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Maximum noise levels
In terms of maximum volume, the noise levels of the AirFace Eco can reach up to 44.2 dBA. In terms of sound pressure level, this would seem to be a quieter case. However, I would argue this measurement is a bit deceptive. Keeping in mind that every person will have different sensitivities to sound variations, I would say these fans have a pleasant, low-toned pitch, but that the volume of the noise feels louder than the dBA measurement would indicate. In my opinion, it feels more like a case with a noise level of 48 dBA.
Maximum thermal performance – pre-installed fans noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA
This set of tests is designed to appeal to those who love quietly running PCs, with both system fans and the CPU fan noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA. Consider this a measure of the case’s thermal efficiency when set to low noise levels using the pre-installed fans.
In this test with an air cooler, performance is pretty darn good. While not the best result, it's only 12W behind the best result we’ve seen with this testing methodology.
We’ve also started testing the case with an AIO and a 9950X. We don’t have enough comparative information yet to make judgements based on this data, but based on the initial results, it appears there won’t be quite as much of a difference between cases in pure CPU thermals when a liquid cooler is used. That makes sense, given that an AIO directly transfers heat out of the CPU, rather than dumping it into the case.
Now let’s switch things up and see how the added heat of a GPU load impacts the ability to cool the CPU properly.
Cougar’s position is slightly reduced compared to a CPU-only load, but the case still does well enough for the vast majority of users. However, the results aren’t quite as nice when looking at GPU temperatures, which results in a louder running video card.
I’ve also created a chart comparing the GPU temperature in both systems when running a full load on both the CPU and GPU. But there’s a major disclaimer: These results aren’t perfectly comparable due to the use of different motherboards and CPUs. However, they seem to indicate that GPU temperatures are improved when used with an air cooler, likely due to the additional airflow around the GPU.
Maximum thermal performance – pre-installed fans at full speed
The thermal performance of this case is better in comparison to competitors when noise-normalized to 38.9 dBA. When testing the case with the fans running at full speed, it isn’t quite as effective for a CPU-only workload using an air cooler.
The chart below shows our initial results testing a liquid cooler with AMD’s Ryzen 9 9950X in cases. We don’t have enough comparison data to make any judgements, but we can see that Cougar’s case has a thermal advantage over the Ocypus Iota C70.
Now let's look at how things can change with the added heat of a GPU workload.
This result was downright impressive, within the margin of error compared to the CPU-only workload shown earlier. Most cases, on the other hand, see a more significant drop in CPU thermal performance when a GPU workload is added to the benchmark.
However, the temperature of the GPU isn’t quite as impressive here. Temperatures aren’t much different in comparison to when the system fans are run at low noise levels, but I suppose this just means that there’s little point to letting the fans run loudly.
Conclusion
Cougar’s Airface Eco case has a number of useful features, like easily removable dust filters, seven PCI-e slots available in vertical orientation to support the largest of GPUs, a unique bubbly front aesthetic, and an IO panel that can be mounted on the top or bottom. If this case interests you, it is currently available for $109 USD on both Amazon and Newegg.
