Box with gold front vs front front
For the test we will use the box Corsair Obsidian 750D, as its predecessor, the factory apartment, can be turned onward with a grid (which makes the Airflow Edition). We have previously installed 140mm Corsair ML Pro fans who will be looking to vent their fresh air.
The main difference between using the front or the other in this box is that when we have a smooth surface, the air enters the front sides, and when we use the grid, it will come directly from the front of the box.
For performance testing, we will use a processor Intel Core i7-8700K overlaps at 4.5 GHz on all its cores, via heatsink Corsair H100i Platinum RGB. In addition to seeing the performance with the newly installed fans pre-installed, we will also install a radiator for our liquid cooling AIO on the front to see how the processor temperature changes in both areas.
Thermal performance test
It the operational difference between using a grid front and a smooth front the box fans are fitted with the front and the radiator on the roof. The data reveal the average temperature, that is, the average temperature subtracts the existing temperature, so that when the actual temperature changes between measurements does not affect the difference in the data obtained:
And this is the difference in fuel efficiency when we put the radiator right in front of the box:
As you can see, there is a amazing performance difference between using a closed front and a grid, the difference is also apparent in the smoke created by the box, because it is not the same as the air entering the front sides, where there is 90 degree angle plastic. to do it through the front directly through the grid that, precisely, is designed for air flow and that allows for not only better air flow, but a smaller area of its own.
Conclusion: The front of the grid is better
The conclusion is quite clear: using the front grid we get several temperatures (up to 2.3ºC on the test by installing the radiator on the front) and we will also make the box a little more comfortable. We might lose some points in terms of aesthetics, because in fact the smooth front is pretty good, but if that doesn't matter or we like the grid to see the rejection of the fans, this will probably be the best choice we can get when buying a PC case.
In any case, if what we're looking for is fuel efficiency, you already know that the front of the grid (always accompanied by good front fans) will always have better temperatures than the smoother ones.