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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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