Antec made a big splash with the P280 and now is following up with a new gamer case called Eleven Hundred. Will the chassis manage to put Antec back on the map for pure gamer/enthusiast cases or leave us unimpressed with a lack of functional features?
The NZXT Tempest 210 is the entry level chassis for the current Tempest family. While costing a bit more than the Source line-up, it shares a lot of functional similarities. We take the case for a spin to find out if it is all a more expensive deja vu or if the Tempest 210 offers more than just higher price tag when compared to the Source variants.
The Xigmatek Midgard chassis has been one of the most popular cases in its price class. After almost 3 years, Xigmatek now presents the successor simply called Midgard II. It features a timeless design just like the original one, but includes a long list of new and updated features. The Midgard II has some big shoes to fill - let us see if it manages to impress as much as the original.
There are very few cases out there, which allow you to cool the CPU passively. Of those most only allow for Mini-ITX boards to be installed. Streacom breaks that tradition by offering the FC5 OD, able to take a mATX board and three 2.5 hard drives, while still offering enough cooling power to keep modern, high-performance CPUs cool. Can the 250 Euro enclosure deliver on all these promises and stand the heat?
The Commander MS-I case is the most affordable of the new cases from Thermaltake. With the choice between a model with two USB 2.0 and one with a mix consisting of a single 2.0 and a single 3.0 connector at the same price point, it is interesting to see what difference such a feature makes in terms of alternatives and placement in the crowded sub 50 US Dollar range.
The Thermaltake Overseer RX-I is positioned just below the Chaser chassis. It costs slightly less, is slightly smaller, but still has a very similar feature set. We take a close look if there is more to it than meets the eye or if the Overseer RX-I offers the same price/performance value as its bigger counterpart.
The NZXT Phantom has been a huge success, spawning various color options including pink and black/orange. The Phantom 410 continues with the same design elements, but at a much smaller overall size - lovingly called "Phantom Mini".
There are a few cube chassis manufacturers out there, but CaseLabs guns for the ultimate chassis with their MAGNUM M8 and M10, right out of the gates. Will it come out guns blazing and mowing down everything in its path or end up shooting nothing but blanks? We aim to find out!
Silverstone has managed to turn heads with the 90° turned motherboard tray. One of the cases, the Raven 2 has now been updated with a new hard drive tray system and USB 3.0. We take the chassis out during the night to see if we manage to scare it away or if it can hold its ground.
Antec aims to deliver a functional, good looking chassis at an interesting price point with the P280. As part of the Performance One line-up, you can expect the ability to fill the chassis with high-end components like an XL-ATX motherboard and long graphics cards. But will the chassis break a sweat doing so or keep on performing?
The NZXT Source 220 aims to deliver cool looks, capable interior, USB 3.0 - all at a really affordable price point. The Source series of cases aims to take on the budget market, but still offers the distinct NZXT looks we have come to expect. How does it turn out?
anidées is a new brand in the tough case market. Their first chassis - the AI6 aims to deliver the utmost quality with a solid choice of features. All this at a sub 100 Euro price point. We were impressed by the quality of materials used and also the attention to detail.
The latest chassis from BitFenix aims to offer "relentless performance". It offers a cool looking design, three retail Spectre cooling fans connected to a fan controller and a whooping four USB 3.0 ports. But will the Raider manage to flex its muscles and withstand our bombardment or will it fail to defend itself?
The Carbide 500R is the high-performance version of the 400R with additional cooling and an edgier design. Will these be enough to justify the higher price tag and will it leave us as impressed as with the more affordable brethren?
The CM Storm Trooper aims to take the gaming crowd by storm and position itself as the elite chassis for LAN Party goers, as it offers a long list of unique and useful features. We take the chassis hostage and stuff it full of hardware to see if it buckles or manages to strike back like a trooper.
Thermaltake's initial release of the Level 10 was co-designed with luxury car manufacturer BMW. The second iteration is a boiled down and condensed version that maximizes all the enthusiast wants while reducing the price considerably. The Level 10 GT just might be the best gaming case on the market.
Stuffed with some cool features, like the hot-swap bay in the front, or the Air Penetrator fan in the top, the Precision PS06 offers many aspects while staying under that oh so important 100 USD barrier. We take the spacey looking chassis for a spin and test the usability of its long list of features.
After the Viako ML-55, we now get to take a look at one of the larger mini-ITX cases by the name "ML-Style". While it is bigger, it also allows for installation of a 3.5 inch drive along with a cool, slot-loading slimline DVD or Blu-Ray. We pull the case apart, stuff it with hardware and close it down to see if it can contain everything or burst at the seams.
Spire packs the Sentor 6004 with six LED equipped fans and offers an extended chassis to allow for large graphics cards to be installed. We pull the chassis apart and fill it with with hardware to see if it manages to impress with its understated, timeless looks or if these are signs of weakness.
Soungraph is the company behind all the great functionality of the major brand HTPC cases found on the market. With their retail products the company enables users to morph their normal cases and employ these as home theater system. We take a look at their first designed HTPC chassis called the Hummin' 3.03 and the first ever wireless USB based touch screen monitor.
The PC-V600F takes the successful V1020 series and shrinks it down for the mATX crowd. We will take the case for a spin to make sure it did not lose any of the important features on the way and to see if the chassis is really worth more than 200 bucks.
Lian Li has made quite a few unique enclosures in the past. This includes the Spider looking PC-T1 or the extravagant PC-888. Now, their newest designer case, the PC-U6, comes in the shape of a snail's house, with round circular shapes. Such a case will turn heads, even with a Van Gogh hanging next to it, that is for sure.
The Fractal Design Define Mini is not only a successful shrink of the award winning Define R3 or Define XL cases, but also adds USB 3.0 to the mix. We take the chassis for a spin to see if the small case really carries the same genes as its bigger brothers.
Akasa can be considered an institution or constant as a computer brand. The Venom Toxic chassis is their latest case aimed at the gaming crowd. The neon green accents make for a badass chassis. We give the large chassis a spin to see if it's all hot smoke or if the Viper has a real toxic bite.
HPTX cases are usually so tall that they do not fit under a normal desk. Lian Li - the company who first offered such a chassis - has managed to shrink things down to mid tower size while still offering HPTX compatibility and the ability to install up to 12 hard drives. We rip the case apart to see how everything is suppose to fit in such cramped spaces.
