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.
Benchmarks & Conclusion
One of the reasons we use air cooling in case evaluations is that we really want to retain the as-delivered fan configuration, and this would be extra-important when evaluating cases where the fans are a major feature, such as the special RGB model used in the Crystal 570X. Another reason to use air cooling is that it lets us do a better job of evaluating airflow past the CPU socket, which is great for assuring that nearby components such as the voltage regulator are properly cooled. On the other hand, oversized cases sometimes allow air to flow around (rather than through) the cooler, and top-panel vents in front of the cooler bleed off airflow that the CPU cooler might have used.
To say that a poorly-vented top panel benefits a traditional CPU heatsink by forcing the air from the case's fans through that sink might be a cop-out, however; we can see that the two cases with the best CPU temperatures also have the best GPU temperatures. The C700P cools better than its most-expensive rivals but loses to the cheaper ones.
Two of the cases that cooled worse than the C700P also had lower noise, so overall performance levels are likely similar. The Crystal 570X stood out as being both hot and noisy, which is a huge disappointment given how much I liked the design of that case. The two best-cooling cases, Enthoo Evolv ATX TG and View 71 TG, are both noisier than the Cosmos C700P.
Cooling is one way to measure performance. Noise levels are another. Comparing cooling to noise gives us an overall performance rating labeled “acoustic efficiency” and better known as cooling-to-noise ratio. Lower noise helps the Dark Base Pro 900 beat the Cosmos C700P at all fan settings, while better cooling puts the View 71 TG and Enthoo Evolv ATX TG on top.
Performance value charts always penalize pricey non-performance features such as a curved, tempered-glass panel that’s difficult to produce and RGB LED hardware that adds nothing but appearance (and perhaps a little heat). Anyone who can afford those features and really wants them should ignore the chart, even though value-seekers should also feel free to use it when attempting to justify not having those things.
Production quality is another factor that doesn’t show up in any of our charts, yet only one of the cases in these charts has noteworthy deficiencies: The View 71 TG’s panel mounting pegs didn’t line up perfectly with the holes, and the threaded inserts of those holes weren’t perfect either; one was crooked and another cross-threaded. We might have been willing to give the C700P some kind of award based on quality and features if it had just offered similar performance.
Interested Cosmos buyers might consider its large radiator support and fully-modular design. One could, for example, put two triple-fan radiators on the bottom and front, using both as intakes, by moving the power supply to the top. Those who tell you this is a bad idea due to heated air entering the power supply probably aren’t thinking about the volume of air two triple-fan radiators can move when all six fans are used as intakes, and its effect on minimizing temperature deltas.
MORE: Best Cases
MORE: All Case Content
