The XPG Starker already set the stage as a compact and functional chassis. With its good material mix, clean looks, and stylish, embedded ARGB in the front, it makes for a solid case. It does fall short of being "budget" as XPG generally doesn't include as much cooling with their cases as the competition, which does usually mean getting less bang for your buck.

If you look past that though, the Starker hardly compromises and has plenty of space for mainstream air cooling, long GPUs, and very good AIO support despite its compact overall dimensions. What the Starker Air improves upon is quite literally one area: the front panel. Still made out of sturdy steel and held in place sufficiently well by magnets, the Air variant sports triangular vents. This does not only result in somewhat better thermals than the Starker, but also makes for a slightly more detailed design overall that still isn't in your face. While great, you will still have to buy a few extra fans to really make the most of it, but those opting for a 360 mm AIO now have the option to do so without compromising performance as much as with the original Starker.

There is little else to be critiqued; thus, just like the original XPG Starker, the XPG Starker Air is a nice case that works well, and as it clocks in at exactly the same MSRP, you are free to pick whichever variant you prefer. That said, I got a feeling that most would want the Air instead of the original.