Streacom ST-FC5S EVO WS Review

Performance Analysis

A quick check in the BIOS once we booted the PC saw the CPU sitting at a fairly normal 28°C, with an ambient temperature of 20°C, making a delta T of 7°C. So we headed into Windows and fired up Prime95 while keeping an eye on the temperatures. After five minutes the delta T rose to 35°C with Core Temp reading 56°C, and the side of the case was getting warm showing the heatpipe cooler was clearly doing something. The temperature continued to climb for another ten minutes, eventually peaking at a delta T of 44°C, with our Core i3 CPU showing up as 65°C in Core Temp.

With the case in the open in this test, we ran a more important test, replicating a more enclosed environment and placed the case in a door-fronted cabinet with small space for the ST-FC5S EVO WS to reside. The temperature rose by another 8°C to a delta T of 52°C, with 73°C showing in Core Temp - still 20°C away from any kind of danger zone. Our final test involved a slightly more realistic scenario than running Prime95 to stress both of the Core i3 CPU's cores to the max, where we streamed an HD movie using Netflix, again while the case was enclosed. The delta T peaked at 20°C, which is pretty respectable considering there are no fans involved.


Conclusion

There's an awful lot to like about the ST-FC5S EVO WS. It looks fantastic, if a little server blade-esque, offers superb build quality and plenty of room for your typical HTPC. It also managed to cool our Core i3 test CPU easily, even when enclosed in a TV cabinet. If there's a case that can truly lay claim to being silent, it's this one. Set your hard disks to spin down, and while you're streaming videos or music, it won't make a sound. Aside from the fiddly but curiously rewarding DIY heatpipe system and lack of a USB 3 header cable, there is little it does wrong.

However, the price is steep, especially once you've factored in a PSU. There are plenty of reasonable HTPC cases around for half the price, leaving you enough cash to buy a CPU and motherboard. Of course, a CPU cooler is not something you have to buy but that's a pretty small concession. However, if you consider top-notch aesthetics and noise reduction important enough to splash some serious cash then we doubt you'll have any complaints, especially when you see your friends lusting over it sitting sleek and understated under your flatscreen TV.