A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Chieftec BX-10B-OP feels extremely sturdy thanks to the thick steel exterior. It features straight lines across the top and front grills and smooth, gentle round corners on the sides. The glass panels are embedded into the shell and look nice and clean.


In the front, Chieftec employs a single piece of steel with a strip down the front hat is mean to be an air intake. However, it is pretty small and the vent design further restricts airflow. To the right of that, there is a stylish power button and the I/O consisting of a USB-C and one USB-A 3.0 port as well as the audio plug. In the rear, you will notice that the PSU has been relocated into the interior of the case.


Both sides of the BX-10B-OP are made of glass, with the main one framed nicely in black with no tint. The pane behind the motherboard tray is lined with a black layer, so you will not see any of the cable mess. As such, the use of this material here is just purely for design esthetics.


In the back at the bottom, there are four expansion slots with individual, reusable covers. Above that, you will find a 120 mm fan set to push hot air out the back of the case. There is plenty of room above it, as such any AIO should also fit without issue. The power connector has been placed on the top left corner, with a lead pre-routed to the ATX mounting location internally as we will see later on.


In the top, there is a plastic cover with straight lines and an embedded, fine mesh dust filter. Underneath this cover you may mount two 120 or 140 mm fans. Alternatively, the BX-10B-OP can hold a 240 mm AIO in this position. Towards the front, there is that aforementioned full-size ATX PSU bay.


On the underside, you will find a basic mesh cover to keep dirt and grime out. It may be popped off and is actually held in place by two magnetic strips at the center which are attached to the mesh with adhesive. As you can see, that glue isn't very strong as the magnetism was enough to keep one of the strips on the underside of the case instead. You may install up to three 120 mm fans here, but doing so will mean that you will loose the only 3.5" hard drive mounting spot. Alternatively, you may opt for two 140 mm units, but doing so limits you to an ITX motherboard as a result. Sticking to two fans only will also allow you to keep that storage expansion possibility.