Review System

Assembly

Installing the motherboard is done by traditional means, using screws and spacers. As you can see, there is plenty of space above the board, while the bottom is flush against the shroud. Well-placed openings here mean you should still be able to attach all the cables easily. Naturally, if you were to install any fans to the shroud, things would get a little bit more difficult.


Adding SSDs is easily done as well. Simply take the plate, mount your drive, and put it back where it came from. Given the plate is fairly thick, the drive's SATA connectors are left with a bit more space than usual to connect bulky PSU connectors.


Including a 3.5" drive in your build takes a similar effort. You first have to take the cage out of the case before using your classic screw driver to secure the drive and, once filled, stick it back onto the floor. Rubber rings on the cage make the removal and re-insertion process tool-less and easy.


Utilizing a 280 mm-sized AIO actually works quite well in this compact chassis. While there is not quite as much room to work with above the motherboard as in some other enclosures recently, the dimensions within the XPG Starker Air still allow for large motherboard heatsinks or tall memory modules without any issues. On top of that, any rear fan won't get in the way, either.


Sliding a PSU underneath the shroud is a bit tight, but things are fine once it is in place. There is plenty of room for you to use a longer unit.


With everything installed, the chassis makes a really clean impression on the inside because of the grommets. This also means that if you were to opt for the white variant, the end result should be just as nice. In the rear, I was able to clean up the cable mess with a bit of patience and effort by using the well-placed hooks for zip ties.

Finished Looks

Once turned on, you can clearly see the ARGB elements in the front light up. This is a really nice touch and quite organically fits into the overall design of the Starker Air. We mentioned in our review of the original Starker that XPG could release a vented variant of the case to solve the issue of the solid steel panel, and thus restrictive airflow. On top of that, the vent of the Starker Air gives the case a bit more visual depth, and additional design details to feast your eyes upon.


Looking at the front of the enclosure, you can see past the vents and mesh with the glow of the XPG memory shining through, which is a good sign for airflow. Thanks to the clear glass side panel, all your components can clearly be seen inside. In the rear, everything is where you would expect it, with the ARGB glow of the rear fan clearly visible as well.

The built-in controller allows you to cycle through various animations and multi-color modes. As you can see below, there are also a number of solid color choices for you to pick from.