A Closer Look - Outside

Enermax has not really gone all out in terms of design. The SpineRex utilizes straight clean lines and a silhouette shape which we have seen in may other enclosures before. It gets its name from the top cover, which we will inspect in a second. While the chassis does make a good impression, the thought does sneak up, that Enermax has just chosen a frame and slapped their top and front on it.


Taking a look at the front of the chassis, it does not seem to bear any surprises at first. The entire front consists of mesh covered drive bays, but - much like the Cosmos S back in the day - the side bars can be opened to access the covers without the need for tools. The only major difference is the fact that Enermax uses plastic instead of Aluminum for these bars. Turning the chassis around, we are greeted by an all black case, which also means that the interior is of the same color. Even though the case is huge, pretty much as big as the HPTX Tank or Elysium, it cannot hold any board with more than seven expansion slots. It would have been good to have at least eight slots, so that one could use XL-ATX boards in a chassis of this size.


The one side of the SpineRex features a pretty cool looking metal mesh part along with some dark grey coloring to go with the overall design. There is also a switch and a dial, allowing you to toggle between red and blue LEDs and to adjust the fan speed. Enermax has chosen to keep the other side completely clean and void of any prints, openings or fan vents. I would have liked to see something to add symmetry in terms of design here as well.


Taking a closer look at the bottom, there are two fans behind the metal mesh covers as well. These cool the hard drives within the chassis and, if you look closely, you can spot the two silver switches on the left side. These allow you to toggle through all the different types of lighting these LED VEGAS fans are capable of. On top you will find a large, plastic power button, along with a small reset one. A little tray on top also has plenty of connectivity. You will get one USB 3.0, three USB 2.0, a pair of Audio plugs and a SATA connector.


The bottom of the chassis holds the power supply along with four openings for water cooling tubes. Even though the chassis is rather large, Enermax only allows for a single PSU to be installed within the SpineRex. Above that are the seven mainboard expansion bays, with the fans all the way on the top.


The case gets its name from the top panel, which can be slid back to reveal an opening to allow ceiling fans to push air out the top of the case. In case you do not use such a setup, you may close this vent, which should reduce the overall noise escaping from the confines of the case. While this is pretty cool, the plastic-only design makes it feel a tad cheap.


Four feet can be turned to give the chassis added stability. We have seen these on many different cases from various manufacturers before.