Stormforce Onyx (i3-9100F, GTX 1650) Budget Gaming PC Review

1. Introduction2. Thermals, Noise and power consumption3. CPU & Storage performance4. 3D Mark and Gaming performance5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

Thermals:

To test the cooling performance of the Onyx I ran AIDA64 and Unigine Heaven for 10 minutes. I tested the CPU & GPU at the same time to ensure that the cooling is sufficient to cool both chips. I also monitored the temperatures during gaming to double check the results.

The idle temperatures on the Onyx are very acceptable and not much higher than ambient. Under load the CPU and GPU both get rather warm for a desktop but they are still far from overheating. The temperatures could be better but as this PC is using a stock Intel cooler and the case is rather restrictive the cooling in this case is average.

Noise levels:

I measured fan noise levels using a sound meter while the PC was idle with no programs open, and then during stress testing to get a reading with the system under load.

The noise levels on the Onyx are very consistent. I was surprised to see that I saw no increase in volume levels when I put the PC under load. The fans themselves are reasonably quiet and I noticed the noise from the mechanical hard drive more. You won't have any problems using this PC in a room with other people as 42.8 decibels is audible but far from loud.

Power Consumption: The Stormforce Onyx is fitted with a budget 350W power supply from FSP. It's an OEM power supply called the SP400-A but it has a decent efficiency rating of 85% at 50% load. This is the same as you would find on an 80 plus bronze certified PSU which isn't the best but it will do the job and it keeps the whole cost of the PC down.

It also seems to come with some decent black plastic sleeved cables and not the typical black and yellow rainbow cables.

When I saw the 350W power supply in this system I was a bit surprised and apprehensive about power draw. However Stormforce seem to have got it spot on and the Onyx is a very efficient PC.

Under maximum load I saw a reading of 159W which means the 350W power supply is operating at about 50% where is exactly where you want it for the best efficiency and least strain. These readings also show that the Onyx should be pretty friendly to the electricity bill!

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