Antec Skeleton
We have to give Antec points for bucking the mainstream: The Skeleton
is a seriously cool-looking case. The motherboard rests horizontally,
so the case?s footprint is much wider than that of a standard tower
chassis, but it?s also shorter. The open design and sliding component
tray make it easy to swap parts in and out, and installation is quick
and relatively painless. The Super Big Boy LED fan, which truly is both
super and big, dominates the top of the case, keeping air moving over
all your components, and the open design ensures that there?s plenty of
airflow. A smaller fan mounts in front of the hard drive bay for
additional cooling. Removing two spring-loaded thumbscrews lets you
slide out the component tray about three quarters of the way, providing
easy access to the motherboard as well as the optical and hard drives.
The side panels remove easily, and there?s a sliding bay for the power
supply. But screwless this case ain?t. Your Phillips head screwdriver
will be a constant companion. The open design offers no protection
against liquids, pets, children, or Chex Mix. The squat proportions
also work against it?there are only two 5.25-inch and two 3.5-inch bays
under the motherboard, so any additional hard drives need to be mounted
outside of the case, for which Antec provides four brackets. And given
the open-frame design, there aren?t many solutions for elegant cable
routing. We had to do some finessing to connect all our parts.
Depending on your motherboard?s layout, you may have issues with the
front-panel connectors; the HD Audio ports are in the rear of our EVGA
680i board, and the Skeleton?s front-panel audio wires barely reached
them. And watch out for your CPU cooler?anything more than about four
inches tall will bump up against the fan cowl and prevent you from
moving the tray in and out, so avoid any of the monstrously huge
coolers that are so popular these days. Stock fans will work fine, and
fortunately, so will our current favorite cooler, the Thermaltake
DuOrb. Due to the space constraints, any water-cooling setup will have
to use an external reservoir?since the Skeleton has only two 5.25-inch
bays, it?s impossible to mount one internally. Still, we love the
design and portability of the Skeleton. It?s especially useful for
testers and other people who, like us, swap hardware frequently. If you
have plenty of desk space and don?t need to worry about errant liquids
or hairballs, the Skeleton could be the bold, new case you?ve been
looking for.
Zalman Z-Machine LQ1000
We were apprehensive when we first saw Zalman?s Z-Machine LQ1000 case.
From the outside, the chassis looks like a combination of the company?s
Fatal1ty FC-ZE1 case (reviewed February 2007) and its Reserator XT
external water cooler (reviewed December 2007). But this case isn?t
simply a slapped-together hybrid of two products. Zalman packs a number
of improvements into the LQ1000. The LQ1000 abandons the frustrating
billion-screw design of its predecessor, the FC-ZE1, for a
thumb-screwed side panel. The case?s drive bays use the same tool-free
design as the FC-ZE1, but the mounting mechanisms for the case?s four
5.25-inch bays are all tool-free as well. A monstrous 10x14.25-inch
reservoir attaches to the inside of the case?s side panel. It uses
3/8-inch tubing that connects to a 79.25 gallon-per-hour pump attached
to the bottom of the chassis. Zalman supplies one of its own water
blocks, the ZM-WB5, for your CPU, and it?s compatible with both Intel
and AMD systems. The water-cooling loop?s performance crushes that of a
stock cooler and even outpaces that of our top air cooler,
Thermaltake?s DuOrb. However, we dislike the lack of tubing between the
pump?s outflow and the water block?s input. It?s an extremely short run
that doesn?t leave much room for tube routing. Similarly, the inside of
the case is tight. An 8800 GTX videocard brushes up against the hard
drive bays. On the case we received, the connector for the front-panel
power button was mislabeled as ?HD LED,? and the connection didn?t
work. Also, the side panel holding the motherboard tray didn?t line up
against the panel covering the drive bays, letting a sliver of light
sneak through the case. It?s a minor flaw, but frustrating if you plan
to pack the inside of the case with swanky lights. While this is
certainly one of the better water-cooling chassis we?ve tested, it?s
not perfect. Zalman has made some improvements to its previous designs,
but the LQ1000 could stand a bit more polish.
Cooler Master HAF
Cooler Master?s newest HAF (High Air Flow) chassis is the company?s
magnum opus. It successfully unifies the best bits and pieces from a
wide variety of Cooler Master?s previous cases under one roof. But more
than that, the HAF features a number of unique and helpful additions
that truly raise the bar for case design. The most noticeable of these
improvements is the HAF?s centerpiece: case cooling.? A total of three
23cm fans are screwed into the top, front, and side of the HAF, which
allows the fans to circulate air even when they?re running at just
700rpm. This solution balances increased air flow with acceptable noise
levels. But you can always remove the case?s top and side-panel fans to
add smaller, higher-powered varieties if you so choose. The
22.7?x9?x21.5? HAF allows for a number of customization options:
There?s plenty of room for an ATX or EATX motherboard, six 5.25-inch
devices, five hard drives, and two power supplies (or one power supply
and a two- or three-bay internal water-cooling radiator). It?s rare to
see a case offer this many options. The industrial look of Cooler
Master?s HAF is accentuated by a single red LED fan. Lighting
enthusiasts take note: It doesn?t add a lot of glow to the middle of
the case. ? Much of the HAF?s success can be traced to the inclusion of
features that are in other Cooler Master cases. The 5.25-inch bays
feature the same push-button locking mechanisms used in the company?s
Cosmos line of cases, and the tool-free PCI retention tabs are
identical to those found in Cooler Master?s 690 chassis. However, the
plastic hard-drive holders are an upgrade over the 690?s flimsy
mounting racks. The case weaves these great elements together alongside
new improvements. Our favorite is the large hole in the motherboard
tray that lets you add or remove CPU backplanes without having to
disassemble the entire machine. The HAF also comes with a hole on top
of the case for filling water-cooling reservoirs. Cooler Master covers
this area with a piece of rubber, allowing it to double as a handy
slip-proof storage area. It?s just one more example of great detail
work. We do have a few criticisms: We?d love to be able to control the
fans? speeds with a built-in hardware controller instead of our BIOS,
and reactions on the aesthetics of the case were mixed?some editors
hated the combination grill and window side panel, some loved it.?
Overall, the case uses only its front fan for LED lighting. One more
lighting source would help improve the HAF?s inner aesthetics.
Regardless, Cooler Master?s new chassis is definitely not full of hot
air.
SilverStone KL03
We often jest that SilverStone makes but one case a year?a slight
modification of its most recent TJ series case. The company has since
proven us wrong with the release of its Kublai series KL03 chassis. But
after testing this midtower case, we find ourselves clamoring to go
back to the familiar ground of SilverStone?s TJ cases. Given the TJ
line?s high level of excellence, the KL03?s deficiencies stand out even
more and make this chassis look like an ill-conceived side project. The
first thing you?ll notice after unscrewing the case?s side panels?which
lack thumbscrews?is the giant retention bar running horizontally across
the KL03?s lower half. It supports two 12cm fans and comes with a
number of sliding retention bars for holding your PCI-based components
in place. However, we?d prefer to have fans, not fan mounts, and the
retention bar does little to support the guts of our rig. Adding insult
to injury, the bar itself has to be screwed into the case to stay in
place. Its plastic locking mechanism isn?t strong enough to support it.
In contrast to the sleeker SilverStone cases we?ve reviewed, the KL03
feels like a hodgepodge of features?the case never gets any of them
quite right. Our frustrating experience with the case?s motherboard
area contrasts with our experience installing components in the KL03?s
almost-toolless front drive bays. These four 5.25-inch bays come with
rails that allow for speedy insertion and removal of your various
devices. While removing the actual bay covers can be a taxing process
(we had to use a screwdriver to avoid hurting our fingers on the
covers? snapping locks), at least we didn?t have to physically remove
screws or, worse, the entire front panel itself. The case also comes
with rails for your drives, but its four hard drive bays are fitted
with removable trays. Just drop a hard drive into the tray, screw it
in, and push the entire contraption forward. You then have to manually
attach the drives? connectors, save for the one hard drive bay that
includes a hot-swap SATA connector. We?re not sure why the KL03 comes
with only a single hot-swap SATA connector: We?d prefer to see a full
backplane of hot-swap connectors or none at all. The addition of a
single bulky hotswap connector feels like a tease, not a feature. The
KL03 provides ample room for the biggest hardware available. The case
also supports ATX, EATX, Micro ATX, and SSI motherboard standards. We
tested the case with a standard ATX mobo and had plenty of room for
cable management and tube routing after installing a pair of 8800 GTXs
into the chassis. But we couldn?t route these cables around the rear of
the motherboard. Two holes on the motherboard tray look like they are
designed for this purpose, but the side door tightly smashes against
the tray, rendering these holes useless. The KL03 comes with ample
cooling in the form of a 12cm fan in the rear of the case near the
motherboard area and a 12cm fan on the front that blows air over the
hard drive bays. The case is a little lacking in the front-panel
connections department, however, offering only two USB ports and a
single FireWire 400 connector. SilverStone ups the ?cool factor? of the
chassis by giving the top of its rounded front a pleasing blue glow.
But truth be told, the KL03?s construction shortcomings, awkward drive
bays, and cabling failures don?t impress us much at all.
Gigabyte Poseidon 310
Instead of a god of the sea, Gigabyte?s midtower Poseidon 310 chassis
is a petite prince. But that?s merely a reflection of this case?s size,
not its prowess. It clocks in at 7.75?x17?x20??small enough to fit into
that nook in your desk or the space under your bed. The LED fan on the
Poseidon lends the case?s interior a subtle blue glow that?s further
softened by the case?s grilled side panel. Even given its small size,
the Poseidon supports up to five 5.25-inch devices. We?re unsure why
this case?or any case, for that matter?still bothers with multiple
external 3.5-inch bays. You get two helpings of them on the Poseidon.
We would have rather sacrificed these and an additional 5.25-inch bay
in favor of more internal hard drive space. Though we?re not
complaining about what we get for internal storage: three hard drive
bays with included rails. The Poseidon?s tool-free approach elevates
this case above those that attempt to save on production costs by using
screws. All of the rig?s key parts can be modified in a very short
amount of time. Want to install a new optical drive? Pop off the front
grill, slide it in, and use Gigabyte?s locking mechanism to secure it
in place. Need to replace your videocard? Don?t reach for the
screwdriver. Just unhook the locking tab, swap the cards, and secure
the new one in place. The fact that we never had to remove both side
panels to modify our rig?s insides makes us squeal with glee. We also
appreciate the Poseidon?s two blue 12cm fans. One pushes air over the
drives, the other whisks it out of the case?s rear.? Additionally, the
case?s grilled side panel diffuses the fans? light into a pleasant
glow, but depending on your vantage point, this panel can actually
obscure the case?s inner light completely. The Poseidon 310 does suffer
from a few imperfections. The front-panel support is a touch anemic
with two USB ports and one FireWire 400 connector. The case?s smaller
size becomes apparent when you try to stuff a larger videocard into its
bowels. An 8800 GTX??size monster will fit, but you aren?t left with
much room for cables on the card?s sides. A lack of motherboard tray
cable-management holes exacerbates the issue. As a whole, the Poseidon
310 is a fine chassis. Only a few missteps keep it from ascending to
the Mount Olympus of cases, but we wouldn?t scoff at a lesser god.
NZXT Khaos
The NZXT Khaos looks like it would be a sleek addition to Maximum PC?s
?best of? case club. We like how NZXT is attempting to bring an
aesthetical refresh to case construction by toying around with the
thick aluminum exterior of the chassis itself: curved edges and
indented, grilled valleys add a modernistic look to the otherwise drab
framework of conventional rectangular cases. That said, we still find
the Khaos lacking amenities that should be at the top of a company?s
design schematics, ahead of making it pretty and modern. For its
immense size? 8.8 inches; by 2 feet; by 1 foot, 11 inches?the Khaos
lacks accoutrements that we?ve seen in less expensive midtower chassis.
This full-tower case does not support the EATX motherboard standard at
all, instead using the extra horizontal space of its interior for a fan
mounting appendage. This bracket juts out from the motherboard tray and
feels flimsy to the touch, although it doesn?t wiggle back and forth
(as we expected it to) even if you attach three 12cm fans. We still
ultimately question this fan bracket?s usefulness, as the case?s two
front 12cm fans, one rear 12cm fan, and top 14cm fan more than
adequately handle airflow. This case will have you reaching for your
toolbox throughout your building (or upgrading) process, as no part of
this case is screwless. While we recognize that most PC builders will
not perform as many upgrades inside this chassis as, say, a typical
Maximum PC editor, it?s still frustrating when a simple hard drive
replacement takes the better part of 20 minutes. With tool-free cases
we?ve reviewed, this procedure requires but 20 seconds of our time. We
like how the Khaos?s motherboard tray bends backwards out of the
chassis. It helps simplify the installation process by eliminating the
need to flip the case every which way just to find a great angle for
attaching the motherboard standoffs and screws. But we were surprised
to find no cable management holes around the motherboard area. That?s
right: zero. While you can run cables behind and around the motherboard
tray, you still have to wrap them across the motherboard itself. The
Khaos supports up to five 5.25-inch devices and up to eight hard
drives. This makes for a great mix of accessories and storage, although
we have to ding the chassis for throwing two stealth optical covers
into the mix. Unless you actually run two optical drives, you?re stuck
having one of your 5.25-inch bays look like one, as the Khaos doesn?t
come with any extra ?normal? covers. Rejiggering these around
requires?you guessed it?a lot more screwing and unscrewing than we like
to see. There?s no denying that the Khaos is a pretty case. But its
unique benefits?support for two power supplies; the "big three"
front-panel connections of USB, Firewire 400 and eSATA; and an awesome
combination of front wheels and a pulling handle?aren?t enough to
overcome its lapses. That doesn?t mean we?re going to toss this chassis
out with the trash. But there are better full-tower cases on the
market. They might offer slightly less space or peripheral support, but
we?ll gladly sacrifice a drive bay for better features and usability
any day.
Antec Twelve Hundred
ou will not find a more powerful air-cooled case on the market than
Antec?s Twelve Hundred?not unless you strap a box fan to the side of
your chassis. That?s what it would take to challenge the cooling
prowess of this full-tower enclosure, which features one 20cm fan on
top and five 12cm fans placed throughout the interior. These six blue
LED fans are attached to individual switches that allow you to tweak
the strength (and sound) of each fan to suit your needs. While the
case?s cooling is top-notch, not all of the Twelve Hundred?s features
are so thoughtfully designed. The fans? cables could stand to be longer
to better utilize the case?s numerous holes and attachments for cable
management. And while the Twelve Hundred comes with an additional
switch to turn the 20cm fan?s light on and off, it would be nice if we
could control all the lights at once. And the installation procedure
for hard drives is overly complicated. You have to remove a grand total
of 16 screws to insert a single drive?what ever happened to no-fuss
rails? The case has plenty of room on the inside?vertically. Larger
graphics cards, such as Nvidia?s 8800 GTX, fit inside the chassis but
leave little room for stringing cables along the card?s side. We would
have preferred a wider case to the unusable space above the
motherboard. The chassis supports three 5.25-inch devices and nine
3.5-inch drives, but we?d gladly trade two drive bays for more usable
space. We liked the Antec Nine Hundred, but we expected the Twelve
Hundred to improve on its predecessor?s shortcomings?such as the narrow
body and overly complex drive installation. Antec has done nothing to
fix these issues. We could excuse these things in the Nine Hundred
because its exceptional cooling-based design impressed us greatly.
We?re now at the design?s second iteration, and the Twelve Hundred
offers little above and beyond what we?ve already seen. This isn?t an
improvement; it?s a resize.
In Win B2
In Win can?t resist building gimmicks into its chassis. We first
encountered the company?s design oddities with its F430 case (reviewed
July 2008), which emits the superloud sound of a car engine when you
hit the power button. The company?s B2 chassis isn?t quite as
ostentatious?unless you think the motorized front panel that conceals
the drive bays is over the top. A side flap conceals the B2's
front-panel connections: two eSATA, two USB, one FireWire port, and one
HD/AC97 audio jack. This midtower chassis does, however, take its B2
theme to extreme levels. The vent on the case?s snap-locking side panel
looks just like a Stealth bomber and the case?s exterior is peppered
with aeronautical jargon. We love the look, but working in this case is
a different story. A VGA cooling bracket with two attached 8cm fans
runs along the side of the case. It pivots up and down to give you
access to your rig?s insides but leaves little room for connecting
additional power-supply cables to your videocard. Back-end connections
similarly suffer, as this chassis is a bit cramped?heave and strain all
you want, an oversized next-gen videocard isn?t going to fit in here.
Labeled drive rails sit on a tray in one of case?s four 5.25-inch bays.
It?s great that the B2 doesn?t need any screws whatsoever, but we?d
rather receive the rails in a bag to simplify installation. Also, the
end of the tray sticks out a little too far. We had to remove it?by
first removing the case?s side and front panels?before we could squeeze
our motherboard into the chassis. We appreciate the case?s features,
including its support for up to five hard drives, superb air cooling,
and luxurious front-panel connections, but the B2?s peculiarities force
us to ground it for all enthusiast rig-building missions. It?s better
suited for midrange machines.
