Unsurprisingly, this review essentially reads the same as the one for the Sharkoon MS-Z1000 because the enclosures only differ in their front-panel design. Sharkoon doesn't even try to hide that fact by providing a manual labeled for both products.

The Sharkoon MS-Y1000 aims to make what we used to call "Mini-Towers" cool again, and it manages to do so at its core. For starters, the chassis feels sturdy and looks great. On the interior, the layout is unique, far more compact than traditional ATX enclosures to give you that space-saving benefit of going with a smaller form factor. By including four PWM fans, this case manages to push the price to performance barrier nicely as well even without the cooling units being retail-grade.

On the downside, the MS-Y1000 is a bit too restrictive when it comes to airflow because of the vent design. The front panel has two steel layers in the way of any fans, while the rest has at least one to deal with. That results in a system that simply runs warmer than it should even with the pre-installed fan setup. Then there is the tricky cable management and routing which makes the otherwise functional, straightforward build process slightly more complicated than it should be.

For the price, you ultimately get a lot of case for your money. The Sharkoon MS-Y1000 easily looks the part compared to noticeably more expensive enclosures while offering some flexibility others don't. And while it is not perfect, for the budget or compact case-inspired target audience, the cost of entry, build quality, and looks make the Sharkoon MS-Y1000 easily recommendable.