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Benchmark Results and Conclusion
We tested the Cougar Gemini X with our Intel Core i9-7900X test platform in the primary compartment. In an effort to keep our CPU test results as consistent as possible, we used our existing test hardware paired with the ASRock X299E-ITX/AC in the secondary compartment during testing. For comparison, we brought in other high-end chassis such as the DeepCool Quadstellar, the Antec Torque and the Cooler Master Cosmos C700M to give you a solid idea of where this case stacks up against premium-priced competitors with similar sizes and feature sets.
Due to lack of fans, there is literally no active airflow into this chassis. At 61 degrees Celsius, thermal performance of Cougar Gemini X lagged well behind all the other cases we used for comparison purposes. The secondary side of the chassis fared even worse at 66 degrees Celsius. GPU temperatures leveled off at 53 / 58 (primary and secondary respectively) degrees Celsius over the ambient room temperature, again putting this chassis at the bottom of the pack. The addition of fans to this case would mean even better temperatures, but of course at the cost of increased noise levels.
When it comes to noise levels, we recorded sound level readings with two off-the-shelf dB meters from two different angles. One of the benefits of tempered glass side panels is their ability to reflect sound back into the chassis. This, combined with the lack of fans, helped the Gemini X to beat the Quadstellar and Torque. Test results at idle generated 29.1dBA. And our test results with the system under load came in at 33.8dBA.
Bottom Line
There have been a lot of ridiculously huge, expensive cases, that we have fallen in love with over the years. Sometimes the stranger the better (Quadstellar, we're looking at you). But, even then, the case has to tick all the right boxes, be functional and free of glaring design flaws to get our vote.
In regards to pricing alone, let’s put the cost of Gemini X into perspective. As ridiculous as this example may sound, an enthusiast armed with even the most basic knowledge of hand tools and a few nuts and bolts could easily purchase and connect two quality cases (such as the Lian Li PC011 Dynamic) together, install a complete AMD Ryzen 3 2200G, B350 motherboard with 8GB of DDR4 2666, 256GB SSD, 4TB SATA hard drive and 450W SFX PSU in the secondary case for streaming, and spend less on all of that hardware than the Cougar Gemini X costs by itself.
With that said, even disregarding price as an issue at all, there are just too many design flaws and other issues to recommend this case to anyone. The Gemini X is certainly unique. But in its execution, Cougar proves that's not always a good thing.
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