Coolermaster Mystique 632 ATX Case Review

Cases & PSU/Cases by Berry @ 2006-09-04

Can the Mystique combine a good look pre-mod with useful features and excellent cooling? We examine Coolermaster?s latest in detail in this review.

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Test Setup & Temperature Results

Test setup


Test Setup
CPU AMD X2 4800 @ 2.6Ghz 1,34v
Thermalright XP-90C + Noiseblocker SE2 92mm fan
Mainboard DFI CFX3200-DR
Video cards Sapphire X1900XT @ 650/750 with Zalman VF900CU
Memory Xtreem 2x 1Gb Special CE5 @2,85V
Other
  • OCZ Powerstream 520watt
  • Nec 3540 DVD Burner
  • LG DVD
  • 2x Maxtor 160GB


  • Madshrimps (c)


    Programs used for stress testing:
  • SP2004 by Johnny Lee ( 2x for both cores)
  • Lavalys Everest ( for temp. readings)
  • AtiTool 0.25 Beta14 ( for temp. logging GraKa)
  • X3 Demo ( Looped 3 times)
  • For the HDD stress testing I copied 5 *1Gb zip files.

    The chart below shows the temperatures at idle/load with the two standard 120mm fans running at 12v. Coolermaster included A12025-12CB-5BN-L1 with a rated spec of: 1220RPM, 42,73CFM, 22DBA.

    Madshrimps (c)


    I?m quiet impressed with the performance and noise levels of the stock fans. They are certainly not noisy, and push out a lot of air. They get the job done, and are included with the case, at no extra costs. I have my computer standing in the corner of my living-room, and every little drop in noise is better, so I did a second run with the fans at 7v (Everest reports RPM at ~950). As expected, the noise dropped considerably, making it more than bearable for usage in my living-room. For me there is no need to replace them.

    But opinions differ and a lot of cases come without, or with very loud fans, so there is a complete aftermarket, with lots of fans to choose from. I decided to install Noiseblocker SX2 Pro`s 120mm fans rated at 1550 RPM, 65CFM, 12-26DBA. Though the DBA-rating given from the factory differ quite a bit (22 vs 26 DBA) my subjective listening tests says they sound exactly the same @12V. And looking at performance, they almost match up too.

    Madshrimps (c)


    On the side panel, there are two perforated areas; the top one holds a duct for the CPU cooler. In my setup the duct wasn?t lined up perfectly above the CPU cooler, covering only ? of it, I replaced the duct with a 80mm fan, but that didn?t do much to improve cooling. However when I installed a 92mm fan in the lower area of the side panel I noticed quite a drop in the VGA temperatures, running at 7v the Noiseblocker SE2 spins at only 1160rpm.

    In the table below compares the temperature of the different components when using different fan configurations, the increase/decrease is related to the results I got with the stock 120mm fans at 12v.

    Madshrimps (c)


    Simply said: keep the stock fans , get a silent 92mm fan for the side panel, undervolt them all to ~7v and you?ll have a silent yet properly ventilated case which will keep the hottest running hardware cool.

    Let?s wrap things up ->
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