Things may have been a bit quiet on the case front with Zalman, but they still offer a wide range of products, including the Z11 NEO, which surprises. The Z11 NEO looks bulky and comes with a great feature set on paper and a small price tag. Having reviewed Zalman cases quite some time ago, it is now time to figure out what the Z11 NEO brings to the table.
The NOX Xtreme Coolbay CX joins the fray of sub 70 euro mATX cube cases - a hard fought-over case segment. It aims to catch your eye with its ability to hold a 280 mm radiator and its built-in card reader. But will that be enough to take away from more specialized or more colorful mATX cases?
The In Win 707 is the In Win 703's bigger brother, offering the full-tower experience with the same clean and asymmetrical design, but the ability to install potent water cooling and a very modular HDD cage. While the chassis is of high quality and offers the look, we cannot shake the feeling of having seen this all before.
In 100 years, we will look back at our meager existence and when someone quietly asks the question, "How did Skynet get started?", the answer could very well be, "Once, there was this chassis, the Tristellar...". Deepcool created a crazy looking chassis that weighs more empty than most ITX systems do as a whole - all to be a simultaneous showcase of design and function.
The NCASE M1 is one of the best cases we ever reviewed. It aims to utilize every cubic inch of space within its belly, which makes it of extremely compact size. Able to swallow a 240 mm radiator and long GPU even so, the M1 is a near damn perfect implementation of a shoebox-sized gaming rig.
Extremely compact, able to use 240 mm radiators and a 5.25" drive at the same time, all while holding five hard drives, a mATX board, and that high-end GPU: does it sound too good to be true? Well, the Raidmax Hyperion offers all that and can be had in four different colors and at an attractive price to boot.
The Nox Xtreme lanbx aims to combine portability with the ability to pack potent hardware. The result is a small system you can easily take with you. The lanbx looks bulky and quite menacing, like those nuclear launch-suite cases in modern action movies, and we give it a go to see whether it is more than just a movie prop.
The Fractal Design Define S sports the same build quality and look as the Define family of enclosures, which we have come to love, but bears one very big difference: It is geared toward those building a custom liquid-cooling loop. With dedicated mounting possibilities for radiators, pump, and reservoir, the Define S shines where most other mid-tower cases fail by offering more than just a mounting possibility for pre-assembled liquid-cooling solutions.
While making a splash with unique enclosures such as the D-Frame, H-Frame or S-Frame, In Win hasn't contributed anything to the mainstream chassis market in a while. The 70X series is here to change all that, and the 703, a chassis for an affordable 70 US dollars, nails more than just looks - price and performance are spot on as well.
The prodigy M combines the mATX interior of the Phenom M with the portability of the original Prodigy. Doing so is no easy task as gamers would want to take advantage of all the interior features for multi-GPU setups, liquid cooling, or an external drive bay. We take a look at the green variant, but you may pick from among many different colors if this one is not to your liking.
The NZXT Source 340 aims to draw the masses away from picking elaborate-looking counterparts for 70 USD by showing them how sleek and beautiful a case can look without breaking the bank. Available in black or white, the Source 340 utilizes metal panels all around - a first for a case in this price bracket.
The Antec Nineteen Hundred takes the frame of the Eleven Hundred and pimps it with a bottom compartment, more I/O, extra fans, a splash of color, and an updated exterior. But is this hard-drive swallowing behemoth worth the extra cash you have to throw at it to call it your own?
The Fractal Design Core 2300 sits right in-between the Core 1300 and Core 3300 in the family of enclosures. It essentially offers the same layout and feature set as the Core 3300 for 10 Euro less. But will that result in a better price / performance ratio? We take a close look to find out.
Antec aimed to take the ISK 600 and enlarge it with the ISK 600M - for a mATX board, more hard drives, and better cooling, and it does so while re-defining some design elements in the front. Will this bigger version of the ISK 600 manage to leave a mark and is bigger better in this particular case?
The Lian Li DK-02X should not be considered a computer chassis. It should be considered a designer table with the ability to hold two full systems. But is the biggest of the DK line of desks still a functional piece of furniture, especially once its costs vs. design vs. functionality triangle has been considered?
ID-Cooling may be a new brand, but they made a splash with their introduction of the ultra-compact T60-SFX chassis. As one of the most compact Mini-ITX cases out there and consisting of nothing but aluminum while featuring a unique shape, we were eager to get our hands on it.
The In Win D-Frame Mini is a smaller, updated version of the original D-Frame. It actually improves on the compatibility, comes fully assembled, and looks sleeker than the original. Forget looking at the price - the D-Frame Mini is not a sensible buy. Look at it from a design perspective as that is where it really shines.
The SilverStone RV05 is the latest Raven mid-tower chassis with a 90°-turned internal layout. Sporting the same elaborate looks as all other cases in the family, it aims to please the mainstream with its compact size and interesting price tag. Will the RV05 capture our heart or instill fear?
The Phanteks Evolv aims to transform what a mATX chassis should be capable of. Catering to the liquid-cooling crowd without compromising on air-cooling capability, the Evolv comes with the great feature set we have come to expect from Phanteks - all while combining quality with an enticing price.
The Cooltek C3 aims to be an affordable, 100% aluminum chassis, attractive to both HTPC users and those looking for a compact chassis for fairly potent hardware. It also comes in two colors, and you can have your pick of a solid or windowed side panel.
The Fractal Design Define R5 is the fifth generation of this series, once again with updated features, looks, and functionality to meet the needs of those who want a quiet system and those looking to install a lot of liquid-cooling. It manages to impress in nearly every way with its unique and functional approach and great material mix.
The Lian Li PC-O5SX is for those who want to show off their hardware in an elegant way, while using their system for more than just media playback. With an intricate interior that can house powerful enthusiast-grade hardware, a great mixture of materials, and an industrial look, the PC-O5SX aims to combine the best of both worlds - design and function.
Silverstone aims to dominate the Steam-powered HTPC/Gaming arena with the Raven RVZ01 as it may hold a large GPU of up to 330 mm in size - all while aiming for the golden middle between performance, cooling, and expandability. With a sub-100 USD price tag, the chassis may just be what you need if you are out to build a cool-looking but small gaming power house.
The Aerocool DS 200 is the DS Cube's mid-tower counterpart. With a choice from among seven different colors and a ton of features, it should be an intriguing option for those looking to buy a jam-packed chassis for around 100 bucks. Yet such does beg the question of whether it manages to impress with the way in which its features are implemented.
The Fractal Design NODE 804 is aiming to be an uncompromising gaming system with the ability to hold up to twelve hard drives, while still offering plenty of water-cooling possibilities - all in a cube form factor.
