Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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
MORE: Best Cases
MORE: All Case Content
