Our thermal performance testing has recently been revised and therefore the list of comparable results is for the moment limited. But as we progress through cases the results list will expand.

Inside 550D there are 3 pre-installed cooling fans positioned in traditional airflow regions. Dual 120mm intake fans – bringing in air from outside and pulling it across the system and out through the 120mm rear exhaust fan.

To discover the thermal performance of the 550D I will record idle temperatures after 20 minutes from a cold boot. I will then stress the system and temperatures will again be monitored after 30 minutes have elapsed.

For the purpose of accurate analysis the idle and load temperatures for CPU and GPU will be recorded and the range between idle and load will be calculated to determine how efficient cooling is.

NOTE: Ambient temperature is 20C

System Components




Noise

The 3x120mm fans that Corsair have included with 550D spin at just 800RPM. Couple this with the noise dampening panels and we have the perfect recipe for silence.

Due to the slower operation on these fans, it means that they therefore do not push as much air compared to other cases. The 550D has similar fan specifications to the Silencio 450; it differs by being able to push more air though thanks to the additional fan.

Noise and performance has always been an interesting trade-off. It just depends what your ultimate goal is.