Value & Conclusion
- The Xigmatek Asgard 381 goes for 44,90 EUR at Caseking.de and 37 GBP at Overclockers UK. US Readers will have to fork over just 40 USD + taxes.
- Affordable price point
- Available in 3 different colors
- Can hold up to 8 hard drives
- 3.5" tray and drive cover included
- Screw-less locks for drive bays
- Single 2.5" bay on the floor of the case
- May hold up to 7 additional fans
- Detailed design of the front
- Plenty of space for large CPU coolers
- Long graphics cards will only fit with restrictions
- USB 3.0 x 2 (internal, with headers for USB 3.0 and 2.0)
- Only one fan included
- Locking mechanisms inadequate
- Break-out drive-bay covers
- Minimum number of screws included
- Fairly soft plastic
With the Xigmatek Asgard 381 costing just above 40 Euros including taxes, one cannot expect too much from a case like this. This type of enclosure is supposed to be an affordable upgrade path to a brand-name unit with basic modern features for entry level systems, SI, and first-time budget builders. There are a few things that Xigmatek really needs to fix to make this case stand out, which includes the break-out covers and inadequate screw-less locks. The case should have featured individual covers and more screws instead of the plastic locks. Other manufacturers also manage to include up to two fans in this price segment. That said, it is quite cool that you are able to choose between three different colors while also having the ability to install large coolers, PSUs, or graphics cards within the case, as users with budget systems are far more likely to upgrade individual parts in a much shorter time frame than others going for a completely new system.
While the aforementioned limitations keep the Xigmatek Asgard 381 from an award this time around, you are, if you see a system integrator offer the case in a budget build or have the option to upgrade from a basic no-name case to this one for a few bucks, getting a good case.