Benchmarks: Noise
The page we've all been waiting for: noise. The early signs are good, as the 3XS Z77 Performance Q10 is really very, very quiet when idle. It remains faintly audible - you know it's on when you're next to it - but step back and you'd struggle to hear it at all.
It's quiet and Scan has achieved its primary objective; the Q10 is significantly quieter than the existing GTX model.
Pushing the Core i5 processor until it's running flat out does increase noise to a more noticeable level, but unlike most gaming rigs, the 3XS Z77 Performance Q10 doesn't feel like it's about to take off.
We're witnessing mixed results on the GPU front, however. We wouldn't go as far as to call Gainward's GTX 660 Ti Phantom a loud graphics card - 36.5dB when gaming is very good for a high-end machine - but its dual fans give off a pulsing noise and we were hoping it would be a bit quieter.
After a stint of Aliens vs. Predator, the system becomes clearly audible and, while it isn't anywhere near as raucous as some of the other gaming rigs we've seen, it isn't whisper quiet, either.
