A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the case features straight lines with sharp 45° angles. Its front leans forward a bit which adds a unique design element and draws your attention to the ARGB strips and IO at the top of the chassis.


The front of the chassis consists of a plastic frame which holds a removable metal mesh cover. Behind it, there are three of the four Tornado fans which you may access without having to remove further components of the panel. Should you want to do so, a simple tug at the bottom will allow you to detach the entire front panel.


In the rear, you will find a classic layout with the PSU bay at the bottom of the chassis. Chieftec has opted to utilize large plastic thumb screws to hold the panels in place, which do draw a bit of unwanted attention due to their size.


The main side panel of the case consists of a clean glass panel. Unfortunately it is heavily tinted, so you will have a hard time showing off your components. On top of that, the glass is thicker than traditional steel, but the chassis body is not designed for it. The result is that the glass panel protrudes the body in an unsightly manner. On the opposite side, there is a solid steel panel that fits flush with the body of the Stallion 3.


In the rear, the PSU bay at the bottom comes with two sets of mounting holes. Above that are the seven expansion slots which each feature a reusable cover. At the very top, you will find that forth Tornado fan set to push hot air out the back of the chassis. It is fixed in its position and if you look closely, you can see two penetrations for liquid cooling tubes. That aspect dates the case body, as those type of openings haven't been a part of modern cases for quite some time.


The IO panel is located in the top. It is situated between two ARGB strips and angled upward, which lends itself well as long as the Stallion 3 is placed under the desk next to you. Besides the two USB 3.0 and usual audio ports, you will also find two USB 2.0 plugs. There is no reason for these to be a part of any modern chassis, let alone one of this price range. Instead a case like this has to have USB-C to remain competitive in terms of IO. Chieftec has also built fan speed and ARGB controls into the panel, which is a nice touch. However, as we will see later on, the fans cannot be controlled by the motherboard, which is a rather notable limitation.


In the top, there is a plastic cover with a metal mesh component. In the front, there is a tray on which you could place some small component like an external hard drive or USB card reader. As such, you can only fit two fans of up to 140 mm in size here. Those wanting to opt for an AIO will be limited to a 240 mm unit. Considering the size of the Stallion 3, not being able to go as large as 360 mm here is unfortunate.


On the underside, there is a removable dust filter protecting the PSU from dirt and grime. Chieftec has also installed a simple metal mesh layer towards the front of the enclosure where the hard drives are located. If you look closely, there is also a mounting position for a floor fan in the very front of the chassis.