Cooltek UMX2

[testman78]

Introduction

PC-Cooling-owned brand Cooltek-Under the label "Cooltek - powered by Jonsbo" - recently introduce a new PC chassis,a midi-tower model called UMX2. Pictured below, this steel/aluminum-constructed case measures 445 x 200 x 421 mm and features four front-facing USB ports (two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0), one slim 5.25-inch optical drive slot, three 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch drive bays, and three pre-installed 120 mm fans (one on top and two on the bottom).I now have my hands on the UMX2(Black Edition), which does inherit some traits from the UMX1 chassis, but it is simply one new amazing enclosure.



There are four models that make up the Cooltek UMX2 product line.The different models are for having a black or silver exterior and with our without a window.Cooltek's creation has seven PCI slots and supports ATX, micro ATX and mini ITX motherboards, as well as graphics cards up to 280 mm long.





Packaging & Contents


I received the UMX2 from Cooltek for review and its packaging was similar to the many other cases i have reviewed from this manufacturer this year.Cooltek packs the UMX2 into a large cardboard package with black print on it.You will find an image of the chassis on the front, and the rear goes into more detail about its layout.



While both smaller sides hold identical information consisting of promotional texts, you will also find a sticker on one of these sides to let you know what color is within.



Two large blocks of Styrofoam protected this case while it was resting in a very large box that was made of thick cardboard.



There are a surprising amount of small parts. Not only will you receive a few cable ties, but Cooltek also includes leg pads,special HDD screws,and many rubber rings for them. There are also metal and plastic spacers for the motherboard and a simple speaker unit. A basic manual of high quality rounds out the contents within the Cooltek UMX2.




A Closer Look - Outside


Taking a first look at the case, it can simply be described as "wow".The fine curves of the UMX2 automatically draw attention to itself.The first compact ATX case, the volume is only 37 cubic meters.



The whole outer shell is made of 2.5+2.0MM anodize aluminum alloy,1.0+0.8MM thickness fully blackened steels are used for internal parts,it perfectly fuses the texture of aluminum and the strength of the steel. Elegant appearance, simplicity, rich metallic texture, solid and reliable internal structure,they perfectly match the exterior and interior of the product.Thanks to this process,Jonsbo engineers was freed to place more large fans at strategic positions to significantly improve cooling while keeping noise to a minimum.



Both sides of the case look identical.Between the bottom of the chassis and the "foot" is a 6.5 cm high recess. One advantage of this type: The internally mounted fans can effortlessly suck in fresh air for optimum cooling of the system.The bottom of the chassis is even a vast expanse of brushed aluminum with two large rubber pads added to it to keep this chassis from sliding around.



Circular toolless side plates.Thanks to specially decoupled side panels the UMX2 is also very quiet during operation.The side panels rest on a specially designed silicone pad, optimally absorbing the vibrations that may incur.



An air vent is embedded into the back top of the chassis.



There are no strange angles or flashing lights to draw attention to the UMX2, rather it relays on it’s minimalist feel and sleek curved edges to grab attention.


The standard 5.25″ drive bay has been replaced with a slim line optical drive bay, which makes it hard enough to find the right components, however Cooltek has taken it one step further and also required it to be a slot load drive.



Front Dual USB3.0 and dual USB2.0 interface, USB3.0 interface brings you speedy transmission and upgraded power supply,while USB2.0 interface can perfectly support most of the current hardware and motherboard.Audio and Mic ports are present too.



Turning the chassis around.The power connector is pre-installed at the rear of the case.



Two 8CM fan can be installed on the back plate for fulfilling your extreme cooling requirements.



On the back side are as many as seven PCI expansion slots painted in silver.




A Closer Look - Inside

To gain access to the case, you need to remove the side panels.



As you can see, the interior of the chassis is also anodized black.In order to unify the texture of interior and exterior of the product, UMX2 does not use traditional sand blasting baking varnish workmanship, instead it uses a higher cost and more difficult workmanship, plan glass baking varnish workmanship to make the product with better texture.



All the cables of the UMX2 are sleeved black and of the standard variety.These wires are long enough to get to any motherboard form factor used inside of this chassis.



The UMX2 offers a cable management system.There are 2 large grommets covering the cable pass-through areas.



There's a massive cutout in the tray to maximize compatibility with aftermarket cooling.



The top 140mmm fan.



Two 120mm silent fans are installed on the bottom by default(Jonsbo).



All fans here are equipped with effective dust filters.



The UMX2 also features a 3-bay HDD cage.



25MM height cable management spacing provides you enough space to manage the cables.



The PCI slots have thumbscrews to help secure your cards.These are great because it will make installing/uninstalling quick and easy.



The power supply is installed in a specially designed frame behind the front panel to safe space.An extensive cable management system permits a clean installation of the cables.



Removing the frame is done by unscrewing four screws.Two sets of shock absorption pads in the PSU rack.



A corresponding loop cable for the psu is pre-installed.



Two 8CM fans can be installed on the back.




Installation and Finished looks


Installation is incredibly simple without any obstructions for users of all levels and components.For advanced enthusiasts, the UMX2's simplistic approach with minimal use of rivets will also prove to be a delight because it provides plenty of easily accessible spaces for additional equipments or modifications.



First of all you must install the ssd at the back of the chassis.Cooltek has one internal 2.5″ drive mount that is placed on the back of the motherboard tray. The hard drive or Solid-State Drive is kept secured with four screws and as it is installed “upside down” there shouldn’t be any issues with connecting the cables.The big problem is that you must take out the motherboard every time you want to install or remove an ssd.



UMX2 is a compact case which support full-size ATX motherboard.



Another small niggle comes up when you try to install the motherboard.There is not much space between the fans at the bottom and the motherboard.So you must first connect the front panel connectors to the motherboard and then you can put it in on the chassis. If you are using a mini-ITX or micro-ATX motherboard this wouldn’t be an issue as the board wouldn’t come down this far.



HDD's are installed with the included screws.Screws with rubber suspension are used to hold the drives in place.For installation you must attach the thumbscrews on the left, with rubber washers, and on the right the flat head screws with the rubber washers.



Most CPU coolers should fit this design(150mm height maximum).



A 150mm PSU without cable management is used in this case. As you can see it fits perfectly and there is plenty of space for much longer and beefier units if required.There isn't a way to vent through the front of the chassis, so i put the fan facing the motherboard. Well, in this setup, even if the fan were to be flipped around to the front, the fans in the bottom were just cycling its waste. This also led to slightly warmer thermal results inside of this chassis than i expected with the chimney-like flow of air this chassis is supposed to offer.So i decided to put the fan of the psu facing the front of the chassis.Despite there isn't a way to vent through the front of the chassis,the psu didn't get warm enough.



There is plenty of room for a decent graphics card.Only graphic cards over 28cm won't fit in this chassis.



The optical drive fit perfectly and you still have a bit of space above the top one, to hide any cables or to put some kind of light.This should go well with a windowed version of the case.Once everything was installed and the cables were tied together as nicely as possible, this is the result.




Test System and Methology

Test System:

Processor: Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme
Motherboard: Asus P9X79
Cpu cooler:Antec h2o 950 v2
Memory: 16GB G.Skill Ares
Graphics Card:2 X GTX 560 Ti Hawk
Power Supply: Seasonic G-Series 650W
Chassis: Cooltek UMX2
Monitor: Dell U2311
Boot Drive: Intel SSD 510
Storage Drive: WD Caviar Black 1TB HDD



Software:

CPUID HW Monitor 1.23
CPUID CPU-Z 1.65
Prime95 v27.1
Furmark 1.11.0

I am testing the UMX2's performance as follows:

Room temperature is kept at 22C throughout my tests.
The CPU Fan is set to 100% to eliminate inconsistencies as a result of PWM control.
Idle temperatures are obtained after booting the PC and idling on the desktop for 30 minutes.
CPU load temperatures are obtained after running Prime95′s Small FTTs test for 15 minutes.
GPU load temperatures are obtained after running Furmark's Burn-In Test for 15 minutes.
To measure noise levels i disable the CPU fans and GPU fan.


Temperature

As expected, the amount of intake airflow maintained very reasonable CPU temperatures. We saw a full two degree decrease in comparison to the SilverStone Fortress FT02!



The GPU also realizes some very low temperatures thanks to cool intake air feeding the GTX560’s fans.All-in-all, i think these performance results speak for themselves. The UMX2 packs a lot of potent cooling.




Noise

The UMX2 is basically silent . At full RPM, the fans are audible, although not that intrusive.




Conclusion

It certainly looks like Cooltek has a winning recipe here.I have so many great things to say about the UMX2 that i really don’t know where to begin.First on the negative side is the absence of the two 80mm fans at the back of the case.If you make the mistake of screwing your motherboard before attaching the front pane connectors (as you might with a conventional build) then you will need to undo it and try again.The same goes with the ssd's at the back of the motherboard.There are no options for installing a larger dual fan radiator without doing some mods on the bottom.



I would assume the 140mm top fan could be swapped for a small radiator, allowing for some liquid cooling options.By using Anodized aluminum craft with simple, stylish and metallic design, UMX2 bring you strong visual enjoyment.While the airflow through the system is fine for a well constructed build, perfect cabling is going to take a while as space is tight in some areas.The black looks just as nice as the silver variant and the possiblity of the windowed version just screams out to show your high-end hardware.The integrated dust filters will help keep your internals clean, helping ensure a long life for your new build, and the overall design is neat and simple.Installing low-end or mainstream parts is almost an insult to the Cooltek case.User friendly layout with tool-less access.Air intakes in the bottom and under the top allow for ideal air exchange.Hidden cooling channels on the bottom show you the charm of endlessly innovative industrial design.Once closed, the case does clearly go for an understatement, but incredibly elegant look.Much like those Bentleys or Mercedes Limos.Elegant looks with serious power under the hood.This UMX2 is certainly the type of case, which will survive several generations of PCs within its belly and still manage to look beautiful after some time.The Cooltek UMX2 is not only built like a tank, it costs as much as well. Quality comes at a price and the UMX2 is worth every penny.The UMX2 is priced at 169.90 Euro.With all of that said,i would not hesitate to recommend the Cooltek UMX2 and are pleased to present it with “I am Special” award.