ThermalTake Armour+

Testing, testing?

At bit-tech.net we have a standard set of tests which we run on any case we look at or use – there are no exceptions. There are three things we look for in any computer chassis.

Firstly, we want the case to be easy to work with. Testing for that is simple – we just install a system inside it and note down any difficulties or problems we run in to. Sharp edges or awkwardly designed drive cages are especially frowned on.

After that, we want a good case to be fairly quiet when it is running. Again, testing for that is simple. We just boot up our machine, which is the same spec everytime, and keep a keen ear out. Can we hear those fans whirring or any errant vibrations? You’d better hope not, ThermalTake!

Things get a little more complicated with the last test – thermal performance. Systems live and die by how hot they get and a good case should ventilate a machine well enough that it can perform to the best of it’s abilities.

To make sure that we’re testing consistently and reliably we always install the same heatsink on the testing rig. Then, without adding any more cooling tech, we run a selection of tests on the PC while monitoring the key temperatures – GPU, CPU and interior case temperature. We use a digital thermometer for the task and compare them continuously against the ambient office temperature.


Our first thermal performance test is an idle test with the OS (XP Home) running, but nothing else. After that we stress the CPU and RAM in a memory blend test that bombards the system. Finally, we run a GPU test using a real-time, high dynamic range image-based lighting demo which is freely available here. You can also check the system specs of our test rig below.

CPU: Intel Pentium XE 955 (dual-core, 3.46GHz)
Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon X1600 XT Ultimate
Motherboard: MSI P6N SLI Platinum
RAM: 2x 512MB Corsair XMS2-667
Hard Drive: 1x 250GB Western Digital WD2500 7200RPM
Heatsink: Asus Silent Square Pro

This system may not bowl you over with its high-tech specs, but it is carefully chosen to generate a substantial amount of heat and noise while still being representative for a lot of people. This is one of those few occasions where we want a PC to get too hot – because we want to see how the case shifts that heat.

So, first test. How did it go installing the system? Perfectly fine actually. The removeable motherboard tray worked a treat and it was incredibly easy to slide the tray out, mount the motherboard and GPU and then put the PSU in before securing the tray back in place. Everything is clearly labelled and the massive bulk of the Armour+ meant that there was plenty of room to manoeuvre inside the case.

I also noted at this point that there’s a fair bit of room underneath the case so that the extra two base-mounted HDD cages can remain well-cooled as air is bought up through the ventilation grilles in the base of the case. Convection is a wonderful thing.

With everything in place, it then only remained to go on and plug everything in. The cable routing for the system admittedly disappointed me a little here – there’s not actually all that much room to shuffle wires through and a modular PSU is still preferable. All hooked up, I turned the power on and put the panels back in place to assess the noise.

Unfortunately, the case doesn’t do a lot to dampen the noise generated by the PC and that fact really shows.

The noise isn’t what I’d describe as unbearable by any means, but it is certainly very audible and could clearly be heard and located over the other machines in the office. The amount of noise isn’t really very surprising though, given the absence of any specific noise or vibration countermeaures. Nothing is grommetted in rubber and the side panels aren’t well insulated or double-lined; disappointing to say the least on a £100 case, considering these features are available from the likes of Antec for similar cash.

Hopefully, the thermal tests will give us some better results...