Comments Locked

28 Comments

Back to Article

  • asendra - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    I know this is not directly related to the post (which by the way, that's an ugly case if I ever saw one..) but, can anyone point me what brand are those power cables he is using with the psu? I know they are not the standard ones for that psu, and I've seen them in more places, but I can find them any where. (maybe I don't know how to look for them)
    I have a new build with a node 304 and a seasonic g-650 psu, and cable management is a issue with the cables it came with.

    If anyone can shed some light, I would really appreciate it.
  • munim - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    It could be MDPC sleeving.
  • Ninhalem - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Doesn't look like MPDC sleeving. The weave isn't as tight as MDPC. More like paracord or LutroO Teleios.
  • jmbnbn - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Although I can't be sure, I suspect these are the Corsair provided sleeved cable sets:

    http://www.corsair.com/en-gb/power-supply-units/ps...
  • jmbnbn - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Also yes, that is a horrible looking case. The front kind of reminds me of the Dell XPS 720 though, which makes me slightly sympathetic because that was a great case.
  • E.Fyll - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    jmbnbn is correct, Corsair supplied us with these colored sleeved cable sets specifically for these reviews, as we wanted the cables standing out in the pictures.
  • arealMESSiah - Saturday, May 17, 2014 - link

    They look like the Corsair individually sleeved cable kit.
    http://www.corsair.com/en-us/individually-sleeved-...
    http://www.corsair.com/en-us/professional-individu...
  • RonanH - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    that is one fugly case :o
  • AndrewJacksonZA - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    <fluff>
    Typos on page 3:
    "(along with the red XFX logos on the sides) are teh only exceptions." Spelling.
    " You'll also want to make you don't tie that cable down anywhere" Missing word.
    "the width of the drive cage can be reduced it can be removed completely" Missing comma.
    </fluff>

    In my opinion the case is... an acquired taste. I'm sure some people will like it, but not me: the ventilation slots made me think of boring office computer cases from the early 2000s.

    Also, it's a pity about the thermals and noise of this case.
  • LordOfTheBoired - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Oddly, the slots have made me think only one thing, since I saw the picture of the box. Large flat space, end-to-end slats, small flat space... at least from the side, It's a chubby NES.
  • piroroadkill - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Another large, generic and ugly case.

    I want to see a lot more innovation in the arena of microATX and miniITX.

    A good example of an innovative microATX case is the Aerocool DS Cube. Damn nice.
  • nissefar - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Yes. I don't get why so many mediocre mid towers keeps getting released, when that market is already saturated.

    For the vast majority of users, there is no need to build anything larger than mATX or even ITX. But the big producers are moving so slowly in this area, basically if you want something that's not huge and doesn't look awful you have to go for custom niche productions like the Ncase M1.
  • RaistlinZ - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Stick to video cards.
  • sicyo - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    I don't mind the looks but I wouldn't spend $50, let alone $130 on a case that broke so easily in a review.
  • jmke - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    ", we mentioned that the plastic top and bottom frames are just a decoration and mishandling them will almost certainly cause permanent damage. We tested that theory by trying to lift the empty case by its rear top plastic frame, which looks like a handle. The result of that test was the snapping of the frame even before the whole case was off the ground. The bottom rear frame shattered when the case landed back on the floor as well. It goes without saying that users need to handle the Type 01 Bravo with extra care."

    if it looks like a handle, people will use it as a handle. make sure it can support the weight and then some. and you tried it with an empty case, imaging you installed thousands of $$$ and it breaks..

    they have to fix this... either remove the handles or make the sturdy.
    Good example of handles done right is Coolermaster Cosmos; that one has handles top/bottom, but they support the weight, even when loaded with 10+ HDDs!
  • lavaheadache - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    what a steaming pile of garbage. I feel bad for anybody that buys that case
  • lmcd - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Not only should the handles work, but the front panel should be covered by a band of thick plastic about 1/3 from the base just to improve the aesthetic (and the logo, buttons, and ports can all go there too). Below the band that I suggest they insert, HDDs should be hot-swap facing forward.
  • Gunbuster - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    It looks like they designed maybe 45% of the case at most and then said aw screw it just ship it out.

    And that grime/fingerprint magnet finish. No thanks...
  • Dr0id - Monday, May 19, 2014 - link

    Man the grime was the first thing I noticed in the pictures. I thought my glasses were dirty.

    I appreciate Fyll's technical review, but the $30 looks of this case kind of sour any compliments he could give to XFX.

    The whole thing looks like a cheap 80's boombox, with the front looking like the speaker grill, the grimy faded black plastic all round, and the useless rounded flare which looks like it would brake if you stare at it (but would usually be stamped with something witty like "Xtreme Bass.)
  • Torashin - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Oh god, it's hideous!
  • dstarr3 - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    I've noticed that you rarely include full photos of the cases you review on the first page. I'd really appreciate it if you'd change that, as, no offense, I'd really rather not read the review of a case that I'd never buy based on looks already.
  • E.Fyll - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link

    Good point. The appearance after all is the most important factor when selecting a case. This can be arranged.
  • dstarr3 - Monday, May 19, 2014 - link

    Thanks. :-)
  • Haravikk - Saturday, May 17, 2014 - link

    This is one ugly, over-sized case! While I admire an effort to go for a unique look, I don't think the horizontal bars are attractive at all; maybe if the front of the case weren't a uniform flat-surface it might look better. I also think that the main body should be in a different colour, one of the pictures looks like there is a silver/grey bodied version which might look a bit better. Even so, the plastic top "handles" are incredibly disappointing; it wouldn't take much to make them strong enough for carrying (just needs some curved and reinforced steel through it that fits securely onto the chassis) which strikes me as a huge failure on attention to detail.

    The size is also bewildering; personally I think the case could have looked a lot better with a concave front (curving inwards at middle height), sticking out enough at the top for an optical drive, and at the bottom for housing two (3.5") to four (2.5") hard drives down in front of the PSU. This would have improved the visual appearance incredibly, at which point the horizontal bars could even look good, while giving good airflow. Maybe even flatten off the curve toward the middle to give a space for a 5.25" bay fan controller (but not a full 5.25" bay) since those are fairly common in gaming cases.

    Being able to fit a 200mm front fan is nice, but personally I'd be fine with a slimmer case and two 140mm fans instead, especially since that would give you more airflow to both the GPU(s) and CPU as standard.

    The main plus points seems to be the excellent cable routing spaces and the ability to fit three side fans (or a huge radiator), but I'm not sure how much those are worth given the other problems.
  • edmoncu - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link

    If not for the huge XFX logo, this would've been one ugly case!
  • poordirtfarmer2 - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link

    Agreed! The thing looks like the engine case of my toy tractor when I was a kid. And a rounded top - heck, where's the cat going to sit?
  • masterpine - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link

    This thing needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot. I know style is subjective, but quality seems to have been a low priority which is pretty poor for this price point.
  • hassaqbear - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link

    Front reminds me of the xps 720 dell

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now