operate free from the primary side.

The secondary side of the Gemini X is specifically designed to fit mini-ITX motherboards. But due to the poorly designed layout, there are a number of fitment issues that left us scratching our heads. Water cooling aficionados will be disappointed to learn both power supply locations block the use of radiators and all-in-one coolers in this compartment.

The power supply for the main compartment blocks access to the 2.5-inch SSD-mounting locations. We found it necessary to remove the PSU or the drive cage to remove a 2.5" drive. Adding an SFX PSU prevents the installation of graphics cards with thick heatsinks. And cable management between the two compartments is messy at best. Additionally, routing cables for you graphics cards, power supplies, USB devices, Ethernet, etc. is frustrating to say the least.

As previously mentioned, both drive racks (four 2.5inch and four 3.5-inch) are located in the secondary compartment. Drives simply bolt directly to the metal racks without any vibration damping whatsoever. It should also be noted that installing 3.5-inch drives took a considerable amount of effort due to the tight fit. We found it easier to loosen the top screws as far as possible before attempting to install our drives.

We've said it before and we're going to keep saying it: It's disappointing to come across a chassis, especially one this expensive, that doesn't ship with any fans. Of course, this can easily be remedied at an additional cost, and enthusiasts often prefer to install fans of their choosing anyway. But it is inexcusable not to include fans with a case that costs well above $500. Including the two rear mounts, the Gemini X can be equipped with up to ten 120mm fans, so bringing your own can really add to the overall cost. Fan orientation is also very important so that the intake fans feed the exhaust fans, regardless of case orientation (horizontal or vertical).

Support for radiators and all-in-one coolers is extremely limited, despite the large size of this chassis. Radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 240mm can be mounted in the top of this case on the primary side without issue, even when sandwiched between fans in a push-pull configuration.

The mounting locations in the bottom of the primary side, and both locations in the secondary side, have severe clearance issues. Both PSU mounting locations interfere with the installation of radiators in the aforementioned locations. Ultimately, this limits the secondary compartment to the use of fans only. 

We tested standard ATX power supplies up to 220mm in length for the primary side and found that anything above 160mm caused clearance issues with the 2.5-inch hard drive rack. Because of the cable clutter in the area between the PSU and hard drives, we seriously recommend the use of fully modular PSUs here. As previously mentioned, SFX power supplies can block GPU's with dual slot or larger coolers, and both power supplies interfere with the installation of radiators within the secondary chamber.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Cougar Gemini X with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform in the primary compartment. In an effort to keep our CPU test results as consistent as possible, we used our existing test hardware paired with the ASRock X299E-ITX/AC in the secondary compartment during testing. For comparison, we brought in other high-end chassis such as the DeepCool Quadstellar, the Antec Torque and the Cooler Master Cosmos C700M to give you a solid idea of where this case stacks up against premium-priced competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

Due to lack of fans, there is literally no active airflow into this chassis. At 61 degrees Celsius, thermal performance of Cougar Gemini X lagged well behind all the other cases we used for comparison purposes. The secondary side of the chassis fared even worse at 66 degrees Celsius. GPU temperatures leveled off at 53 / 58 (primary and secondary respectively) degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, again putting this chassis at the bottom of the pack. The addition of fans to this case would mean even better temperatures, but of course at the cost of increased noise levels.

When it comes to noise levels, we recorded sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. One of the benefits of tempered glass side panels is their ability to reflect sound back into the chassis. This, combined with the lack of fans, helped the Gemini X to beat the Quadstellar and Torque. Test results at idle generated 29.1dBA. And our test results with the system under load came in at 33.8dBA.

Bottom Line

There have been a lot of ridiculously huge, expensive cases, that we have fallen in love with over the years. Sometimes the stranger the better (Quadstellar, we're looking at you). But, even then, the case has to tick all the right boxes, be functional and free of glaring design flaws to get our vote.

In regards to pricing alone, let’s put the cost of Gemini X into perspective. As ridiculous as this example may sound, an enthusiast armed with even the most basic knowledge of hand tools and a few nuts and bolts could easily purchase and connect two quality cases (such as the Lian Li PC011 Dynamic) together, install a complete AMD Ryzen 3 2200G, B350 motherboard with 8GB of DDR4 2666, 256GB SSD, 4TB SATA hard drive and 450W SFX PSU in the secondary case for streaming, and spend less on all of that hardware than the Cougar Gemini X costs by itself.

With that said, even disregarding price as an issue at all, there are just too many design flaws and other issues to recommend this case to anyone. The Gemini X is certainly unique. But in its execution, Cougar proves that's not always a good thing.

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Features and Specifications

If you're looking for a no-frills open-air chassis that is easy to build in, with stylish laser cut aluminum construction and tempered-glass sides, the Raidmax X08 might be for you. But know that you'll have to deal with the dirt, dust and debris, plus the relatively high price that accompanies this case--and similar models from the likes of Cougar and Antec.

Specifications

Exterior

The Raidmax X08 bears a striking resemblance to the Cougar Conquer Essence and, to a lesser extent, Antec's much more elaborate Torque chassis.

This chassis is constructed of an aluminum alloy with silver top and front panels over black structural panels that are powder coated inside and out. The trapezoid-shaped chassis measures 525 x 255 x 610 mm HxWxD (20.6 x 10 x 24 inches ) and weighs in at just over 16 pounds. The frame of the X08 is made of laser-cut aluminum panels held together by large threaded cross bars.

The top of the chassis is an aluminum panel and is devoid of any major features with the exception of three open 120mm fan holes. The top panel is slanted from the front to the rear and the area between the top panel and the front panel is slanted at a 45-degree angle. This space is home to two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks and reset and power buttons.

The removable front panel consists of a solid piece of aluminum that, oddly enough, has unfiltered ventilation holes lining both sides and large openings located at the top and bottom. I say "oddly enough" because the front of the frame is a solid piece of aluminum. There are no mounting locations for fans or radiators in the front of this chassis. The aluminum front panel is purely cosmetic.

Much the same as the side panels on the Cougar Conquer Essence and the Antec Torque chassis, the full-coverage tinted tempered glass side panels are held in place by large aluminum-alloy thumbscrews that thread directly into metal rods.

Keep in mind that, because of the design, we highly recommend laying this case on its side when removing the tempered glass panels. Although rubber grommets line the holes in the tempered glass, there is nothing to hold the panel in place and protect the glass against accidental drops.

The bottom of the chassis is a solid slab of aluminum alloy with four thin strips of rubber that act as feet.

In the rear, you'll find an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU and a bracket with seven expansion card slots.

Oddly, one section of the frame at the back is pink in color. Given the fact that it is only on one side, it throws the symmetry / look of the chassis off. The good news for those so inclined: It's easy to remove that section and paint it to match the frame or the top and front of the case.

Given the fact that this is an open-air chassis, there is no filtration system in place. Not that it would really matter anyway as there is nothing at all preventing dust and debris from falling into your system or spilling directly onto your exposed hardware.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Included accessories for the Raidmax X08 are plastic tie-downs, various screws and a printed manual in a clear zip-style bag.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

Interior

There are nine cable pass-through holes in the motherboard tray for cable management: six large rectangular openings and three smaller holes in the bottom of the motherboard tray. Additionally, there's a large notch in the top of the motherboard tray, designed specifically to route fan cables and the 12v motherboard power cable.

You'll also find a large hole in the motherboard mounting plate behind the CPU socket area to facilitate heatsink changes without removing the motherboard.

The seven expansion slots will accommodate graphics cards up to 400mm (15.8 inches), even in multi-GPU configurations. There are no expansion slot covers included with this case, which perhaps isn't surprising given its open-air nature. CPU air coolers are limited to just 150mm (5.9 inches) but, in defense of Raidmax, it's obvious this chassis is specifically designed for water cooling.

As demonstrated in the photos above, PSUs over 180mm can run into clearance issues. The problem is the aluminum alloy support bar blocking larger PSUs. This could have been easily avoided by moving the bar a few millimeters up and out of the way. Due to the lack of a ventilation hole in the bottom of the X08 (a strange omission in a case literally full of holes) the PSU must be mounted with the fan facing up.

The Raidmax X08 features three mounting locations for 2.5-inch and three 3.5-inch drives. If you plan on mounting more than three drives, we recommend installing your SSDs inside the main compartment and your 3.5 -inch storage drives behind the motherboard tray. This gives you more space inside the component compartment. Also, due to the layout of the screw holes in the motherboard tray, 3.5 -inch drives block the screw holes for your SSDs. This means you must mount the 2.5 -inch drives first before your larger storage drives.

Also, because of the open nature of this case, there isn't really anywhere to hide cables, making cable management vastly more difficult than usual. Even if a modular power supply is used, careful planning and routing is still a must unless you want your build to look like a ball of wires under glass.

As previously mentioned, there are no fan mounting locations in the front of this case, although there are slots for mounting reservoirs, pumps and other accessories in that location.

We're always disappointed when we come across a chassis that doesn't ship with any fans from the factory. Of course, this can easily be remedied by the end user at an additional cost, and enthusiasts often prefer to install fans of their choosing anyway. But it would have been nice to see at least a couple fans included with a case that costs $240 (£182.28). In total, this chassis can be equipped with up to three 120mm fans.

Radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 360mm can be mounted in the top of this case. The mounting location in the top can easily support radiators up to 360mm sandwiched between fans in a push-pull configuration.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Raidmax X08 with our new Intel Core i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we tested against the Cougar Conquer Essence, the Cougar Conquer and the Antec Torque to give you a good idea of where this case stands against other options that are of similar size, feature sets and price. Because all the chassis tested here are open-air cases, we expect the performance to be very close.

Due to lack of fans, there is literally no active airflow into this chassis. Normally this is done as a cost-cutting measure--and enthusiasts prefer to add their own fans--but at this price we still think Raidmax should have included one or more intake fans to provide some airflow into the chassis.

With the exception of the hard drives mounted behind the motherboard tray, system temperatures were good, all things considered. Our Intel i9-7900X processor running at 4 GHz peaked at 57 degrees Celsius over the ambient temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, putting the Raidmax X08 right in the middle of the cases we used for comparison. GPU temperatures leveled off at 48 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, again putting this chassis in the middle of the pack. The addition of fans to this case would mean even better temperatures, but of course at the cost of increased noise levels.

When it comes to noise levels, we recorded sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. One of the benefits of tempered glass side panels is its ability to reflect sound back into the chassis. This, combined with the side front and bottom panels, helped the X08 to beat out the competition. Test results at idle generated 28.7dBA. And our test results with the X08 under load were lower than the rest test group, at 36.5dBA.

In general, we don't have a problem with expensive chassis, but we feel that the features need to reflect the price. At $240 (£182.28), this chassis is lacking far too many features such as RGB lighting, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, fans, or a fan hub. Even if you reuse fans from a previous build, this chassis is still a poor value. Normally we like to suggest alternative options for our readers, but it seems like a trend for these open-air chassis to be priced above the $240 mark. The Cougar Conquer and Conquer Essence both offer similar features at about the same price.

Bottom Line

The Raidmax X08 is open-air chassis that does nothing to set itself apart from the crowd. In fact, Raidmax's strange design decisions (no front fan mounts, odd pink frame, and cosmetic front panel) could actually help make the argument for choosing a competitor's open-air cases. In the end, the Raidmax X08, much like its competitors, amounts to overpriced style over substance. As with almost all open-air cases of this type, we seriously recommend waiting for a price drop or sale before spending your hard-earned money. 

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Photo Credit: Tom's Hardware

Features and Specifications

Those looking for a new mid-tower chassis with a tempered-glass panel and RGB lighting may find Bitfenix's Enso Mesh appealing. But you'll have to be willing to overlook some design and performance drawbacks, as well as a higher-than-average price for the features it delivers.

Specifications

Exterior

The Bitfenix Enso Mesh is constructed of steel, plastic, and tempered-glass and is painted black inside and out. Unfortunately, the black plastic panels do not visually match the painted metal panels, giving the case an odd two-tone look.

This smaller-than-average mid-tower ATX case measures 452 x 210 x 489 mm (17.8x8.3x19.3" DxWxH) and weighs just under 19lbs. Much of the top panel is covered by a metal-mesh filter, directly under which are mounting locations for two 120mm fans. The company also includes a flexible plastic panel for those who want to completely block off the vents in the top. This chassis is also available with a white finish.

The leading edge of the top panel is home to two USB 3.0 ports, an LED controller, headphone and microphone jacks, a hard drive activity LED, and a reset and power button. Directly behind the mesh front fascia you'll find mounting locations for two 120mm intake fans. 

The removable front panel is made up of dual-layered metal mesh material that also serves as a filter. Four RGB-lit light bars live on the front of the case, one in each corner. 

The full-coverage tempered-glass side panel is darkly tinted and held in place by rubber-coated locating pins and thumbscrews. The opposite side panel is stamped steel and attaches to the case via metal thumbscrews.

The rear of the chassis is pretty standard ATX mid-tower fare. The motherboard I/O area sits directly over the chassis' seven expansion slots. There is an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU, as well as an exhaust-fan mounting location outfitted with a 120mm fan. That location features slotted screw holes that lets you make minor adjustments to the position of the fan to fine-tune airflow or make room for system components.

The bottom of the case has a filtered hole for power-supply ventilation and four large rubber-coated plastic feet that keep the case approximately a half inch off the floor. The removable 6-inch nylon power-supply filter can be removed from the side for quick and easy maintenance and cleaning.

Overall, the fan filtration system on the Bitfenix Enso Mesh does a good job in terms of its ability to prevent dirt and dust particles from entering your system. The filter on the top of the case is attached by magnetic seals around its edge. The large metal mesh front panel also attaches to the frame via magnets. The plastic filter covering the PSU mounting location features a trademarked design called "Sideway-removable," which allows the filter slide in and out from the side of the case.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

A small ziplock bag containing a system speaker, zip ties and a variety of screws is located in one of the open 3.5" drive bays. The case manual and a flexible plastic block-off panel for the top of the case can be found in the PSU area.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

The interior of the Enso Mesh is painted black to match the exterior. There are two large cable pass-through holes with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray and two smaller holes in the top of the PSU tunnel. The hole at the upper left hand edge of the motherboard tray is specifically designed for routing fan cables and the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable.

We found it odd that this chassis has what appears to be two mounting locations for 5.25" optical drives even though there are no openings in the front of the chassis.

The overall look is extremely clean, and there is more than enough room for a variety of different system builds.  This chassis can be equipped with coolers as tall as 160mm. A large hole behind the CPU socket area facilitates heat sink changes without removing the motherboard. The Enso Mesh has a total of seven expansion slots and can accommodate multi-GPU set-ups up to 340mm in length and 150mm wide.

Bitfenix claims the Enso Mesh supports up to EATX motherboards, the truth of the matter is that since a true EATX motherboard measure 13 inches deep by 12 inches tall, there are not enough standoffs to install a motherboard of that size.

As far as storage options go, the Enso Mesh can accommodate up to two 3.5-inch hard drives and a total of three 2.50-inch SSDs in the secondary compartment behind the motherboard tray and under the power supply shroud. 

The Enso Mesh comes with a built in RGB controller located behind the motherboard tray that allows for color change and basic RGB effects such as breathing, fading and pulse, all selectable from the button on the front of the case. For those with ARGB-capable motherboards, the LED-lit RGB fan are natively compatible Asus' Aura Sync lighting software.

There are mounting locations for up to six 120mm fans: three in the front, two in the top and one in the rear. The Enso Mesh also can be outfitted with up to two  140mm fans in the front mounting locations. The chassis ships by default with one 120mm intake fan in the front and a single 120mm exhaust fan in the rear.

We recommend installing a second intake fan or, at the very least, a higher-volume 140mm fan in any chassis that is equipped with a single 120mm intake/exhaust fan. The two factory-installed fans simply do not provide enough airflow to keep the components in our test system cool.

It should also be noted that the use of a video card with a blower-style cooler with this fan configuration has a negative impact on the airflow profile of this chassis. Blower-style GPU coolers tend to immediately draw in most of the cool outside air provided by the single 120mm intake fan and force it out the rear of the chassis. While this benefited graphics card temperatures, the rest of the system suffered as a result in our testing.

Radiators and all-in-one coolers can be mounted in the front and rear of the this chassis. The rear mounting location supports 120mm fans while the front supports radiators and AIO coolers up to 360mm.

Although fans can be mounted in the top of the Enso Mesh, due to space limitations, radiators and all-in-one coolers will not fit here with fans attached.

We tested power supplies up to 180mm in length without any issues. That said, we recommend using a modular PSU because of the lack of space between the power supply and hard drive racks.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Enso Mesh with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we brought in the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the NZXT H700i, the be quiet! Dark Base 700 and the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M to give you a solid idea of where this case stacks up against competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

The Enso Mesh's thermal performance lagged behind all the other cases we used for comparison purposes. This is no doubt due to the fact that, even though it's equipped with a mesh front panel, the chassis' single 120mm intake-fan and 120mm exhaust-fan combination isn't able to provide the airflow needed for adequate cooling.

Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as "cooling-to-noise ratio," is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value.

By now, most people are aware that tempered-glass side panels tend to reflect sound back into the chassis. That, and the inclusion of only two 120mm fans, leaves you with a chassis that is relatively quiet at idle. Unfortunately, glass panels also lead to higher system temperatures. This can be remedied by the addition of one or more intake fans, but that would almost certainly negatively impact these acoustic results. Once the system was under load, sound levels peaked at 34.5 dBA. Though not by much, the Enso Mesh was louder than all the cases tested against it here, even the cases with dual and triple intake fans. 

Bottom Line

Most people who buy this chassis will undoubtedly want to add at least one or more intake fans to the system build. Unfortunately, that would add to the overall cost of the case. Also, even though the added fans will enhance cooling performance, that would introduce even more system noise, negatively impacting its acoustic-efficiency rating.

The competing Cooler Master MasterBox MB500 TUF Edition costs $20 (15.23 £) less than the Enso Mesh, while performing better and delivering more features for that lesser cost. If you like the looks of the Enso Mesh and aren't put off by its shortcomings, you might want to shop around a bit or wait for this case to go on sale.

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Features and Specifications

If "normal" isn't your thing, the Antec Torque might be just what you are looking for. With its open-air design, aluminum alloy construction and superbike styling, it's is safe to say this chassis will stand out, wherever you put it. It could be the foundation for an impressive high-performance system build, but you'll need to look past several shortcomings, plus a price that's much higher than similarly designed alternatives.

Specifications

Exterior

With the exception of its tempered glass side panels, the Antec Torque is constructed entirely out of laser-cut aluminum alloy panels. Powder-coated red with gunmetal grey accent panels, the trapezoid-shaped case measures 621 x 285 x 644 mm (HxWxD) and weighs just shy of 21 pounds. Unlike other similarly styled cases (like the Cougar Conquer) , the Torque's frame is made up of several aluminum panels fastened together with screws.

The top of the chassis is bare except for a dark-grey aluminum panel that covers three open 120mm fan holes. The area between the top panel and the front panel is slanted at a 45-degree angle. This space is home to two USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, a power button, and a single USB 3.1 Type-C port.

As with the top of the case, the front of the chassis is covered by a dark grey aluminum panel that covers three open 120mm fan holes. The upper portion of the top panel is fitted with a led-lit logo.

The removable front panel consists of a solid piece of aluminum that has large unfiltered slots lining both sides for ventilation. Large openings located at the top and bottom of the front panel provide an unrestricted path for fresh air to be drawn into the chassis. Directly behind the front face are mounts for three 120mm fans, though none are included in the box. The front panel is held in place by four Philips head screws.

The tinted tempered-glass side panels are held in place by large aluminum-alloy thumbscrews. We highly recommend laying this case on its side when removing the tempered glass panels. This is due to the fact that, although rubber grommets line the holes in the tempered glass, there is nothing to hold the panel in place and prevent the glass against accidental drops.

Directly below the expansion card bracket is the power supply mount. Since this is an open-air chassis, there is no filtration system in place here, either. This means that there is nothing at all preventing dust, debris and pet hair from falling into your system or spilling directly onto your exposed hardware.

Want to comment on this story? Let us know what you think in the Tom's Hardware Forums.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Antec Includes various screws and a printed manual in a small white box with the Torque.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

Interior

There is one large cable pass-through hole in the motherboard tray for cable management, and a few scattered smaller holes that can also be used for routing fans cables and other smaller wires like audio and USB cables. You'll also find a large hole in the motherboard mounting plate behind the CPU socket area to facilitate heatsink changes without removing the motherboard.

As previously noted, the open-air styling of the the interior of this chassis is very similar to that of the Cougar Conquer, Cougar Conquer Essence and comparable to the Thermaltake Core P3 and Core P5 cases.

The Torque's seven expansion slots will accommodate graphics cards up to 450mm, even in multi-GPU configurations. CPU air coolers up to 215 mm can be fitted in this case, making coolers such as the be quiet! Dark Rock 4 and Cooler Master MasterAir MA410M solid choices for this chassis.

We tested power supplies up to 220mm in length without any issues in the Torque. There is no power supply shroud / tunnel to conceal cable mess, so extra care must be taken when routing cables to maintain a clean, uncluttered look to your system build. 

The chassis supports only one 2.5-inch drive and a single 3.5-inch drive, and both are located behind the motherboard tray. And the motherboard covers the 2.5-inch screw holes, meaning you must remove it if you upgrade your SSD.

Again, due to the open nature of this case, there isn't really anywhere good to hide cables, making cable management much more difficult than usual. Even if a modular power supply is used, careful planning and routing is definitely a must.

Cooling

As with most open air cases we've tested in the past, we were disappointed that the Antec Torque doesn't ship with any fans from the factory. We are well aware that this can be remedied by the end user, and we also know that many enthusiasts prefer to install fans of their choosing anyway. But it would have been nice to see at least a couple fans included with a case that costs $350. In total, this chassis can be equipped with up to six 120mm fans. But of course that increases the overall cost significantly.

Both the top and front mounting locations can easily support radiators up to 360mm sandwiched between fans in a push-pull configuration. You can even install a 360mm radiator in the top and front simultaneously.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Antec Torque with our new Intel Core i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we tested against the Cougar Conquer Essence, the Cougar Conquer and the Deepcool Quadstellar to give you a good idea of where this case stands against other options that are of similar size, feature sets and price.

There is literally no active airflow into this chassis due to the fact that it ships with no fans. Although we are fully aware that this is done as a cost-cutting measure--and enthusiasts prefer to add their own fans--we still think Antec should have included one or more intake fans to provide some airflow into the chassis. That said, temperatures were surprisingly good given the fact that the Antec Torque is essentially an open-air case.

CPU core temperatures on our Intel i9-7900X processor running at 4 GHz leveled off at 56 degrees Celsius over the ambient temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Our results put the Antec Torque ahead of all the cases we used for comparison. GPU temperatures were also impressive at 47 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, putting the Torque in a tie with the Cougar Conquer. The addition of fans to this chassis would mean even better temperatures, but of course at the cost of increased noise levels.

On the subject of noise levels, we recorded sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. Normally, one of the benefits of a side panel made of tempered glass is its ability to reflect sound back into the chassis. Unfortunately, as with most open air chassis, this case allows almost all the noise generated by your system's components to escape the case. At idle, the system registered 31.1dBA. And our test results with the Torque under load were the second highest of the test group. The combination of our GPU and all-in-one cooler resulted in obnoxiously high 38.8dBA.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value.

In general, we do not have a problem with expensive chassis, but a premium cases such as the Antec Torque needs to offer features and styling that justify the asking price. Even if you reuse fans from a previous build, there is still the $350 asking price to contend with.

Bottom Line

Let's be honest, plenty of people considering this chassis won't care about the shortcomings we listed in this review. A case like this is all about style for most. That said, great looks aside, the $350 (£267.36) price tag puts the Antec Torque out of reach of mainstream enthusiasts. And even if you have the money to spend, there are more-appealing options. Those looking for a similar looks can save $100 by opting for the Cougar Conquer or the Cougar Conquer Essence, both of which sell for about $250. And while the Conquer Essence also ships without fans, it supports up to six 2.5-inch drives and two 3.5-inch hard drives while the Torque makes do with mounting holes for just one of each.  

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Features and Specifications

The Thermaltake A500TG Aluminum is one of those rare chassis that can easily house everything from a high-end enthusiast build to an extreme gaming machine and everything in between. This makes the A500TG a very attractive case (figuratively and literally) to a wide variety of PC users. The one group I would not recommend this chassis to would be case modders. Normally, you don't buy an expensive, aluminum-clad chassis just to start cutting it up. Some extreme modders may but they are the exception, not the rule.

Thermaltake A500TG Specs

Exterior

Constructed of precision CNC-milled anodized aluminum, the Thermaltake A500TG measures 22 x 9.3 x 20.1 inches (560 x 236 x 510mm) and weighs just under 33 pounds (14.8 kg). It retails for $250 (£189.36), although you can sometimes find it for about $17 cheaper at places like Amazon and Newegg. The case comes with a three-year limited warranty.

Four standard USB ports (two 2.0 and two 3.1), a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, power button, HDD activity LED, headphone and microphone jacks and a reset button are embedded in the leading edge of a smooth and otherwise featureless top panel, a slab of high-quality aluminum. The front panel is also devoid of any features except a small Thermaltake logo at the base.

The 4mm-thick, tinted, tempered glass side panels have cut outs providing a path for fresh air to be drawn in through the dual-layer mesh air intake vents on either side of the top and front panels. It also makes for a rather distinct look. 

A slotted-head cam latch mechanism in the middle of the front edge holds the tempered glass side panels in place. Turning the latch clockwise releases the panel from the frame. There are also strong magnets at the top and bottom corners that keep the panels secure even when they are unlocked. Hing pins of uneven length make installation a lot easier than traditional pin configurations with even lengths.

Around back you'll find seven standard expansion-card slots (plus two vertical ones for video-card mounting), an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU and an exhaust-fan mounting location that that is outfitted with a 120mm fan.

The exhaust-fan mount is equipped with slotted screw holes allowing you to adjust the position of the fan to fine-tune airflow or make room for system components. A large plastic mesh filter covers the entire bottom of the case and is removable from the rear. The case's four feet keep it just over 0.5 inch off the ground.

The rubber pads at the bottom of the case's feet are installed very poorly, as evident from the large amount of glue residue visible from where the pads slid out of place before the glue dried.

The fan-filtration system on the A500TG leaves a lot to be desired. Removing the bottom filter from the case's rear requires moving your entire system to gain access. The dual-layer mesh front and top fan filters require removing the entire panel for cleaning and maintenance.

At this price point, it would have been nice to see Thermaltake take design cues from Riotoro (bottom filters removed from the side) and cases such as the NZXT H700i and Cougar Panzer EVO that feature removable filters in the front.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Accessories for the Thermaltake A500TG are in a white box secured in one of the two 3.5-inch hard drive bays under the PSU shroud. The box contains various screws, zip ties, a speaker, a trio of Thermaltake-branded stickers and a printed manual.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

Interior

The interior of this chassis appears smaller than it actually is due to the removable hard drive racks in the front of the main compartment and the vertical PCI mount (also removable) on the top of the PSU tunnel.

The case's interior is painted black and contrasts nicely with the exterior space grey color. There are three large cable pass-through holes with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray for cable management. The holes at the upper-edge of the motherboard tray feature rolled metal edges and are specifically designed for routing fan cables and the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable.

You can equip the A500TG with CPU air coolers up to 6.3 inches (160mm), limiting the type of air cooler you can install. Those of you that prefer air cooling should consider integrated heatsinks, such as the Scythe Ninja 5, Cooler Master's MasterAir MA410M or the be quiet! Dark Rock 4.

This case can accommodate single and multi-GPU setups up to 16.5 inches (420mm) long with the hard drive racks removed. This chassis has eight traditional and two vertical, for a total of 10 expansion slots. Even though the case is equipped with a vertical GPU mount, Thermaltake does not include a PCIe riser cable.

There are six 3.5-inch hard drives mounting locations. There is also one 2.5-inch hard drive to start, but you can get six more by converting the 3.5-inchers. 

Four of the 3.5-inch hard drive racks are located in the main component compartment atop the PSU tunnel, and two more are under the PSU tunnel behind the motherboard tray, in addition to the single dedicated SSD mount. For a cleaner look, better airflow and room for larger graphics cards, remove the drive racks and mount an SSD (OS) and two large spinning disks (storage) in the area behind the motherboard tray.

We tested power supplies up to 220mm in length without any issues. The case even has a small window in the power supply shroud, so you can show off your PSU brand of choice while hiding unsightly cables.

Cooling

The A500TG ships with two of Thermaltake's standard 120mm intake fans and a single 120mm exhaust fan. In total, this chassis supports up to seven 120mm and six 140mm fans. For some strange reason, Thermaltake doesn't include a fan hub or controller with this case. 

The A500TG is capable of housing all-in-one liquid coolers and radiators up to 420mm in the front, 360mm at the top and 120mm at the rear. The front and top of the chassis has enough room to support radiators sandwiched between fans in a push-pull configuration.

It should be noted that the hard drive cage in the front of the main component compartment must be removed to install coolers in this location. There is even enough room to accommodate a 360mm radiator in the top and front simultaneously.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Thermaltake A500TG with our Intel i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we brought in the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the NZXT H700i, the be quiet! Dark Base 700 and the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M to give you a solid idea of where this case stacks up against competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

The two 120mm intake fans provided enough airflow to keep the cores of our i9-7900X running at 4GHz nice and cool at 60 degrees Celsius over ambient. These results put the Thermaltake A500TG directly in the middle of the comparison pack, besting the be quiet! Dark Base 700. It's slightly behind the Cooler Master Master Case H500M and Cougar Panzo EVO RGB.

GPU temperatures maxed out at 51 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, higher than all the other cases, except the be quiet!. 

We took sound pressure level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan speed at default speed (1,400 rpm), our test system registered just 29.5dBA at idle, results that bested the rest of the cases we used for comparison. With the test system under load, sound output increased to 32.4dBA, right in the middle of the pack.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value.

Bottom Line

The Thermaltake A500TG's sleek, minimalist styling will appeal to many, but at $250 (£189.40), most people expect features such as RGB lighting, a fan hub, an included PCIe riser cable and a better fan filtration system.

Similar cases, such as the Cooler Master MasterCase SL600M, have almost identical features, performance and styling and cost $45 less. Thermaltake's own Level 20 GT RGB has more features, more tempered glass and RGB functionality but carries a $40 price premium.

In the end, we think this is a very nice case, but at this price, its shortcomings may make you think twice about opening up your wallet. 

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Features and Specifications

Many PC builders know what it is like to buy a new case only to end up having to replace it the first time you expand or downsize your system. Doesn't sound familiar? How about the time you found the perfect case but it wasn't available in the size you wanted at the time so you bought the case anyway, only to have the company release the case in the size you originally wanted a few months later. The good news is that Riotoro has developed a chassis that addresses those types of issues with the world's first convertible PC case. Yes, you read that correctly.

Before we get started, you should know that this chassis does require assembly. It ships in a flat pack to cut down on costs. Although the process is not complicated (the downloadable owners manual includes clear, concise instructions), it is a bit time consuming and may scare off casual PC users.

For the purpose of this review, we will have assembled the chassis in its mid-tower configuration. It should also be noted that, once the case is assembled, it is rather easy to change the format of the case from mini- to mid-tower, and can be done leaving the majority of your system components in place.

Assembly is a matter of unpacking and unfolding the bottom / back portion of the case into an upright L shape. Then you’ll need to assemble and install the motherboard back plate and divider. Next, unfold and attach the front / top portion of the chassis before finally installing the right and left side panels. 

Specifications

Exterior

The Riotoro Morpheus measures 18.3 x 10.9 x 17.5 inches (465.2 x 276 x 445mm) configured as an ATX mid-tower and 18.3 x 10.9 x 15.1 inches (465.2 x 276 x 385mm) in mini-tower form (D x W X H). The mid-tower weighs in at 21.6lbs (9.8kg) and the mini-tower at 20.7lbs (9.4kg). Black inside and out, this chassis features steel and plastic construction with large ventilation holes on all six sides.

The majority of the top of the chassis is a perforated metal panel with a large magnetic filter covering the ventilation holes. Directly under this panel is an area with mounting locations for two 120mm or 140mm fans.

The leading edge of the top panel is home to two USB 3.0 and two USB 3.1 Type-C ports, headphone and microphone jacks, a hard drive activity LED and a reset button. There are also buttons to manually control the (optional) RGB lighting functions. It should also be noted that if you plan on utilizing both USB 3.1 Type-C ports, you will need a motherboard with dual USB 3.1 Gen.2 headers. We don’t know if such a board exists yet, but with this case that’s designed to grow with your needs, Riotoro deserves credit for looking to the future.

The front of the chassis and both side panels are made up of overlapping perforated metal panels. Riotoro states this design allows for better airflow into the case, a claim we will put to the test later in this review. Behind the front panel you’ll find magnetic fan filters and mounting locations for up to two 120 / 140 mm or one 200 mm fans. Both metal side panels are held in place by bright red thumbscrews. The company also includes a complete set of black thumbscrews as well.

The rear of the chassis houses eight standard expansion-card slots, or five if you assemble the case as a mini-tower, an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU and an exhaust-fan mounting location that supports an 80 mm fan.

The bottom of the Riotoro Morpheus has mounting locations for two 120 / 140 mm fans. The four round, rubber-coated feet keep the case just over 0.5 inches (13 mm) off the ground to improve airflow.

The fan filtration system is one of the best we've seen in terms of its ability to prevent most dirt and dust particles from entering your system. As mentioned earlier, the mesh filter on the top, sides and front of the case are attached by magnetic seals at the edge of the filter. The filters for the side panels come in three pieces, one for the middle of the panels and two for the top and bottom of the side panel. The two plastic filters in the base of the case slide in and out from the side, making it a snap to remove for cleaning.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

The Morpheus comes with several small white boxes with various types of screws, zip ties, a hard drive stabilizer plate and a five slot expansion card bracket for mini-tower configuration. Interestingly, the company also includes a large mouse pad with a quick installation guide printed on it.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

Interior

Painted black to match the exterior, the interior of this chassis is very clean and deceptively spacious. This can be directly attributed to the dual-chamber design that allows users to move components such as hard drives, power supplies, and reservoirs into the rear chamber, freeing up the entire main compartment for your system build.

The Riotoro Morpheus features an inverted layout much like the Cooler Masters Cosmos C700M and Riotoro’s own CR1080. Motherboards up to E-ATX (13" x 12") can be installed in this case in mid-tower form (up to standard ATX in mini-tower configuration) and CPU air coolers as tall as 180mm can be installed without issue. Those with multi-GPU setups will appreciate that this chassis' eight expansion slots can accommodate graphics cards up to 400mm.

There are four cable pass-through holes with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray for cable management. Additionally,  four smaller holes with rolled-metal edges and a large gap at the bottom of the case allow for routing fan wires and the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable.

You'll also find a large hole in the motherboard mounting plate, behind the CPU socket area, to facilitate heatsink changes without removing the motherboard. That said, the power supply must be removed to access the back of the motherboard.

As far as storage options go, the Morpheus can accommodate up to two 3.5-inch hard drives and a total of four 2.50-inch SSDs in the secondary compartment. The number of 2.5-inch drive locations is reduced to two when configured as a mini-tower.

Although the Riotoro website lists support for power supplies up to 220mm in length, there's actually no real size restriction. The bottom of the secondary compartment is completely open, making it possible to install extremely large PSUs such as the 1600W EVGA SuperNOVA (225mm) without encountering clearance issues. 

Cooling

There are mounting locations for up to seven fans total in the Riotoro Morpheus: two in the top, two in the front, one in the rear and two on the bottom.

You can equip the chassis with up to six 120 / 140mm fans, two in the top, the front and the bottom. The case ships with two 120mm intake LED-lit RGB fans in the front and an unlit 80mm fan in the rear.

Radiators and all-in-one coolers can be mounted in the front, top and bottom of this chassis in its mid-tower configuration. All mounting locations support 120 and 240mm radiators. Assembling this chassis as a mini-tower eliminates radiators for the top mounting location. Given the fact that the rear exhaust fan is 80mm, radiators and all-in-one coolers are not supported in the rear mounting location. Depending on the thickness of your radiator, you may be able to install a radiator or all-in-one cooler inside the cooling bracket.

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Riotoro Morpheus with our new Intel i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we used the be Cooler Master MasterCase H500M, Cougar Panzer EVO RGB and NZXT H700i to give you a good idea where this case stands against others that are of similar size, feature sets, and price.

CPU core temperatures on our Intel i9-7900X processor running at 4GHz were very good considering the sheer amount of heat this processor is capable of generating under load. Given that the chassis is one big dual-compartment metal mesh box, we were not surprised to see the Morpheus turn in numbers neck-in-neck with the competition. We set intake fans speeds at max (1400RPM). For our first round of testing, the case was configured as a mid-tower and, under load, our processor temps held steady at 60°C over the ambient temperature of 25°C (77°F). In mini-tower form, processor temperatures rose by only 1°C (1.8°F).

GPU temps basically mirrored what we saw with CPU temps. Mid-tower temps peaked at 51°C over the ambient temperature with a 2°C increased in mini-tower form. That’s admirable performance given the high level of competition here. No doubt the sheer amount of airflow helped this chassis. Wiith its two 120mm intake fans and a single 80mm exhaust,results are right in line with other high end chassis with more and larger fans.

We took sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. The case registered 29.5dB at idle and 32.4dB under load as a mid-tower and 29.2dB at idle and 31.9dB under load as a mini-tower. We were a bit surprised that, given the fact the Morpheus is fitted with metal mesh panels on all sides, the chassis turned in as good or better acoustic performance than the other cases we used for comparison.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as "cooling-to-noise ratio," is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value.

Bottom Line

If you have plans to make substantial upgrades your system in the future, the Riotoro Morpheus belongs on your short list. It delivers true E-ATX motherboard support, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C, and cooling and acoustic performance that is on par with the best alternatives. This chassis fits the needs of gamers and enthusiasts alike.

Although assembly is required, you shouldn't let that stop you from buying this chassis. Normally we like to suggest alternative products at this point but, as far as we know, this is the only case on the planet that allows you to convert your system from mini-tower to mid-tower and back again for the same price you'd pay for other premium chassis.

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Features and Specifications

If you are in the market for a high performance gaming chassis but you don't necessarily want a case that looks like it belongs in a competitive eSports tournament, Cooler Master's MasterCase SL600M might be just what you are looking for. This gorgeous aluminum-clad chassis has more than enough cooling performance to keep a high-end system cool and noise output to a minimum, but, at $200 (£153), it comes with a premium price tag as well.  

Specifications

Exterior

The Cooler Master SL600M weighs just under 30 pounds (13.6kg) and measures 22.6 x 9.5 x 21.4 inches (573 x 242 x 544 mm). The combination of sand-blasted aluminum panels and a tinted tempered glass door make for a strikingly handsome chassis. The top of the chassis is essentially two bare aluminum panels separated by a black metal mesh screen. The rear portion of the top panel can be removed for additional airflow.

Sandwiched between the top and front panels are a USB 3.1 Type-C port, two USB 3.0 ports, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, a fan speed switch, and power and reset buttons. You’ll also notice a small square proximity sensor nestled in the center of the USB ports.

Triggering this sensor causes the USB ports to light up, making it easier to plug in USB devices in the dark. Removing the front panel is a simple matter of grabbing the lower edge and pulling out and away from the chassis. The front of the chassis is one solid aluminum panel. 

The full-cover, tempered glass side panel is bonded to a metal frame and is darkly tinted. The entire assembly attaches to the frame via thumbscrews in the rear. The panel on the opposite side of the case is steel and painted black. This gives the chassis a very stylish symmetrical look.

The rear of the chassis is a bit different from what you would normally find in a standard ATX mid-tower: Its nine expansion slots (plus two vertical) can be removed and rotated 90 degrees to the left so that you can install all your cards vertically. You will also notice the lack of mounting locations for a fan and PSU. We’ll cover that more later.

On the bottom of the chassis is a full cover plastic mesh filter that covers two large 200mm intake fans. The filter is hinged in the center of the case and can be removed from both the front and rear of the case. The two large, rubber-coated feet are made of aluminum and elevate the case approximately 2 inches.

The fan-filtration system on the SL600M consists of a large one piece fan filter at the bottom of the case covering the massive 200mm intake fans and the black metal mesh in the top of the chassis we mentioned earlier. Cleaning and maintenance for the top panel is best done with the entire panel removed. The bottom filter is hinged in the middle and can be removed from the front or rear.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Included accessories for the Cooler Master SL600M are various screws, zip ties, SSD pegs, a cleaning cloth and a USB cable for updating the case's fan controller firmware. The box also contains a printed manual.

Interior

The interior of the SL600M is quite a bit different from a standard ATX chassis. First of all, this case utilizes a vertical chimney layout that draws air in from the bottom of the case and exhausts it through the top. The power supply area has been relocated to the top front of the case and there is no rear exhaust fan. 

This isn't the first time we've seen a chassis that uses the chimney effect, as many of Silverstone's Raven series chassis have also utilized large bottom-mounted fans to create the same effect. The difference is that those chassis all feature an inverted motherboard layout whereas the SL600M retains a standard component orientation.

There are three large cable passages with rubber grommets in the motherboard tray for cable management. The holes at the upper edge of the motherboard tray are specifically designed for routing fan cables and the ATX12V/EPS12V power cable.

The inside of the chassis is painted black and, because of the overall design, it looks a lot smaller than it actually is. Once we got our head around where everything was located in the SL600M, we found working inside this case an absolute delight.

This case can be equipped with CPU air coolers up to 7.5 inches (191mm) in height, and single and multi-GPU set-ups as long as 12.5 inches (318mm). We found it a bit strange that the specs list seven r expansion slots plus two verticle for a total of nine but, in reality, this chassis has nine traditional and two vertical, for a total of eleven expansion slots in all.

The inside of the chassis is painted black and, because of the overall design, it looks a lot smaller than it actually is. Once we got our head around where everything was located in the SL600M, we found working inside this case an absolute delight.

This case can be equipped with CPU air coolers up to 7.5 inches (191mm) in height, and single and multi-GPU set-ups as long as 12.5 inches (318mm). We found it a bit strange that the specs list seven r expansion slots plus two verticle for a total of nine but, in reality, this chassis has nine traditional and two vertical, for a total of eleven expansion slots in all.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the main component compartment is that the PSU mounting location has been relocated to the front of the chassis covered by a two piece shroud. Power supply cables must be routed out the bottom of the PSU enclosure. We test fit power supplies up to 8.7 inches (220mm) without issue.

Cooler Master decided against traditional hard drive racks in favor of steel multifunction trays that can be mounted in a variety of locations including the area you would normally find front intake fans, the rear of the chassis over CPU socket area, as well as two mounting locations on the side bar and two behind the motherboard tray.

As the name implies, these multifunction mounts are extremely versatile and can mount water pumps and reservoirs in addition to SSDs and hard drives. Although these brackets can be mounted in several locations, including the bottom of the case, mounting anything in this area would most certainly impede airflow from the bottom mounted cooling fans.

One of the unique aspects of the SL600M is the rotatable PCI bracket. Those of you that prefer to show off one or more of your high-dollar graphics cards can do so by rotating the PCI mounting window 90 degrees. It should be noted this requires the use of one or more PCI-E x16 riser cables (not included but sold separately).

Cooling

The SL600M ships with two large 200mm fans that draw in cool outside air from the bottom of the chassis, and vent it out through the top panel. Up to three 120 / 140mm, or two 200mm fans can be installed in the top panel to provide even greater airflow.

You can mount all-in-one liquid coolers and radiators up to 360mm to the top and bottom of the chassis' main compartment. Both locations can support radiators sandwiched between fans in a push-pull configuration but, to do so, there are a few things you will need to do for this to work.

In the bottom of the case you must use the existing 200mm fans as "pushers" coupled with your cooler fans installed as "pullers." This mounting location isn't ideal as it not only impedes the airflow to the rest of the chassis, the cooler / radiator heats the incoming air causing higher temperatures for the components in the rest of your system.

We found the ideal location for mounting a radiator or all-in-one cooler is at the top of the case. This is for several reasons. First of all, the cooling fans attached to your radiator help exhaust heated air from the chassis and create greater airflow. End users can free up room (if needed) by mounting their cooler fans outside the frame, under the top cover, or go for all out performance with a push-pull configuration by mounting fans both inside and outside the frame.    

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Cooler Master SL600M with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we used the be quiet! Dark Base 700, Cougar Panzer EVO RGB and NZXT H700i to give you a good idea where this case stands against competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

To see the actual benefit of the vertical chimney effect layout, we tested the chassis as shipped, and also with the case on its back so that the SL600M is positioned like a standard ATX chassis with intake fans in the front.  The reason for this is simple; stack / chimney effect layouts really only apply to passively cooled systems.

As cooler air is drawn into the chassis, the lower density heated air rises and exits through the opening at the top of the case. Once you introduce high-volume fans into the equation, air moves where it is forced to go by the airflow generated by the fans, negating any chimney / stack effect.

Also, it should be noted that the Cooler Master MasterLiquid ML240R RGB we use for testing purposes adds two 120mm fans to the equation which complements the natural airflow in this chassis. Air coolers will no doubt produce very different results from all-in-one cooler.

With fan speeds manually set at 800 RPM, CPU core temperatures on our Intel i9-7900X processor running at 4 GHz were rather impressive at 58° Celsius  over the ambient temperature (25° Celsius) under full load. We re-ran our tests with the case on its back and found that CPU temperatures climbed to 59° Celcius over ambient. These results put the SL600M ahead of both the be quiet! Dark Base 700, and the NZXT H700i and tied with the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB. Regardless of case orientation, the thermal performance of this chassis is extremely impressive.  

GPU temps were also impressive at 48° degrees Celsius. Although this may seem obvious, it should be noted that GPU temperatures with the graphics card installed directly into the motherboard, with the heatsink and fans facing downwards towards the 200mm intake fans, were on average 3° Celsius cooler than graphics cards mounted vertically.  

For audio testing, we recorded sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. For our first round of testing, we set the case fans to their maximum speed of 800 rpm. Our second audio test was run with the chassis rotated 90° positioning the two 200mm fans in what would normally be the front of the case. In this configuration, noise levels increased slightly from 31.7 to 33.1 dBA. Although that may not seem like a significant increase, the air drawn through the large (now exposed) filter changed the overall pitch of the chassis as well.

Overall, the tempered glass side panel, case design and (relatively) low-rpm 200mm fans, kept noise to a minimum, even on the highest setting. The Cooler Master SL600M, even though it doesn't specifically target the quiet computing crowd, is a wonderfully silent chassis, rivaling even to the mighty Dark Base 700.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value. The results in this graph speak for themselves. The phenomenal thermal performance coupled with fantastic audio performance put this chassis well above the rest.

Sure, the $200 (£153) asking price may seem high for some but, when you take into account the fantastic thermal / audio performance, high quality construction, aluminum panels, storage options and unique features like the rotatable PCI bracket and lighted USB ports with proximity sensor, there is no denying that the SL600M is worth every penny.   

The Bottom Line

The Cooler Master SL600M is as easy on the ears as it is on the eyes and has performance to match. This chassis is equally at home as a gaming rig, office computer, or an elegant high-end machine that you would be proud to have on display in any environment.  Those looking for a bit more bling should consider the Cooler Master H500M or Thermaltake Level 20 GT RGB. However, if you want a more subtle look and you can afford its premium price, the SL600M is worth every penny.

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Features and Specifications

Thermaltake's Level 20 line of premium chassis were designed to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary. And based on our experience with the big-and-bold  Level 20 GT, we can say that the company’s experience mostly shines through--much like the light from the case’s RGB fans through its four tempered-glass panels. This high-end case has sleek looks and nearly all of the features an enthusiast builder could ask for. We just wish the company had included a riser cable for vertically mounting the graphics card (especially given the $289 MSRP) and that the dust filters were easier to remove and clean.

Performance and options aside, this chassis' biggest selling point is its sophisticated styling and unique appearance. Even though looks are subjective, we think it is safe to say that the design of the Level 20 GT RGB will be the deciding factor more most, regardless of price. The Level 20 GT RGB incorporates the company's latest case innovations and features such as SyncALL, Tt's RGB Plus Ecosystem, Razer Chroma lighting support, rotatable PCI-E slots and more.  Although most people won't use many of these built-in features, they are are certainly a welcome addition.

Specifications

Exterior

Constructed of steel, plastic and tempered glass, the Thermaltake Level 20 GT RGB is rather large at 22.9 x 11.6 x 23.3 inches (580 x 294 x 592 mm) and weighs in at 44.3 pounds (20.1 kg).

The entire front panel and the majority of the top panel are tempered glass attached to a plastic frame, with an air gap running along both sides. Just below both panels you will find built-in fan filters and mounting locations for up to three 120 / 140 mm or two 200 mm fans.

At the leading edge of the top panel are two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C header on the right side. Headphone and microphone jacks, power and reset buttons and a hard drive activity light are on the left side.

The full-coverage tinted tempered glass side panels are held in place by a keyed locking latch mechanism. Turning the latch clockwise opens the side panels allowing each door to be lifted off the frame for easy access to your system components.

In the rear of the chassis are eight standard expansion-card slots, an opening for a bottom-mounted PSU and an exhaust-fan mounting location that supports both 120 mm and 140 mm fans.

A large plastic mesh filter covering the majority of the bottom of the chassis is removable from the rear. The four round, rubber-coated feet keep the case just over 0.5 inches (13 mm) off the ground.

The fan-filtration system on the Level 20 GT RGB is effective but a serious pain in the butt when it comes time for cleaning. For the most part, cleaning and maintenance is best done with the entire panel removed.

Only after removing the top and front panels from the chassis can you gain access to the four screws (per panel) keeping the tempered glass panels attached to the plastic frame. With the TG panels out of the way, you now have the ability to wash these fan filters. Sure, you can wash both the top and front panels with the glass in place but, in this scenario, there is no way to dry the front side of the panel (which is actually where dust tends to accumulate), leading to unsightly water spots and streaks. The large removable filter on the bottom of the chassis can be slid out more easily for cleaning, but you’ll still need access to the back of your case to do so, which means you’ll probably have to move your rig to get access. The bottom filter should slide out from the front, particularly on a case this big.

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Hardware Installation and Test Configuration

Accessories for the Thermaltake Level 20 GT RGB include various screws, zip ties, keys, a speaker, an RGB controller and extension cable. The box also contains a printed manual.

The interior of the chassis is painted black and has two large cable pass-through holes with rubber grommets to the right of the motherboard area. There are two holes with rolled metal edges at the top of the motherboard tray specifically designed for routing fan cables and the ATX 12V / EPS 12V power cable. A large hole in the motherboard mounting plate, behind the CPU socket area, facilitates heatsink changes without removing the motherboard.

Although the Level 20 GT RGB supports up to EATX motherboards measuring 13 inches deep by 12 inches tall (330 x 305 mm), using motherboards of this size physically blocks off all the cable passthrough holes in the motherboard.

This chassis can be outfitted with CPU coolers up to 200 mm and multi-GPU setups up to 310 mm (410 mm with the hard drive racks removed). The Level 20 GT RGB has a total of eight expansion slots and can accommodate PSUs up to 220 mm in length. The eight expansion slots can be rotated to a vertical orientation. The process is a simple matter of removing 5 screws, rotating the slots 90 degrees and replacing the screws.

The Level 20 GT RGB can accommodate up to seven 3.5-inch hard drives and a total of eleven 2.5-inch hard drives or SSDs. You can mount drives in the drive rack in the main compartment or behind the motherboard tray.

For a cleaner look and better airflow, we would remove the drive rack and mount an SSD (OS) and two large spinning disks (storage) in the area behind the motherboard tray.

We tested power supplies up to 220 mm in length without any issues. The case even has a window for the power supply shroud, so you can hide the unsightly cables while still showing off your PSU brand of choice.

Cooling

The Level 20 GT RGB ships with two 200 mm Riing Plus RGB intake fans and a single 140 mm Riing Plus RGB exhaust fan. In total, this chassis supports up to nine 120 mm, seven 140 mm, and four 200 mm fans. The two intake fans have a 500 - 1000 rpm range while the exhaust fan peaks slightly higher at 1,400 rpm.

You can mount all-in-one liquid coolers and radiators that are up to 360 mm to the front and top of the chassis' main compartment. The front of the chassis can easily support radiators sandwiched between fans in a push-pull configuration as long as the hard drive cage is removed. In fact, the interior of the Level 20 GT RGB is large enough to accomodate a 360mm radiator in the top and front simultaneously.

This chassis is LCS (liquid-cooling) Certified. The certification process, developed by Thermaltake, is exclusive to the company's own products. Simply put, LCS certification is a designation given to water cooling components and cases that pass a set of internal standards that guarantees compatibility. This takes the guesswork out of choosing components for your system build.

RGB Software

The Level 20 GT RGB incorporates Thermaltake's RGB PLUS Ecosystem, an addressable LED lighting system that allows you to adjust colors and synchronize your effects based on games, music, system temperature and more. This also carries over to other Thermaltake RGB PLUS products, waterblocks, case fans, AIO CPU coolers, LED strips, gaming keyboards, headsets and other RGB-lit system components. The software is pretty straightforward and simple to use, though a bit slow to load at times.

This software allows users to change the fan speeds, light modes, colors, brightness, and even supports AI voice control in iOS and Android devices. Thermaltake's Tt RGB PLUS supports Amazon Alexa Voice Service, allowing voice commands via Alexa-enabled devices. There are also ten present lighting effects, three color modes, and four light speeds to choose from.

Test Configuration

Drivers & Settings

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Benchmark Results and Conclusion

We tested the Level 20 GT RGB with our new Intel i9-7900X test platform. For comparison, we brought in the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB, the NZXT H700i, the be quiet! Dark Base 700, and the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M to give you a solid idea where this case stacks up against competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.

The two 200 mm intake fans kept the CPU core temperatures on our Intel i9-7900X processor running at 4 GHz nice and cool at 58 degrees Celsius over ambient. Our results put the Level 20 GT RGB in a tie with Cougar Panzer EVO and barely ahead of the MasterCase H500M. It would seem that the air gaps on both sides of the tempered glass front panel let more than enough air into the chassis, allowing the two 200 mm fans to do their job.

GPU temperatures, tested in both standard and vertical layouts, peaked at 49 degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, on par with the other cases we tested against.

As always, we took sound pressure level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. With the fan speed at default speed (1,000 rpm), our test system registered just 29.1dBA at idle, results that are right in the middle of the cases we used for comparison. With the test system under load, sound output increased to 33.3dBA, again, right in the middle of the pack.

Cooling efficiency and noise levels are both ways to measure performance. Determining acoustic efficiency, also referred to as cooling-to-noise ratio, is a matter of averaging all five of our tests to determine a base value.

Bottom Line

If you’re looking for a purpose-built full-tower ATX chassis that can accommodate an array of different system builds with an emphasis on tempered glass and RGB lighting, Thermaltake’s Level 20 GT RGB might be just what you need. But at $289 (£ 227.13), we’d like to see less plastic and more metal used in the chassis. And the dust filters on the top and front are a pain to remove and clean.

Those looking for a big RGB chassis on a tighter budget can opt for either the Cooler Master MasterCase H500M or the Cougar Panzer EVO RGB and save some money in the process.

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Features and Specifications

Elegant. That's the first thing that comes to mind upon seeing Deepcool's New Ark 90 case. The next thing is probably 'fingerprint magnet,' but that's expected from any chassis with multiple tempered glass panels. The most unique aspect of this case chassis is its built-in 280mm all-in-one cooler. The downside is integrated cooling significantly increases the cost of an already expensive case and severely limits your cooling options when it's time to upgrade.

Specifications

The chassis' built-in all-in-one cooler means you are giving up your choice of CPU cooler. Less obvious is that because the cooler is integrated into the chassis, you can't easily swap out the all-in-one cooler for a different brand / style without possessing above average modding skills and a significant amount of effort. Put it this way: if the cooler fails for any reason, it is almost easier to swap out the entire case than to put in a new cooler.

Exterior

There are tempered glass panels on the top, front and side of the New Ark 90. Constructed of steel painted black inside and out, it measures 530 x 232 x 545mm (L x W x H) and weighs in at a rather hefty 31.6lbs. Overall, this is a very attractive case.

The top of the chassis is divided into two sections with a half-inch wide metal mesh area for ventilation between the two sections. The tempered glass panel covers roughly three-quarters the width of the top of the case. The remaining quarter is made of steel and is home to a pair of USB 3.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, an HDD LED, an LED controller button and power and reset buttons. Directly below the top panel are mounting locations for three 120mm fans.