Antec NSK3100 vs Fractal Design Core 1100computed

Datasheet figures next to each other, and the airflow balance, pressure verdict and case air heating that the fans in each box compute to behind that case's own front. Calculated with the CaseFlow model, not measured.

Side by side

Antec NSK3100Fractal Design Core 1100
FormATX mid towerMicro ATX
Volume26.6 L26.4 L
Dimensions411 × 180 × 360 mm410 × 175 × 368 mm
Frontsolid solid or glass frontsolid solid or glass front
Fan mountsfront 1 × 80, rear 1 × 92front 1 × 120, rear 1 × 92, side 1 × 120
Radiator supportrear 92 mmfront 120 mm, rear 92 mm, side 120 mm
Dust filters–front
GPU length318 mm350 mm
Cooler height–148 mm
Stock fans1 × fan (rear)1 × Silent R2 (front)
Stock airflow, max rpm––
Stock pressure verdictstock fans named but no datasheet - nothing computedstock fans named but no datasheet - nothing computed
Case air at 290 W––
Stock fan noise––
All mounts, reference fans35 in / 53 out CFM 1 / 1 mounts82 in / 53 out CFM 2 / 1 mounts

With a reference pressure-optimized fan on every mount the Core 1100 moves more air. The stock fans of both are named in the datasheets without any figures behind them, so the stock columns stay empty. The pressure verdict describes the stock fan set, not the case: stronger or extra intake fans in the free mounts, or slower exhaust fans, turn a negative balance positive.

NSK3100 — mounts and stock fans

TOPBOTTOMREARFRONT · solid

Core 1100 — mounts and stock fans

side mountsTOPBOTTOMREARFRONT · solid

Case air heating with the stock fans — computed

Neither ships with fans the model knows, so there is nothing to plot. Open them in CaseFlow and add fans.

Use it

How these numbers are computed

Each stock fan contributes CFMmax · derate · rpm/rpmmax behind its wall's mounting class: filtered mesh front and side mounts as dust filter, bottom as floor + filter, top and rear as open grille, solid and glass fronts as side-slit intake at roughly half of a mesh front. Front, bottom and side blow in; top and rear blow out.

MountingAirflow bladesPressure-optimized
Open grille0.88 (0.80–0.95)0.88 (0.80–0.95)
Dust filter0.70 (0.60–0.80)0.78 (0.70–0.86)
Floor + filter0.64 (0.52–0.74)0.72 (0.62–0.80)
Solid or glass front0.50 (0.40–0.62)0.58 (0.48–0.68)

Worst case sums intake at the low end of each band and exhaust at the high end; positive there means positive regardless of how the estimates fall. Case air: ΔT = 3.1 · W / throughput (m³/h), with an open-cooler GPU putting its full board power into the case air plus board, RAM and drives. Capacity puts a reference pressure-optimized fan on every mount at max rpm — 120 mm 60 CFM, 140 mm 75 CFM — a generic good fan, not a product.

Mount counts, radiator support and clearances are datasheet figures. Nothing here is measured; the same model runs in CaseFlow.