Jonsbo is one of the manufacturers we recently discovered with the test of the HX6250 a big single tower 140mm fan. Nevertheless, the brand’s catalog does not stop at CPU coolers, since it includes cases. Speaking of cases, we received one of their latest products: the D40. So, what is this compact mid-tower model worth? Let’s have a look now!
The exterior of the D40:
With this case, the Chinese brand offers us a model in medium tower format. However, the company bets on the compactness with a reference displaying dimensions close to a micro-ATX case. Thus, this model displays 204 (W) x 401 (D) x 386 (H) mm, we told you, it is compact, besides, its size is very close to a MACUBE 110 signed DeepCool. The weight is also light since this model shows only 5 kg on the scale, weight justified by its dimensions and the use of aluminum for the front and rear
Clearly, if you don’t like sober cases with clean lines, you will certainly not appreciate this little D40. With this reference, the brand signs a case with a front panel devoid of artifice with rounded side edges. Note that we received it in its silver version. Other colors exist such as full black or white. Honestly, this version is very successful, the black of the upper part and the glass panels bringing a nice contrast
Finally, we will notice that the front part is completely devoid of ventilation, this is normal, they are all positioned at the bottom, but we will come back to that
The control panel :
The control panel of the case is positioned in the lower right corner of the front. However, we find the “disadvantage” of modern cases since it has
- A power button
- A USB type A 3.2 Gen 1 port
- A microphone/headphone jack
- A USB type C 3.2 Gen 1 port
This type of configuration allows us to offer a pure connector system that does not disturb the aesthetics of the front panel. On the other hand, we find it moderately functional because of the few USB type A equipment that can be connected simultaneously!
The bottom :
Under the case, we find the feet, but a particular attention is brought to them. They are, indeed, hifi type feet with a rounded design and an aluminum type finish. They are also covered with a foam that will not adhere especially on the surface on which the case is placed. Honestly, we prefer, the case will be easier to turn/rotate during the assembly.
Otherwise, we notice the presence of a dust filter taking place under the bottom of the D40. Its access will not be obvious since it is simply wedged under the body. It will thus be necessary to bend it to remove it and clean it.
The rear :
It is by looking at the back that we understand why this model is so compact: the power supply location is not at the bottom. In this D40, the block will be installed vertically, behind the front panel. Moreover, we can see the IEC14 offset at the top.
A little further down, we can see the I/O shield slot of the motherboard with a 120mm fan slot right next to it. Note the shape of the fan grill with a round base, original. Finally, at the bottom, seven black expansion slots.
Nevertheless, we won’t miss the big ” Made in China ” at the top.
The top:
We finish this little exterior tour with the top part of the D40. This last one offers a nice grooved cover maintained at the back by two hand screws. This last one hides the screws holding the side panels.
[nextpage title=”Inside the D40″]
The inside of the D40:
To get inside the case, it’s a bit of a hassle since we first have to remove the top part of the D40. Once removed, we have access to the cruciform screws maintaining the side panels. There, it will be necessary to remove them with a screwdriver then to remove the side panes by pulling them upwards. In short, not simple, we would have preferred a closing system based on hand screws as it is usually the case.
The chassis:
Internally, we find a very original organization since the power supply is located at the front of the case. Seen from the front, we only find, really, the motherboard slot and a long plate on its right. As far as the motherboard is concerned, the case only supports ATX and micro-ATX models
Of course, we find a number of cable passages around the motherboard tray. Two of them are present at the top, while we find two more at the bottom. On the right, we have a small opening and a second, longer one just below. Normally, this should be fine, we should be able to pass our cables without too much difficulty
Be careful though, the cabling part doesn’t look obvious since there will be very little room at the back of the motherboard tray: 2 cm at most, 6 mm otherwise, it’s borderline
Storage slots:
Regarding the storage, the various slots are spread all over the inside of the case. Already, we have a long board with two 2.5″ slots located on the right side of the motherboard. At the bottom, a 2.5″/3.5″ slot is also included. Finally, we end at the back of the motherboard tray with a last 3.5″ slot. This makes a total of 3x 2.5″ + 1x 3.5″ or 4x 2.5″.
The power supply slot:
The power supply, as we told you, will install at the front of the case and vertically. There is no need for a rubber mount or foam surround to dampen vibrations. The power supply is suspended, so it does not rest on… nothing.
As far as the PSU is concerned, you can opt for an ATX model without any real constraints in terms of size. Note, however, that if your PSU is more than 17 cm deep, this will restrict the size of the graphics card, which cannot exceed 305 mm in length. With a compact power supply, the graphics card will be able to measure up to 355 mm in length.
Cooling options:
The case comes with no pre-installed fan. So you will have to go through the case a second time if you want to bring a minimum of airflow to this model.
On the other hand, the five fan slots are noteworthy. A 120 mm is available at the back against two 120/140 mm in the top. At the bottom of the D40, we find three slots in 120 mm against two in 140 mm.
Of course, as far as watercooling is concerned, you wont be able to go overboard. This reference signed Jonsbo will only be compatible with 240/280 mm radiators at the top against 120 mm at the back. At the bottom, it will be possible to opt for 360 mm by making some sacrifices (3.5″/2.5″ storage).
Otherwise, we can indulge ourselves with an aircooling cpu cooler since the datasheet mentions compatibility with models of 168 mm in height!
The bundle:
As for the accessories part, what do we find?
- An assembly manual
- The screws and bolts contained in a plastic bag
- A fan filter to be installed at the back of the box
- Velcro
- Nylon collars for the cables
The accessories part is quite original with its additional filter to be placed at the back of the case. Apart from that, nothing extraordinary either
In summary:
With its case, Jonsbo plays the card of originality with a chassis whose power supply is installed vertically, at the front. There will not be really big constraints for the components, unless you opt for a very big power supply. However, I’m a little disappointed about the lack of basic ventilation and the lack of space at the back for cabling. The assembly is going to be tough!
[nextpage title=”Assembly”]
Assembly
We now move to the assembly stage of our configuration inside this D40 signed Jonsbo. Here are the components that will be used for the assembly:
- Motherboard: Asus Crosshair VI Hero
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
- Graphics card: ASUS HD 7970
- Cooler:Â be quiet! Dark Rock 4
- Power supply: Corsair CS650M
Power supply :
We start the assembly by installing the power supply. To have the best possible access, we can only advise you to remove the storage plate placed just in front of it (6 Phillips screws). Once removed, you will be able to handle your power supply more easily. Note that once screwed in, you will need to connect the offset to it
Storage :
In order to clear the 3.5″ slot as much as possible, we will do the same as with the power supply: we will remove the 2.5″ board placed just in front. Then, we will have to lay the case on its side to have access to the bottom. We position the disk that we screw on the rubber studs after having removed the filter… Moreover, it will be necessary to pay attention to the direction of the assembly, the connector having to be directed towards outside. Quite a lot of gymnastics for a simple hard disk installation
Fortunately, on the SSD side the operation is simpler since you just have to screw the storage medium onto its board
Installation of the motherboard
Finally a component that is easy to install: the motherboard! Indeed, since the spacers are already in place, you just have to put the card on its tray and screw it via the nine fixing points, simple and fast!
The wiring :
The control panel
As usual, we choose to wire the control panel first. The connectivity being available at the bottom of our motherboard, we make everything go through this place. Thus, the USB 3.0 header and the F_PANEL will come out of the first opening, under the motherboard. As for the audio connection, it will go through the second opening. To store the extra length, we choose to make a mouth along the motherboard slot
Note that you will condemn a 140mm fan slot in the bottom of the case if your motherboard has the USB 3 .0 header in the bottom. The thickness of the case connector extends beyond the mounting rail in 140mm
Storage
For the storage part, it won’t be a cakewalk… Well, especially for the 3.5″ hard disk. The latter being installed in the bottom of the case and against a post of the case, it will be necessary to seriously bend the cables, especially the SATA connector at the power output
Otherwise, the SSD and the hard disk being close enough to each other, we can be satisfied with a single SATA cable for the power part.
For the data part, the surplus will be stored along the hard drive
The motherboard:
We continue with the wiring of the motherboard. For the time being, the EPS12V connector for the processor runs along the top of the board and exits through the last opening, towards the back of the D40. As for the 24-pin ATX, we bring it up through the front of the case by using the top opening on the left side of the motherboard. By doing so, we avoid superimposing it on the control panel connector, saving us an extra thickness that could prevent us from closing the case
The graphics card
Finally, the PCIe connectors to the graphics card will follow the same path as the 24-pin ATX connectors.
Installation of the CPU cooler and the graphics card:
We will finish our assembly with the installation of the CPU cooler which will be done simply thanks to the large backplate access. This one leaves us the back of our motherboard easily accessible, we will be able to easily manipulate its back plate if needed.
On the other hand, be careful with the mounting direction of the CPU cooler. The air flow being particular inside this D40, you will have to place the fan in aspiration at the back of the cpu cooler… Not like on the picture. But it will be done during the temperature readings. Moreover, if you want to complete the ventilation, the fan that will be installed at the back will be in aspiration and not in extraction
As for the graphics card, before installing it, you will have to remove the brackets from the slots where you want to install it. But before that, we will have to “unlock” them by pulling a small plate. When we installed our HD 7970 we had to use our muscles to insert it into its slot. The bracket of our card came up against the audio shield of the Crosshair IV Hero. The opening left by the locking plate was not wide enough
Overall:
If the Jonsbo D40 offers a very aesthetic side, the practical side is absent. You have to keep manipulating the 2.5″ board to access the power supply or the 3.5″ slot. The same goes for the bottom, you will lose a 140mm fan slot if the USB 3 . 0 header is placed at the bottom of your motherboard… Not to mention the SATA connector that you will have to bend to connect a 3.5″ hard drive. Not to mention the not wide enough opening at the graphics card bracket or the cable routing that you will have to organize in order not to make a big bundle or you won’t be able to close the case
[nextpage title=”Protocol”]
We have updated our test protocol in order to test the qualities of our cases. Thus, we will evaluate the performances offered by the different models according to three criteria:
- Insulation
- Noise of the original ventilation
- Air flow
For the addition of the ventilation, we choose to integrate a Silent Series R2 from Fractal Design at the back in aspiration and a Riing 14 from Thermaltake at the bottom, also in aspiration.
Configuration:
- Processor : AMD Ryzen 7 1700X
- Motherboard : Asus Crosshair VI Hero
- Graphics card : ASUS HD 7970 reference
- Cooler : be quiet! Dark Rock 4
- SSD : Corsair Force GS180 Go
- Hard disk : Seagate Barracuda 2Tb
- Power supply : Corsair CS650M
[nextpage title=”Tests”]
Tests
Airflow:
The additional ventilation takes the form of a Fractal Silent Series R2 fan placed at the rear in suction and a Riing 14 positioned in suction at the bottom.
CPU airflow, original ventilation then supplemented:
We start first with the temperature of our CPU. We keep the front and the top of our test case. Let’s see if the airflow is sufficient for the good cooling of the Ryzen 7 1700X.
Overall, we can say that our little Ryzen 7 1700X is hot in this case. Remember that the D40 does not have a fan, so we have to rely on the natural convection of the case to extract the hot air… Here we find 67.4°C in the basic configuration of the Jonsbo case.
The addition of a fan in aspiration at the back, will greatly help the cooling of our processor. Thanks to a small mill, we lose more than 10°C on its temperature, so it is imperative!
CPU airflow original ventilation without front panel or top :
In order to ensure the limiting factor in the story (and how much), we remove the top as well as the front of the case. The goal here is to show the raw performance of the integrated ventilation.
Without the top of the case (the front panel is not removed), and without additional fans (standard configuration), we gain a little less than 2°C on the CPU. A result that means that the processor is not too suffocated either.
GPU airflow, original ventilation then completed :
We repeat the operation, but with measurements made on the graphics card. Here, we test with original ventilation and completed ventilation.
However, the component that suffers the most in this D40 is clearly our graphics card. As we can see, with 97°C, it is essential to do something. The addition of a simple fan at the bottom allows us to gain a lot in temperature. With a Riing 14 fan, we lose 24°C, so don’t deprive yourself!
GPU airflow original ventilation without front panel or top:
We redo the same test, but removing the front panel and the top of the case. Let’s see how this will affect the temperatures of the card.
Removing the top part of the case facilitates the extraction of hot air from the case. By removing it, the GPU blows a little, although stabilized at an alarming temperature: 93°C
Insulation:
Here we simply measure the noise emitted by our config when running the CPU cooling and GPU cooling very fast.
On the other hand, the insulation side is a good surprise since our model of the day is particularly efficient. With the GPU blower running at 75%, we found a noise level of 52.5 dB. The natural isolation of the D40 is very effective and should guarantee a good level of silence during daily use.
Original fan noise:
This time we measure the noise emitted by the original ventilation of the case. To do this, the configuration runs in idle ( CPU and GPU ventilation at minimum) while the readings are taken successively in 5V, 8V and 12V on the case ventilation.
On the noise side, there is no secret, without a basic fan, the case remains very quiet with only 31 dB of reading. Of course, you can hear the hard disk and the fan of the Dark Rock 4
Bottom line:
The first thing to remember with this Jonsbo D40 is that you MUST add fans inside. If you don’t, you risk having a machine that will suffocate because of indecent temperatures. As we saw, our HD 7970 reached dangerous temperatures that immediately went away as soon as we added a fan underneath. The same goes for the CPU, which gained almost 10°C after adding a mill at the back. Finally, what this model lacks is an airflow brought by fans!
Otherwise, we are surprised by the isolation capacity of the D40 since it is the most efficient in this respect among our panel. If you want to build a quiet configuration, this might be a model to consider
[nextpage title=”Conclusion”]
We now come to the end of our test of the D40 from Jonsbo. So, good case or not? We tell you everything!
An original PC case:
The D40 was for us the opportunity to meet Jonsbo on the field of the cases and, we must admit, this model is rather original. With its vertical power supply, the case is compact despite its medium format. Moreover, it remains true to the brand’s style with its sober look and noble materials based on aluminum and tempered glass
On the other hand, Jonsbo does not focus on the practical aspect with a control panel not the most usable. The same goes for the opening of the panels, where you have to remove the upper part to have access to the screws holding the side windows
A sometimes complicated assembly
When it comes to assembly, things get more complicated since you’ll have to pay attention to certain elements. The first thing to remember is the lack of space at the level of the hard disk connector, which will force us to strongly bend the cables, especially the power supply
Secondly, the opening for the graphics card bracket is not wide enough. If your motherboard is equipped with a shield, you will have to flex your muscles to get it in
The rear space is almost non-existent which will not facilitate the cabling. It will be necessary to make sure that the motherboard’s connections do not overlap with those of the case. If this were to happen, it would be complicated to close the case
Finally, if the USB 3.0 header is positioned at the bottom of your motherboard, beware of the fans, especially in 140 mm. In this case, with the thickness of the D40 connector, you will condemn a 140 mm slot at the bottom!
Very disappointing temperatures, but excellent insulation
The other cold shower concerns the temperatures of your components. Since the case arrives without fans, we can’t count on any airflow to cool our components. As it is, it’s a disaster, especially for the graphics card, which displays indecent temperatures
Fortunately, the addition of a fan at the back and a second one at the bottom of the case solves this serious problem… But you’ll have to pay for a fan pack.
On the other hand, the good surprise is the insulation of the case, which is excellent. If you choose fans that are not too noisy with components that are quiet overall, you should have a very quiet machine. For daily use without headphones, it’s great!
Complicated availability… :
Before talking about price, let’s talk about the availability which is far from being guaranteed in France. If you want to turn to this reference, you will have to turn to Germany, at Caseking.de more particularly. At this retailer, we find the D40 at 114.90 €, to which you will have to add a little to get some fans. At this price, we would have liked at least one or two fans, which would have saved us some trouble
Jonsbo D40:
We liked:
- A sober design that we really like
- The finishes are of a good level
- The original interior, allowing to gain in compactness!
- The presence of noble materials like aluminum
- The two tempered glass side panels
- The excellent insulation of the case!
We liked less :
- The control panel is not very functional
- The opening of the side panels not obvious
- The lower filter is not very accessible
- The lack of space at the back for cabling
- The USB header slot on your motherboard can condemn a 140mm fan slot at the bottom!
- Lack of space for the connection of a 3.5″ hard disk!
- The lack of basic ventilation… leading to high temperatures on the components !
When it comes down to it, there are far too many annoying things about this D40 to give it anything but a bronze award. The control panel is not the most functional thing, opening and mounting is not easy and the temperatures are very high if you take it as it is. At ~115 €, it will be necessary to add a little to acquire some fans. Fortunately, the insulation is good and the correct temperatures (after adding fans) save the furniture a bit
A big thank you to Jonsbo !
