i9-9900k Thermal Performance on my Mintbox3 Pro

[IBNobody]

As another datapoint on the stock i9-9900k performance in the Airtop3 (Mintbox3 Pro variant), I ran the same load test from the Airtop3 Thermal test past the 30 minute mark in an ambient temperature of 21degC.



(NOTE: The X scale in each of these graphs are NOT equal. Aida64's CPU usage has a faster update rate.)

The processor does get hot enough to thermal throttle, but it takes it 50 minutes to get there due to the sheer mass of cast aluminum in the case and the general efficiency of the cooling solution.

I admit I was a little disappointed because I was expecting to be able to run at 100% CPU utilization indefinitely while passively cooled.

Feedback for the Compulab team is that I wish there was an optional fan attachment. I can set up a desktop fan to blow on the case as needed, but it would not look nearly as elegant as what the Compulab mechanical engineers could fab.

[IBNobody]

I decided to try the Furmark test (on my 1660 TI) with a few modifications. I ran it windowed at 1024x768 with no AA. My first run crashed the GPU and required a full system shutdown before I could get video.

I checked my drivers and found that I was still using the base drivers (430.32?) that came with my fresh Win 10 1909 distro. I tried installing the Airtop3_Win10_64bit_External_Video_GTX 430.39 drivers from the wiki, but the driver said that my system was incompatible. I downloaded the official drivers from nVidia (442.19) and am rerunning the trial.

EDIT: Trial 2 was a failure. GPU crashed again. Just to make sure that I am chasing a thermal problem, I installed a portable fan.

EDIT: Trial 3 was a success, but I conducted it a bit different. I let the fan blow on my Mintbox3 until the GPU reached a steady temp at 80 degrees. I then turned off the fan and watched the GPU temp reach 89 degrees. It then began to thermal throttle.

EDIT: Trial 4 was another failure. GPU crashed.

[IBNobody]

I hate to say it, but I think I'm going to have to return it to Amazon. The point of buying the Mintbox3 Pro was to have a Linux/Windows passively cooled machine for general everyday use, with an occasional game or heavy lifting computer project.

I was disappointed that the CPU would throttle after 50 minutes, but I felt I could live with that because that scenario was not something I would realistically see.

The GPU crashing is another matter, especially since it only takes about 20 minutes to climb from ambient to crashing temperatures of 87-89 degC. Games are intended to max out the GPU, and having an unrecoverable crash 20 minutes into gameplay makes them impossible to play. (And to be clear, the crash is the GPU only. I can see that the general system is still functional.)

Finally, I do not feel like the case is adequately able to dissipate the amount of heat generated by the i9 CPU or the 1660 TI GPU (let alone both) to keep the internal SSDs, NVMes, or other components cool. Samsung NVMes have a max junction temperature of 70 degC before they throttle. What I saw in my tests was that my NVMe temp was still rising. I think this was being caused by heat dissipating from the CPU or GPU inside the case.

I wonder how the Mintbox3 Basic fares with its 65W core i5-9500. Is it able to run 24-7 at max CPU load without cooking the NVMes?

[irads]

Thank you for the comprehensive benchmarking.
Some comments:
- The temperature profile observed is typical. It is possible to get either CPU or GPU into throttling temperature by fully loading each for extended period of time.
- There should not be a stability issue at throttling temperatures. A GTX 1660 Ti that crashes is considered a hardware failure and you are entitled to have the system replaced (or just the GTX 1660 Ti replaced if you prefer).
- NVMe and hard disks have their own cooling in a dedicated thermal zone so their temperature is not in direct correlation to the temperature observed on CPU / GPU. In our tests their temperature was 30ºC below that of the CPU. See https://fit-iot.com/web/airtop3-power-a ... mal-tests/

We do not intend to design an optional fan for Airtop3. We believe there are enough systems on the market having a fan.

If the MintBox3 is not suitable for your needs - from the posts below it appears not behave as you expected in Windows 10 gaming scenarios, please return it to Amazon or RMA to Compulab for a refund.

Best regards,