Temperatures And Noise
Temperatures
Airflow, and in turn temperatures, look good thanks to a generous fan setup straight from the factory, including three 12 cm and one 14 cm fans. This is in spite of the side wall, which is closed as a concession to the case’s looks. If you want even better cooling performance, you can instead opt for the version of this chassis with a mesh side wall instead.
A combination of the hot Haswell-based CPU and Radeon HD 7970 poses no problem for the Cosmos SE model we're reviewing, though. Because Cooler Master doesn't outfit the enclosure with a fan controller, we only really had one configuration to benchmark. Our thermal results show that even lower fan speeds are possible with headroom to spare.
| Temperatures under Full Load: Cooler Master Cosmos SE | |
|---|---|
| Ambient Temperature | 19.3 °C |
| CPU (Core i5-4670K) TCore | 60.9 °C |
| GPU (Radeon HD 7970) | 70-71 °C(Fan 37% = 2122 RPM) |
| Hard Drive | 22 °C |
An average core temperature of 60.9 °C under load during the last 10 minutes of our benchmark represents admirable cooling performance. Thermalright's True Spirit 140(BW) is a well-built (and yet quiet) CPU cooler that leaves enough headroom for overclocking within the usual limits imposed by the Haswell architecture. The power-hungry Radeon HD 7970 hovers between 70 and 71 °C at only 37 percent of its fan’s maximum speed (2122 RPM). The hard drive bays are right behind the two front case fans, which keep our storage device at a frosty 22 °C. We did measure all of those temperatures at a relatively low ambient temperature of 19.3 °C, though.
Noise
The Cosmos SE looks nice, is built using high-quality materials, and delivers solid cooling performance. Silent, however, it is not. Aside from the whole system's noise measurements, which vary depending on the specific components used and are only included in the table for completeness, the case falls somewhere between 38.9 and 39.1 dB(A). This is the base noise level produced by the bundled fans at their stock 1200 RPM, from a distance of 50 cm. It’s too bad that Cooler Master doesn't also include a fan controller. Lower rotational speeds would be just fine for a non-overclocked system.
| Noise: Cooler Master Cosmos SE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Case Fans Only | Entire System, Idle | Entire System, Full Load |
| Front (50 cm) | 39.1 dB(A) | 41.9 dB(A) | 44.4 dB(A) |
| Upper-Left Diagonal (50 cm) | 38.9 dB(A) | 40.2 dB(A) | 43.1 dB(A) |
| Upper-Right Diagonal (50 cm) | 39.1 dB(A) | 39.5 dB(A) | 42.1 dB(A) |
The stock fans do rattle a bit. This is barely noticeable as long as they operate at their stock RPM, but much more prominent if their speed is decreased. If you're planning to turn the Cosmos SE into a quiet system, you'll probably want aftermarket fans in addition to a controller. Conversely, if you don't care about the stock rotational speed or if you actually want the higher airflow, Cooler Master's Cosmos SE provides a satisfactory cooling solution right out of the box.
