Cooler Master Cosmos S

[Aiden]

Introduction :

Cooler Master Cosmos S is designed for maximum cooling even at the cost of sacrificing the silence, the new commitment of Cooler Master is a successful remodeling of the Cosmos. Both Cosmos have something in common: the handles and feet that mimic the roof racks that are found on vehicles "breaks". Cooler Master went on to say that to draw the Cosmos S, the designers were inspired by the most beautiful race cars. This must be a championship chests that we do not know in our region, the parallel seems to us dared by the manufacturer. To return to the handles, they are not only aesthetic but also handy for carrying the case.

Case Presentation :

The bars have the advantage of elevating the chassis to support the ventral air intake. Under the Cosmos S was indeed entitled to a full scale dedicated to food and a central grid over which can become lodged an optional fan 120 millimeters. We appreciate the presence at this level two dust filters, one in the box (for 120mm) and one inside, under the power. They are both removable and washable.

The front of the Cosmos S very "open" portion with the seal of the Cosmos RC-1000. Recall indeed that the 5 ¼ "bays RC-1000 are hidden behind an imposing gate. It illustrates the different philosophies of these two boxes: silence for the RC-1000 and cooling performance for the RC-1100. Second difference, 5 ¼ bays that are here in number of 7 instead of 5 on Cosmos RC-1000. In addition, lower housing is also size 5 ¼ inches with three caches in this format, behind which lies the bay to accommodate hard drives. It was therefore entitled to a uniform front giving the impression of having to provide 10 bays 5 ¼ inches. These caches are all screened and provided with a dust filter is not removable. Not a blemish as long as each cache is removed very easily by clipsing. Cooler Master has cared for by the aesthetics of the front, hiding behind these videos two mini-doors on either side of the bay 5 ¼ inches. Unlike the Thermaltake Armor +, do not open those two doors to load or eject an optical disc. They serve only during the installation of devices.

At the top of the cabinet is a "V" in red above which it is entitled to the power button while the reset button is conspicuous by its absence. There are cons by a red LED indicating the activity of the hard disk. No diodes to show the power or cable to connect to the motherboard. The reason is simple, the power button glows red light and is powered by an extension cable from the ATX 24-pin plug that needs food. The button starting the Cosmos S is special because just the touch of a finger. No pressure is needed and this can be problematic if you accidentally touch using the I / O located above the button. Depending on how you configured your bios, your PC will turn off or put on standby.

The inputs / outputs are numerous and complete: 4 USB 2.0 ports, a Firewire port, one eSATA port, a microphone input and headphone output. The users say it lacks a FireWire input mini. These inputs / outputs can be hidden behind a slide while red LEDs beneath the inputs / outputs allow to recognize them in the dark. Damage cons have positioned these inputs / outputs on the top of the housing and behind the front. The housing is high, the fact of placing under a desk began their accessibility. Behind the inputs / outputs of the Cosmos, it was entitled to a flat spot on which it was possible to place objects such as an external drive for example. It is not possible on the Cosmos S for the top of the housing is fully wired because of the possibility of integrating three 120 mm fans on top of the chassis. Cooler Master did not want to leave the possibility of placing objects on top of the tower in order not to obstruct the evacuation of hot air. This grid is removed by removing a thumbscrew at the rear and provides access to three locations.

[Aiden]

Installation :

The installation begins with the release of housing for a brown canvas bag closed with string. Original way to pack a box usually enclosed in a plastic bag. At the same time, could not care less royally packaging that has certainly been more expensive to Cooler Master than traditional plastic. That may be the explanation of the higher price of the Cosmos S with respect to the Cosmos RC-1000. We would rather not have this bag trash luxury but rather a system to protect feet and handles that are easy to remove. It is protecting them with a little moss and lots of sticky, but if the withdrawal of the protection required to play the cutter or pair of scissors, it does not do anything. It is even the opposite effect occurred since the removal of this protection has copiously annoyed, as to give a shot on a cutter involuntary feet.

It begins by opening the two rear doors which as already stated is as easy as pressing two latches. We went on the diet that is positioned in the bottom of the Cosmos S. It will rest on a layer of felt in order to minimize any vibrations that could transmit the fan. The dust filter is located under the block, within the chassis while the RC-1000, it is outside. We prefer the second option because it is not necessary to open the case for cleaning. The block can be placed in two ways if it has a fan 120 millimeters or more, with the latter downward or upward. In the first scenario, it is preferred the quiet operation of the block as the fan continuously sucks fresh air from beneath the housing, which will limit the rise in temperature of the block. In the second case, it is to evacuate the hot air near the bottom of the housing and from the maps or charts. Unless that hot air tends to rise to the top of the case. The power supply fan is therefore unlikely to significantly participate in the cooling components. In addition, it will suck in warmer air in the first scenario, which will increase its speed intimately related to the temperature within the block. To you make your choice according to your wishes, but we strongly recommend the first option. To return to the installation of power, it is quickly without any problems.

We turn to the motherboard after tightening the spacers in the proper holes. Nothing unusual here to say here is the classic. The installation of the daughter cards is done by loosening a thumb screw that holds the PCI cache in steel of very good bill. No plate light here, we still dealing with a case of 200 euros. Inserting a DVD is made as easily as the world simply remove the front cover, insert the drive and press the big blue button to complete the setting. Fast and efficient.

Much slower, less effective and downright irritating: the installation of hard drives. So that the Cosmos RC-1000 6 racks enjoyed strong independent practice allows for easy installation and removal of individual discs, Cooler Master has seen fit to replace this very good idea in a very bad idea: a single array can only receive 4 discs. With broadband, which has become widespread, the download that has become the national sport of Internet and games are becoming more room, we quickly run out of storage space and add a disk to its configuration becomes a normal act. It is therefore not uncommon to have more than one disk and you're more likely to have three, four or more discs in your PC. Your servant, for example, 5 hard drives in their PC. While Cooler Master delivers an adapter to install a fifth disc, but we are still wondering why the firm has abandoned the ingenious system of Cosmos RC-1000. Especially in the RC-1000 has each disc anti-vibration pads individual whereas here it is entitled to only four large slices loaded to absorb the vibrations of the entire cage.

Then you take away three front covers and then push the cage with both hands so that both sides come together, failing to block the bay in his home. Then fall two plates equipped with lugs which are supposed to facilitate the installation. In our case, this must be the worst system for inserting a bay for hard drives we've ever met. Why have complicated life so when a plastic rail in the bottom of the case as the Antec would have been much more convenient. Again, mystery and we come to wonder if the purpose of the Cosmos S is not to ruin the benefits of the Cosmos RC-1000.

Cooler Master has not significantly improved the available space behind the motherboard, again because of the principle of the side panels. The passages behind the motherboard and the side will therefore be limited to cables from the front connector, S-ATA with tablecloths and a few cords. Although some colleagues have managed to get the thick cable behind the ATX motherboard, we have given up after finding that the side door was left slightly curved by the amount of cable were to compress it. In its manual, Cooler Master also recommends not to pass them in the passages provided for cables but to pass over these galleries gland and incorporated in the cable clamps equipped with adhesive side to the position in the housing. It powers in settling down, this could pose problems for power cables with moderately long to make the trip recommended by Cooler Master. They may indeed be too short. But by the Taiwanese firm marks a good point because it provides an extension to the 24 pin ATX connector and ATX 12V connector that is 4 or 8 pin. With the help of clamps also come in the bundle, it is really a way to achieve a very satisfactory result. The Cosmos S of this point of view has improved what was a weak point of the Cosmos RC-1000 in which the galleries gland enjoyed openings too wide.

[Aiden]

Performance Cooling :

Here's the setup we have mounted in the housing and which serves us for our recent tests of boxes :

• Asus Blitz Extreme P35/DDR3
• Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 - quad core 2.66 GHz - 130 watt TDP
• 2x1024 MB DDR3-1333 Kingtson
• Graphics Card Sparkle GeForce 8800 GT (single slot)
• Hard Drive Samsung 250GB
• Hard Drive Western Digital Raptor 10,000 rpm 74GB
• Samsung DVD Player
• Cooler Noctua NH-U9F

We opted for the Asus Blitz Extreme motherboard because it allows checking many temperatures: probe motherboard, northbridge, southbridge and a free probe to connect to the card. We have placed it in the bottom left between the bottom of the housing and the graphics card.

The tests consisted of a hand to launch four sessions cpuburn stress to the maximum of our quad processor and the other loop to launch a session of the second test 3Dmark06 with HDR. After two hours of testing, the temperatures of various components identified. We also note the room temperature and the temperature of a probe rod placed 20 cm above ground and 20 centimeters in front of the enclosure to get an idea of the temperature near the casing and which is to allow comparisons the future when we will test other cases. Before unveiling the results, recall that the Cosmos S is equipped with 4 fans but can accommodate 7. Are delivered three 120 mm fans willing to front, rear and top of the box. Also included is a 200 mm fan installed in the left side door. Those who believe that not enough can still add a 120 mm in the bottom of the case and two other 120 mm at the top of the chassis. The 120mm included in the Cosmos S are the same as those of the Cosmos and operate with 12 volts at 1200 rpm. The 200 mm side is given 12 volts for 900 rotations per minute and 150 CFM.

The cooling performance are waiting for you and the opposite would have been surprising. Note that to run on only the rear 120mm cooling sufficient for our setup. The hard drives have certainly a little warmer but still within acceptable limits and not in the least problematic. Do not connect the fan side is more interesting in terms of cooling performance but as we shall see below, it is a noisy solution. The best compromise is actually the use of traditional configuration of fans who have a 120 mm suction at the front before the hard drives and a 120mm rear extraction. Finally, we note the temperature very stable thanks to feed it fresh air constantly aspires to the bottom of the housing.

Noise :

Sound level measured using a sound level meter located 40 cm before the box, half-height. Fanless, the Cosmos S is more audible than the Antec P190 and the Thermaltake Armor + that we had previously tested. This is attributed to many of the Cosmos grid floors which are all opportunities for noise to escape from the enclosure. In general, it should be noted that the main noise of the Cosmos S comes from its 200 mm side. 900 rpm for this fan is too high and the result is a murmur of important air. The 120mm on their side are rather quiet but still audible. However, there are means to an intermediate configuration silent if it happens the services of 200 mm.

[Aiden]

Conclusion :

It is a version with a radically different approach that emphasizes the cooling performance where the Cosmos RC-1000 is primarily concerned with the silent operation. The Cosmos S should therefore be that the Golf GTI is at the core golf, namely a version of "Sport". The parallel might be flattering if the Cosmos RC-1000 was actually a basic version. But as we have seen, this case is already a top spec, complete and efficient in terms of cooling through its four 120mm fans delivered. As Cooler Master speaks a look inspired sports car for the Cosmos S, continue in parallel to evoke the Cosmos S. Basically, the Cosmos S is an even more powerful of the Cosmos, the more noise. For if the cars are above all in basic version already very efficient, they are still comfortable where they read more streamlined and honed sacrifice comfort for the benefit of performance. This results in lighter cars admittedly spartan but comfortable and the sound everywhere. Their price is also higher. The general view, these cars are to be given to persons who regularly tour but not to those who would use it every day, the extra price is unjustified at this level. We must believe that at Cooler Master, the engineer responsible for the Cosmos S is a lover of sports cars since the parallelism is striking. In fact, compared to the Cosmos RC-1000 Cosmos S is more powerful, noisier, less and less practical for everyday use (mostly in the Bay 3 ½ inch disk drives) and more expensive. Except that the Cosmos S is not a car but a case ... There is the problem. It is more efficient? Yes it is true but is it really helpful as the Cosmos first name is already perfectly capable of cooling configurations very muscular? We think not. And this increase of ventilation is paying a high price for the ears with a 200 mm lateral rather audible and a frame wide open letting in more noise from the configuration.

Completely unnecessary, given that the Cosmos first version already was doing very well at that level. In the same vein, why did you put the dust filter of food inside the box? The Cosmos RC-1000 provides a filter underneath him, more convenient to remove for cleaning and does not require opening the case. Not really, this kind of thing irritates us and from our point of view, the Cosmos S is a version of "botched" the Cosmos RC-1000. Only in the organizational level of the cable version "S" is making improvements and we would frankly have version 2.0 RC-1000 with this new organization. In itself, the Cosmos S is not a bad box. It maintains a flawless finish, quality materials and workmanship that impresses but does not compete Cosmos RC-1000. Finally, we suggest you Cosmos RC-1000, which already provides excellent cooling and filter much more noise while providing a convenient system installation disks. For a box "player", the Cosmos S has to assert a somewhat better cooling, less weight but still too heavy for easy travel, LAN Party, for example, and how to install large water cooling radiators for those who are savvy.