Taking Case Reviews To The Next Level

[FreedomEclipse]

In a world.... Where TPU did case reviews. @Darksaber sold case reviews on the street corner.

But ONE MAN, decided to challenge TPU and its reviewers to step up their game and take things further.

/sexymovienarratorvoice

---

As mentioned.... I think TPU needs to step up the kind of content when it comes to case reviews. Case reviews to date have been very good and very detailed though sometimes I dont quite agree with the breakdown at the end when it comes to listing the positives and negatives of the case which isnt the point im trying to make here or even wanting to debate as its all subjective.

I wish for TPU to start adding Acoustic and thermal tests for case reviews. Just keep the case stock. Throw in an extra fan if there is time to do more testing or if you think having an extra fan for airflow would make a big difference. Because in all reviews, youre building into it anyway to show off its looks. Why not go the extra mile and add acoustic and thermal testing?

Telling us about the looks and build quality of the case only takes us so far and is only a small part of the picture. Even Guru3D, OC3D and quite a few other tech sites have been doing thermal and acoustic tests for a while and this is an area where TPU could really stand to improve.

I know it will add more time to reviews but I honestly believe that in this day and age not having thermal tests means that TPUs case reviews would probably the last thing on the list that someone considers checking before they buy their case because its only part of the story. I bet TPU loses a fair amount of clicks and viewership to other sites because there are no thermal/acoustic tests included in their reviews.

Maybe some 10-15 years ago manufacturers didnt care a whole lot about airflow but these days its the talk of the town. Every manufacturer is boasting about how much potential airflow their cases have if they arent throwing out buzzwords like 'Gamer' and 'RGB' like Michael Jackson dangling babies off balconies...

I think this step would bring TPU case reviews out of the year 2000 and into the present where it can be more relevant towards today's enthusiasts and those who browse the site.

 

[Nuckles56]

I'm 100% in agreement with you on this, it isn't worth looking at the reviews without any data on how good they are other than what is said about them which isn't telling us anything as it is subjective

 

[FreedomEclipse]

232 views and only one legit reply - I dont think anyone here cares Alright, I guess its to other websites i go for my case reviews then.

 

[Xx Tek Tip xX]

Why not go the extra mile and add acoustic and thermal testing?

This would be pretty good.

 

[W1zzard]

We're working on it. Temp testing equipment already arrived, I forwarded @Darksaber some new graphics cards

 

[rtwjunkie]

232 views and only one legit reply - I dont think anyone here cares Alright, I guess its to other websites i go for my case reviews then.

I do! I would love to see more of this at TPU.

For me, a case has to have three factors. It must be large enough for what I want, and not look cramped. It must have good airflow for cooling. And, it must have good sound dampening. It doesn’t have to be silent. It just has to tone down my fans I add enough that I can easily tune out it’s gentle noise.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

We're working on it. Temp testing equipment already arrived, I forwarded @Darksaber some new graphics cards

A bit late to the party but at least a welcome update.

 

[Ferrum Master]

I want something too.

Distances... How fat can be the rad placed in front, side or upper sections with a fan, or can you do push pull... it's very important for water cooling setups. I end up scratching my head on those way too often.

Like giving distance from top and to that ATX screw.

Thanks for the effort anyways.

 

[dj-electric]

Came here to say that i'm happy stuff is changing.
This shows that passion is still there for doing it, and that a hobby didn't become a chore.

Many websites of traditional hardware reviews have fallen from grace, and their reviews boiled down to nothing but glorified unboxings.

 

[dirtyferret]

Throw in an extra fan if there is time to do more testing or if you think having an extra fan for airflow would make a big difference. Because in all reviews, youre building into it anyway to show off its looks. Why not go the extra mile and add acoustic and thermal testing?

That isn't as easy as it seems. Look at the breakdown GN goes into for "standardize" fans and how some cases actually did worse with adding an extra fan in certain locations.

Standardized Fans in Case Tests & Noise Normalized Case Thermals

Our viewers have long requested that we add standardized case fan placement testing in our PC case reviews. We’ve previously talked about why this is difficult – largely logistically, as it’s neither free in cost nor free in time – but we are finally in a good position to add the testing. -

www.gamersnexus.net

You also have examples on how one tests is completely contradicted by another test such science studios claim the phanteks P400A white front panel prevented air flow and GN own test completely contradict that test and kind of embarrass science studios in their video when Steve states they repeatedly tested the white front panel to make sure their results were legit (an obvious nod to seeing the science studio test).

 

[R-T-B]

We're working on it. Temp testing equipment already arrived, I forwarded @Darksaber some new graphics cards

This is why I love you.

 

[kapone32]

I know they are old but I would love to see a review of the Thermaltake Core X9 vs the Level 20XT.

 

[dj-electric]

With this huge bunch of case reviews that will never see the light of thermal and noise testing it really feels bitter.

Is there any chance any of those could be revisited?
Having a new testbench made some of us eager to see testing, but the shower of unboxing-style reviews of crucially important cases meanwhile makes it a hard pill...

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Bitter?

 

[dj-electric]

Missing these kind of testings on so many case reviews that are already done

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Missing these kind of testings on so many case reviews that are already done

There has to be a transition phase somewhere along the line and i doubt older reviews will be revisited. too much time, effort and no money/not enough money to make it worthwhile

 

[dj-electric]

There has to be a transition phase somewhere along the line and i doubt older reviews will be revisited. too much time, effort and no money/not enough money to make it worthwhile

Sure, that's known, its just that i don't think ive seen so many case reviews being pushed so close next to each other on TPU and so fast. I expected a case or 2 in this phase...
Missing these kind of testings on 5 so far, just feels a bit like a loss. That's where the question regarding revisits came from

 

[bonehead123]

I know they are old but I would love to see a review of the Thermaltake Core X9 vs the Level 20XT.

Although I don't have any numbers to offer you, nor am I familiar with the X9, but I just built my son a moderate gaming rig with the 20XT, which includes an o'c'd 9700k, 1080ti, a 240mm rad up top, 2x ML140's in front, 2x 140's on each lower side, and 1x 140 in the back.

Even during his extended sessions with recent games, I have yet to see his cpu temps go over ~75-80c, and his GPU fans rarely come on for more than a minute or 2.....and there is practically no noticable noise from it either....

So this would lead me to believe that it's thermal & acoustic properties are in the very good-to-great range....

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Sure, that's known, its just that i don't think ive seen so many case reviews being pushed so close next to each other on TPU and so fast. I expected a case or 2 in this phase...
Missing these kind of testings on 5 so far, just feels a bit like a loss. That's where the question regarding revisits came from

Those reviews were already more than likely already completed and waiting for the manufacturer to release the press/reviews embargo. At the same time there are probably reviews in the pipeline where thermal and acoustic testing could be added in but again, Its all down to time.

As youre already aware of - a lot of these cases are review units that are shared between news/reviews/press outlets, So once TPU gets their cases they have a certain time period to complete the review before they have to box it up and send it on its way to the next reviewer. Not always the case but more often than not yes. It is highly likely that darksaber doesnt even have these cases in his possession anymore so its impossible to go back and pretty much redo everything.

Time is a Commodity that a lot of reviewers dont have. and W1zzard is already dealing with grey market software keys and patreon so i doubt that he has the finances to hire more hands to help with the testing.

 

[dj-electric]

I must admit, i know a thing or two about how media samples work and never heard of a computer case having to move from one media to another... not in 11 years of... knowing about it so far. The logistics of it outweigh most cases.
Not that it couldn't happen, just never ever seen it. Its important for case makers to make sure cases look shiny and new at every possibly review. But I only had this experience with Corsair\FD\Antec\CM\BQ.

I hope DS still has those cases, and might revisit some.

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Ive seen it a few times with OC3D - I dont know what goes on with the logistics side of it either he has to send it back to a HQ somewhere or the company sends Fedex, UPS, DHL or another courier company to pick up the case and deliver it elsewhere.

Im not saying that this happens every time but it could be a possibility. I guess it could be down to the amount of cases they have available to send to media outlets.

 

[kapone32]

Although I don't have any numbers to offer you, nor am I familiar with the X9, but I just built my son a moderate gaming rig with the 20XT, which includes an o'c'd 9700k, 1080ti, a 240mm rad up top, 2x ML140's in front, 2x 140's on each lower side, and 1x 140 in the back.

Even during his extended sessions with recent games, I have yet to see his cpu temps go over ~75-80c, and his GPU fans rarely come on for more than a minute or 2.....and there is practically no noticable noise from it either....

So this would lead me to believe that it's thermal & acoustic properties are in the very good-to-great range....

Thanks for that I have the Core X9 and was thinking of getting the 20XT but all of that glass has me worried and it's not like I can go to my local PC and see a display unit to get the clearance of the panels. I will say though that 75-80 does sound good for an OC 9700K. Could you get some VRM temps for me?

 

[FreedomEclipse]

Thanks for that I have the Core X9 and was thinking of getting the 20XT but all of that glass has me worried and it's not like I can go to my local PC and see a display unit to get the clearance of the panels. I will say though that 75-80 does sound good for an OC 9700K. Could you get some VRM temps for me?

thermal performance is middle of the pack on the 20XT

 

[bonehead123]

Thanks for that I have the Core X9 and was thinking of getting the 20XT but all of that glass has me worried and it's not like I can go to my local PC and see a display unit to get the clearance of the panels. I will say though that 75-80 does sound good for an OC 9700K. Could you get some VRM temps for me?

The gap between the side & top panels is minimal but still there. The front glass gap is a tad bigger, but not excessive, and it also has a small mesh-covered area on each side too, so a fair amount of air can get sucked in there as well, assuming that you have good pull through from the top & rear fans, both of which I have plenty.

As for VRM temps, I don't have any equipment to measure that, but there should be sensors on the mobo that utilities can read, like HW info/CPU-Z etc..... I'll see what I can find out & post back if I come up with anything

 

[kapone32]

The gap between the side & top panels is minimal but still there. The front glass gap is a tad bigger, but not excessive, and it also has a small mesh-covered area on each side too, so a fair amount of air can get sucked in there as well, assuming that you have good pull through from the top & rear fans, both of which I have plenty.

As for VRM temps, I don't have any equipment to measure that, but there should be sensors on the mobo that utilities can read, like HW info/CPU-Z etc..... I'll see what I can find out & post back if I come up with anything

Thanks I appreciate that. This is why I love Techpowerup