A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the thoughtful branding continues, with several orange stickers to guide you through the intricacies of the chassis. Every one of these stickers has a pull tab, so you don't have to scrape against the surface - quite the attention to detail. A green piece of tape at the bottom of the chassis ensures that the singular glass panel doesn't come loose during shipping as well. Overall the HAVN HS 420 VGPU makes a beautiful, clean impression, with both sharp edges and round corners.


Looking at the front and rear of the chassis, you can see that a lot of attention has gone into details both on the exterior and interior. All the vent shapes are unique, with as much open area as possible. Even though there is only a small opening in the front at the bottom, it is shaped the same as all the ones in the back. On top of that, there are no visible feet, with the bottom blending seamlessly into the overall design of the case while still providing airflow to for any floor mounted cooling. The rear of the case comes with its own cover to keep things just as clean and understated as the front, while still providing access to the expansion slots, motherboard backplate and PSU bay. You may also notice that the HAVN HS 420 VGPU isn't very heavy on branding, with the only exterior logo being on the back. This will likely appease system integrators who want to put their own brand on systems using this case.


Unlike other cases of this size which use two panels, the HAVN HS 420 uses a singular glass pane that has been bent 90°. In fact this is the tightest bend radius we have seen on any case to date, which is a fantastic USP for the enclosure. Thanks to the completely clear panel, you will easily be able to show off all your hardware. HAVN has put a lot of thought into the engineering, so there are no visible thumb screws or the likes, keeping every viewing angle immaculate. The same holds true for the metal cover on the backside of the motherboard. It sports the same uniquely shaped cutouts across its entire surface area. The case comes equipped with a dust filter on the backside, so you won't have to worry about dirt and grime entering the chassis either.


In the rear looking at the bottom, it becomes apparent that the case hides the PSU from view by placing it upright on the left. This is a classic layout for dual-chamber cases, but the HAVN HS 420 VGPU focuses on exclusively shrouding the GPU, opening up the rest of the flooring for cooling. That is also why you have a single 120 or 140 mm fan mounting position here at the bottom. Thanks to the exterior cover, you can integrate a fan beautifully by installing it on the exterior of the body, but behind that rear cover. A dust filter can be found here as well, which seems to suggest that you are meant to have this fan pull air into the case instead of expelling it. Above that, there are the four vertical expansion slots. The non VGPU variant will have six horizontal slots instead. At the very top, there is another integrated fan mount with that same shape of vent. This one is clearly punched outward, without a dust filter, as it is intended for air to be pushed out the back away from your CPU.


The top cover follows that same principle, with the vents bent outwards on the inside of each opening. HAVN has done a beautiful job integrating the power button alongside the two gray USB-A, a black USB-C and metal audio combo port. If there is anything to improve it is the fact that the USB-C could be color matched in the same gray as the USB-A ports, but sourcing something like that may prove difficult. In the back, there a large gray pull tab made of a thick woven material. Having something to grab unto is certainly helpful, but this thing is pretty massive and draws a bit too much attention in comparison to the otherwise understated case.


Popping the top off, you will find a dust filter on its underside that matches what is present on the metal side panel. Underneath of it, there is a removable mounting frame for three 120 or 140 mm fans. Alternatively, this position can also hold radiators of up to 420 mm in size. The frame can be installed to allow for fans to sit on top as pictured, or flipped over, so everything resides inside the case. The latter setup could be useful, if you want to use a thick radiator and install fans underneath of it, as this allows you to use all the room perfectly. Being removable, you can easily prepare the entire setup outside the confines of the case and simply drop it into place. HAVN has also engineered a cable channel into the top, so that you can easily cable manage all fan and RGB wires out of view, setting the HS 420 VGPU apart from most cases where you have to live with cables being visible above the top edge of the motherboard. It comes labeled clearly and uses Velcro strips for quick and easy access.


A few additional engineering details are worth mentioning in the bare ceiling of the HS 420 VGPU, starting with the power button, which is a keyboard switch with an embedded LED. HAVN has separated the actual button from this switch, so when removing the top panel things come apart easily and reliably as well. Another interesting detail are the two screws holding the large cloth pull tab in place. This is pure overkill, but nice to see nonetheless.


The underside of the HAVN HS 420 VGPU is completely solid with thin rubber pads for the chassis to stand on. This is just fine, as there are vents all around the bottom edge of case to allow for airflow. A full coverage dust filter can be pulled out the side of the case, so you can easily and painlessly access it for cleaning without having to move the running system.