Top cases thermal performance wise for air cooling

[Sedivy]

While all thermal tests in reviews on this (and other) sites include several different cases always for comparison, often the reviews are so far apart I can't tell if the difference in temperatures is simply due to different components used or due to actually better builds of the case.
Can anyone give me top 3-5 cases for thermal performance (both newer and older cases included, bells and whistles of new cases is no impediment)? I care not what they look like or how they sound. Good gear so likely i7-6700k with option to OC in the future and NH-D14 on it. GPU probably a gtx 1070 with an option to SLI in the future. No liquid cooling for various reasons. Price.....about $200 Canadian max which is what something like carbide air 740 or NZXT 820 might go for up here. Having fried my two previous systems due to poor cooling and insufficient wattage, this isn't just me being paranoid. I've read many reviews but have yet to find a comprehensive listing of thermal performance ranking with more than 4-5 cases in it. Help?

 

[Aeacus]

It's not the case that gives you good cooling, it's the case fans you use and where you mount your PC. Also, you have to clear dust inside the case if your fan intakes aren't filtered. Letting the dust to collect is number 1 reason for overheating and eventually, component failure.
Further reading: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/faq/id-1858957/airflow-101-setting-fans-keeping-computer-cool.html

With your budget, Corsair Air 750 is probably one of the best cases you can get.
pcpp: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/2rGj4D/corsair-air-740-atx-full-tower-case-cc-9011096-ww
Though, this case has it's drawbacks. Most notably, no fan filters on top and bottom. Other than that, it's a good case.

Since i'm very serious about my PC cooling, went on and paid top dollar to get my Corsair 760T case for my Skylake build (full specs in my signature). Also bought DemciFlex ​dust filter set for my case to have all holes filtered so, no dust would enter my system. Currently running stock fans in the case but i'm planning to switch all stock fans with Corsair ML series fans and also add more fans to the bottom and top.

Corsair 760T pcpp: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/x3Crxr/corsair-case-cc9011073ww
DemciFlex dust filter set: http://www.demcifilter.com/p0513/Corsair-760T-Dust-Filter-Kit.aspx
Corsair ML series: http://www.corsair.com/en/cooling/ml-series-fans

 

[Sedivy]

That's fantastic info and very detailed. Yes I did eventually clue in that all tests were with default fans shipped which often were minimal compared to what the case was capable of, making a lot of conclusions about design of air flow pointless. I was curious, with your setup, assuming you have a full set of fans going, what kind of CPU and GPU temperatures are you getting after a few hours of intensive gameplay? How often do you end up cleaning your filters?

 

[Aeacus]

Don't have the Corsair ML series fans yet, planning to get them within this month.

But what i can tell you is my current temps with stock fans that come with the 760T (2x 140mm intake, 1x 140mm exhaust). Also removed the top magnetic cover since hot air rises and i don't want it to be trapped inside the case.

Ambient average temp is 24°C.
On idle, CPU averages at 26°C.
On idle, GPU averages at 42°C.
On load, max that CPU has gone is 55°C. (I have Arctic Freezer i32 to cool my CPU. CPU fan won't even turn until CPU reaches 52°C.)
On load, max that GPU has gone is 65°C. (I have Zero Frozr feature on my MSI GPU. GPU fans won't even turn until GPU reaches 60°C.)

760T also has a fan controller with 2 stages: low and high. I connected the three 140mm stock case fans into it. When PC is on idle, i'm using the low setting. When i game and see/hear CPU or GPU fans turning, i set my case fans on high setting with simple press of a button (located next to the front I/O mic port). You can connect up to 4 fans into 760T fan controller.

Besides well filtered fan intakes, i also want my PC to be silent when i'm browsing the web (usually helping others out here in Tom's Hardware).
On idle, the noisiest part of my PC are the 2x 140mm stock intake fans on low setting. I love the hybrid fan control on my CPU, GPU and PSU. It keeps my system very quiet on low loads.

Cleaning DemciFlex filters is easy due to the magnetic attachment. Since DemciFlex filters have a fine mesh that also catches small dust particles, i go over my filters at least once in every month. Cleaning the filters is easier than cleaning the dust from inside the case.

The frequency of filter cleaning depends mostly on how dusty the ambient air is and where your case sits. My case sits 73cm off the floor on my desk.

Here's a nice video review of DemciFlex filter kit for 760T: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3LFD_M8Ev0
2nd video review that shows cleaning them as well (starts about 1:23): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcJYl8UdPjw

 

[Sedivy]

I totally forgot to give you solved flag for this and now it's not giving me the ability to.

 

[Aeacus]

I totally forgot to give you solved flag for this and now it's not giving me the ability to.

You can't select Best Answer because you created your topic as a Discussion and not as a Question.

Since time has moved onward, i've completed my Skylake build. Full specs with pics in my sig.

As far as temps go:
CPU - idle: 26°C; under load: 52°C
GPU - idle: 52°C; under load 63°C

I also have 6 channel fan controller and my fan RPMs are as follows:
Channel layout:
Channel #1: Corsair ML140 - front intake, 700 RPM
Channel #2: Corsair ML140 - front intake, 700 RPM
Channel #3: NZXT AER140 RGB - top exhaust, 1100 RPM
Channel #4: NZXT AER140 RGB - top exhaust, 1100 RPM
Channel #5: NZXT AER140 RGB - top exhaust, 1100 RPM
Channel #6: Corsair ML140 - rear exhaust, 1100 RPM
MoBo: Corsair ML120 - bottom intake, 1000 RPM
CPU cooler: 2x Corsair ML120 - 450 RPM when CPU idles

Since i'm a bit lazy, i'm cleaning my Demciflex filters once in every 2 weeks.

 

[Sedivy]

Oh...at the time I don't think I knew the difference. Ah well, I'll know for the future.
Ohhh but I love those RPMs. I do get higher on my front ones when I load a particularly tasking game.
I love the color scheme as well. Your idle rpm on cpu is awesome. Mine is like 200-250 higher at least. Not that it bothers me, it's still super quiet in that range, but I'm marveling at the temp, at 450rpm.

I do have one question. I get how to clean my filters, they are pretty easy to take off, but what are you using to clean inside the case? I'm afraid to use any sort of cloth, for fear of static charge and the dust gets on everything eventually, filters or not (at least in my room, which gets dusty fast).