RandomError

Let me preface this by saying I'm not an expert - just a passionate enthusiast - and that case engineering and testing is complicated. I'm guessing at best and more probably talking nonsense. I think all of the things you've mentioned are potential contributors to the higher CPU temperatures. In addition, I'd also suggest fan position as a possible culprit. The Define R6 has a non-removable 5.25" drive bay bracket with a solid cover, making the default fan position a couple inches lower and almost perfectly aligned with the CPU and any cooler installed there. Likewise the second fan is lower, feeding the GPU with air from the front of the case. Because the rear of the case around the GPU is not as well ventilated (just the small diagonal slits on the R6's PCI-E slot covers) and so far from the front fan, waste heat could back up in this area and be recycled through the GPU. This could explain the lower CPU/higher GPU temperature balance we see with the Define R6. The Define 7 has a removable 5.25" drive bay bracket, and the solid cover has been replaced with a porous dust filter. From what I can tell from the review photography, the default configuration of the 7 is no drive bay bracket and the front fans mounted as high up as they can go. This means that the top fan is not only no longer pointing directly at the CPU, but its airflow is partially impeded by the edge of the air filter (see this image from the Tom's Hardware review and this one from ThinkComputers'). The second fan is likewise mounted higher, and directs airflow more toward the back-plate of the GPU. With less air moving front to back below the GPU, its fans can instead draw air in from the much closer and better ventilated rear of the case. Because hot air rises, that second front fan could even be pushing some of the GPU's waste heat up into the CPU area. This could explain the higher CPU/lower GPU temperature balance we see with the Define 7. Pure speculation of course. I've no idea if a few vertical inches of change in the fan position could have this drastic an effect and the more likely scenario is a combination of factors (exaggerated by the nature of the testing). I'd love to see some actual tests performed on the stock fan configuration versus something more closely resembling the R6.

Agree on the look of the side panels. The new mounting mechanism looks excellent as well. They do have borders, but only at the top and bottom. They're a bit hard to see in the promotional renders because they blend in with the case so well and don't obstruct the view of anything other than the case's frame - a big improvement all round over the R6. With respect to noise and temperature performance, I think there are a couple more things to keep in mind: A high tier CPU cooler could help reduce temperatures and reduce some of the fan noise. It's a lot easier to strap a better aftermarket cooler to a CPU than it is to a GPU, which is one area where the 7 sees measurable improvement over the R6. If silence is imperative and you don't mind sacrificing the tempered glass side panel, you could go with the solid side panel for more insulation and better noise reduction. The torture tests GamersNexus and other hardware review sites run are useful for comparing performance consistently and under the absolute worst-case scenario, but unless you're regularly running multiple high-stress applications at the same time and for an extended duration, they aren't really reflective of day-to-day use. I love all the little tweaks and improvements on the Define 7, and I suspect the performance deficiencies could be mitigated with aftermarket parts and fan positioning - but the aesthetic changes are the real deal-breaker for me. Bring back the grid shaped dust filters, make the frame and panel cutouts more uniform, make the branding more stealthy and it would be perfect. They feel like minor elements in the grand scheme of things, but for a case at this price I'm going to have to look it every day for at least the next five years. It's a tough choice, made harder because the R6 is proving difficult to find where I am. As it's essentially the same frame as the R6, I've read that the Define S2 shroud plate is compatible with the R6.

Created an account just to respond to this, because I'm in a similar situation, have similar opinions and haven't seen much discussion anywhere yet. My main issues are a combination of performance and aesthetics. Compared to the Define R6: Good Solid top cover is slick as hell. Two separate purpose-built top covers (airflow vs noise reduction) is a fantastic idea. Modular plastic cover means no more gaping hole in the PSU shroud when using the "open" format. Improved cable management features on the rear of the motherboard tray. More conveniently located fan controller. Lower GPU temperatures (-3.6C under prolonged stress, Gamers Nexus). Better side panel mounting mechanism. Removable top mounting bracket for radiators makes getting at the inside of the case easier. 5.25" drive bay area is more modular and the cover better optimised for airflow, allowing more flexible fan or radiator positioning. More storage options, including a 3.5" drive cage beneath the PSU shroud. No RGB. Ambivalent Different feet. I like that the material blends in to the rest of the case more, but the new shape is a bit odd. Louder acoustic performance (+0.8dBA with the door closed, Gamers Nexus). This is undoubtedly a lot more important for someone working in audio, but for the average person this is barely (if at all) noticeable and the difference may well simply be within the margin of error in measurement. Bad Higher CPU temperatures (+6.5C under prolonged stress, Gamers Nexus). I suspect at least some of this might be due to the default fan configuration, in which a large portion of the top front fan is occluded by the 5.25" drive bay bracket. Gamers Nexus even call this out in their review, but don't follow up -- would love to see further testing on this. The dust filter pattern. It's irregular, it's ugly, and looks as though it would be both less efficient at admitting air into the case and harder to clean than a standard grid pattern. The way the top dust filter layers with the airflow-oriented top cover is very chaotic, visually. The cutout pattern. For a brand that has previously prided itself on the subtle, reserved aesthetic, this looks positively garish. I could live with the pattern as applied to the rear and bottom of the case, as they're both consistent and rarely visible. But for the PSU shroud and airflow-oriented top cover they've filled in parts of the cutout pattern at random. The human brain is very good at seeking out and detecting patterns, and introducing a chaotic element into a geometric design like this is frustrating to look at, because your brain can't "solve" the pattern. I might be overreacting, but it's a bizarre choice and would probably prevent me from wanting to use the tempered glass side panel or the airflow-oriented top cover. There's so much to love about the improvements to the Define 7, but the poorer thermal performance and weird aesthetic choices have me leaning toward snapping up a Define R6 before they disappear from the market as well.