Acoustic, Power & Thermal Performance
Acoustic Performance
By default, the system opts for the low fan mode which greatly limits each fan’s operating RPM values to respectable levels. As a result, we decided to use this profile to accurately gauge the noise and temperature levels out of the box. During idle scenarios, the AWD-IT Alpha Doom’s noise output is noticeable but you adjust to it extremely quickly. Once stressed, the volume hardly increases and creates one of the quietest systems on record. This is remarkable when you consider the processor is running at 4.6GHz.
Power Consumption
As expected, the i5 6600K’s overclock consumes more power than stock i5 setups but it’s still well under 300 watts. This is surprising and showcases the efficiency of Intel’s latest architecture.
Thermal Performance
Despite having to contend with an impressive overclock, the system’s CPU remained within its maximum threshold and has enough headroom to cope whenever the environmental temperatures change in warmer climates. Theoretically, you might be able to increase the CPU’s core voltage even further and achieve 4.7GHz. Under load, the GTX 970 runs ridiculously cool and didn’t appear to warm up even in demanding games like GTA V.
