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Thermal and Acoustic Benchmarks, Conclusion

Test equipment, method, and results

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CPU	Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
System Fans	Pre-installed (if needed, Cooler Master Masterfan M120)
Motherboard	Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite Wifi7 Plus Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite Wifi Ice
GPU	Asus TUF RTX 4080
PSU	Montech Century II 1050W

Our thermal tests are presented to give you more information about the product’s performance, but aren’t intended as the sole basis for judging the chassis. You should also consider a case's style, price, features, and noise levels, and we all have different preferences. What I might like in a case, you might not, and that’s OK. Our goal with these reviews is to give everyone, regardless of their preferences, enough information to decide whether a case is right for them.

To get heat into the system, we stress the CPU with Cinebench R26 (multi-threaded test) and the video card with FurMark 2 (1080p). We run the CPU and GPU tests concurrently for 30 minutes, allowing the air-cooled system to reach saturation and stabilize. We then let the system idle for 15 minutes, adjust the fans to 100%, and test again.

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Noise-normalized performance landed on the better side of our results so far, with the CPU averaging 89 degrees Celsius in our testing. The video card temperatures were the worst we’ve seen so far, by a couple of degrees, which is surprising considering the air flow out of the box. The open-air front doesn’t block much sound, so we had to run our fans a bit slower than in other cases. Obviously, the case would perform better with the full complement of fans, or at least some exhaust on top, but I'm confident it can handle high-end hardware and keep it cool while staying relatively quiet.

Our noise-normalized results are for those who prefer silence, but what if you don’t mind extra noise and just want maximum performance, or you have to run things at high settings to keep high-powered devices cool? This testing is for you. Obviously, when you add fans or an AIO up top, things will change a bit, but this gives you a great idea of ‘out-of-the-box’ performance, noise be damned.

The loudest this case gets in our configuration was only 51 dBA, nine dBA above our baseline threshold, a middling result among our current data points, and matching the Corsair 3200D and Fractal Summit. The huge RS200 fans produced no harsh tones or vibrations and stayed quiet across the RPM range. The RS120 rear fan was the loudest of the included fans, but that’s expected compared to larger, slower-running devices anyway.

In short, we don’t see anything wrong with stuffing this case full of high-end hardware and pushing it. It may not be the quietest case around, but it has plenty of airflow potential, along with flexibility and room for almost any hardware.

Corsair’s Warthog case is one of the more unique-looking mid-tower chassis we’ve seen, while still fitting the general shape of a tower-style case. The military aesthetic really stands out in the olive drab sample we tested, but the black is a bit more subtle. The fighter-jet front IO panel, with bump guards and a flip-up reset button, is a nifty addition that really sells the military theme. The Warthog starts at $179, and the RS version with three included fans is $199; it’s not cheap. But if you like the rugged military look, it’s worth the price.

As for thermal and acoustic performance, it’s not the coolest-running or quietest with the open-style front, but the case moves a fair amount of air with the included 200mm RS series fans populating the front of the chassis. As always, we recommend filling more available fan slots to increase airflow and cooling potential. Even with the pre-installed fans cranked, the noise wasn’t unbearable. Noise-normalized performance wasn’t the best, especially for the video card, but it won't hinder high-power systems that need lots of airflow to stay cool.

Overall, the Corsair Warthog is a bold and well-built case. Its rugged military look and fighter-jet-style IO make it stand out in a sea of boring cases, while offering plenty of room for fans and radiators. The Infinirail system and pegboard motherboard tray make installing fans and routing cables a lot easier. Just be aware that you can’t mount radiators in the front and side at the same time, and any radiator mounted in the side location will cover some of the front 200mm fans. Still, if the military aesthetic speaks to you, the Warthog is easy to recommend.