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We placed both Elite GTX 465 and GTX 480 systems in an air conditioned room which was maintained at 25c. We then started the systems and let them idle for 30 minutes in Windows. To load – we set up a scripted run of Crysis Warhead at Enthusiast settings with 4AA at 1080p, for 45 minutes. Temperatures were recorded throughout and the maximum noted.
Our results show that the Thermaltake Element S is perhaps not the ideal case for the GTX 480 with temperatures hitting 98c under full, extended load. It is worth mentioning that if you did purchase the GTX 480 system that you should maybe contemplate the 240mm side fan window version of the Element S as although noise would evidently increase, temperatures might drop by a few Celsius. At these temperatures every degree reduction helps longevity of component life.
That said, with a pre-built system from a company like MESH, it’s not your problem, it’s the manufacturer’s problem. Nice.
The GTX 465 was a more comfortable proposition, as not only did GFX load temperatures reduce by 12c, but we noticed a reduction in ambient case temperatures and subsequently CPU temperatures dropped by 4c.
We recorded noise with our Digital recorder from a distance of around 15 inches – the chassis was closed and again we used the same Crysis Warhead stress test as above.
The differences were quite noticeable – the GTX 480 system became irritating and the GTX 465 audible. This verifies our feelings that the Thermaltake chassis is not allowing enough cool air to reach the ‘top of the range' Fermi board and it is compensating by increasing fan speeds. Running the GTX 480 inside a Silverstone Raven 2 produces much more acceptable results – dBA was recorded at 4-5 lower!
The GTX 465 however works perfectly fine within this chassis and ambient temperatures are much lower resulting in not only a happier system but a more relaxing gaming environment.
It is worth pointing out that we experienced no stability issues with the Elite GTX480 but the temperatures really are just higher than we like to see. We would advise a longer term warranty contract with MESH. You can also check to see how long the manufacturer’s guarantee is for the nVidia card itself.
Those 480GTXs need far too much cooling.
prices seem competitive, but the CPU cooler and ram put me off. ill go check out the customisations.
they need a hardcore case for 480, that thing is getting way too hot.
465 is solid performer, id opt for the cheaper system and maybe add a reasonably priced SSD for the OS drive.
good review, noise seems a bit high with 480 and those temps scare me. 98c long term? thats an RMA waiting to happen. guess the warranty is a good option! would make more sense for Mesh to offer better cases for 480 to save their potential costs in 9 months time. I can see a lot of those failing.
good review, the one thing that put me off the system is the use of really cheap ram without heatspreaders. I know the audience wont care, but Mesh really should.
Nice enough system, I dont overclock and don’t care about state of the art cooling,. I like warranty cover from companies, so im not ashamed to say I buy them prebuilt. worth the hassle free gaming experience with long term peace of mind 🙂
ITs not a bad system and very competitive, which I think MESH aim for. nothing fancy, but solid workmanship and good warranty cover with good parts.
Nice to see a zotac branded card in the system, I have always liked them.
That CPU cooler is pretty good for a reference cooled system. Would like to see branded ram from OCZ or Corsair, or even Crucial with heatspreaders however. That really does add a feeling of “our audience wont care to open the case, lets put in cheap ass modules to make a few more quid on profit”.
Just my views anyway, but its a generally positive looking system(s)
I would agree, of everything in the system, I would only be unhappy about the use of unbranded, low spec memory. Surely for a company like MEsh, spending £3 more in a build to use good ram would be better not only for the customer but them long term.
If this review has whet your appetite at all, then give the MESH team a shout and ask them what the price would be with 1600Mhz ram, an improved cooler and the fan-side-panel version of the Element S case