
When it comes to cases, you need to decide where you stand. Weight and design always play a big role in making the right gaming machine. The crazier the design, the more attention the PC will grab at LAN parties or when visiting friends. However, down-to-earth users are more likely to appreciate a traditional design, without the built-in light show or weird gimmicks. For these people, workmanship and usefulness are key.
In this article, we review 11 midi towers, providing a glimpse into the big world of PC cases. From the flamboyant to the conservative, there's bound to be something here for every taste.
Antec SLK2650-BQE, In Classic Black
Antec’s small black PC case called SLK2650-BQE shows that a conservative design can be chic too. Unfortunately, the euphoria fizzles out when you get to the front panel and its mount. The plastic panel does not have dependable-looking fixing bolts. An unintentional nudge with the leg or a chair can easily lead to broken mounting pins, and once the panel falls off, it’s essentially useless.
Four 5.25" and two 3.5" drive slots are concealed by the SLK2650-BQE’s front panels, which can be simply removed using a finger-friendly notch that releases them. A preinstalled 120mm fan and various mounts for more 80mm-diameter fans ensure good air circulation. Unfortunately, the SLK case does not have a dust filter. A funneled air duct on the side panel of the midi tower helps draw off the heat generated by the CPU. The funnel is telescopic, allowing a larger CPU fan to be used.
SLK2650 case from Antec : in classic black
Behind the front panel : the 5.25" drives
On the back is a small box for screws and accessories
Upon opening the case cover, you’re struck not only by the 350W power supply, but also by the austere interior. The Antec midi tower uses preinstalled drive rails for the installation of 5.25" drives. The few drives that will fit go into a built-in modular cage. Special screws and sealing rings acoustically isolate the two 3.5" drives from the rest of the case. There are two extra 3.5" mounting assemblies intended for ZIP or floppy drives, which can be used for additional hard drives if needed. There is no acoustic isolation for these, however.
The case has plenty of room for extension cards, and even long PCI cards fit easily into four of the seven slots. The SLK26050-BQE uses metal screws to anchor cards, but we drew a blank when looking around inside the case for them. It turned out that Antec put them in a special accessories box at the rear. This box is so small and inconspicuous that it is easily overlooked.
The workmanship of the Antec is exemplary. Almost all edges are filed, so there is little danger of injury when installing hardware. A little more space for hard drives would have been better, though.
Austere : not much room for 3.5" hard disks
Guide rails hold the 5.25" drives in place
Only a few drives fit in the cage, which can be removed
Pros
- Guide rails and isolation of drives
- Long PCI cards can be installed
- Storage box for screws and accessories
- Preinstalled 120mm fan
- Funnel in the side panel for better removal of CPU heat
- Installed 350W power supply
- Filed edges
Cons
- Not much space for hard drives
- No dust filter

Better heat removal: air duct on the case's side panel


In the box: 350W power supply
Codegen's ATX-6089 is a black midi tower with a large carrying handle on top, permitting easy transportation; complicated straps and trolleys are not necessary. There is no front panel on the ATX-6089, leaving the USB ports exposed to the elements. Two gleaming blue front "headlights" give the case a distinctive touch. The purpose of the lights is unclear; they appear to be a matter of taste. The Codegen comes in a variety of colors in addition to standard black.

Front side: silver-colored plastic

Carrying handle for transport

Front side with two glowing blue lights
An inspection of the interior reveals the long frame rack used to install up to eleven total drives (four 5.25" and seven 3.5"). The case has a weak spot when it comes to PCI extension cards, however. If you use this case, you'll just have to do without them.
Be careful assembling the computer, as some of the edges are razor-sharp and represent the potential for injury. We found this was especially the case on the front panels for the 5.25" drives. There are three panels there that could compete with a straight razor! It is good to see that the $60 case includes a 350W power supply.

Loads of space for drives, but no support for long add-in cards
Pros
- Built-in 350W power supply
- Case with carrying handle
- Room for seven 3.5" drives
Cons
- Sharp case edges
- No dust filter
- No way to install long PCI cards

Health hazard: the front panels are arranged like a three-blade razor


Preinstalled 350W power supply
Regrettably, the CF-707 midi tower did not survive its epic journey from the Far East without a few knocks and scratches. But that didn't prevent us from including the case in this test. The midi tower is more plastic than metal, a fact quickly ascertained by a mere glance at the two front panels, both of which detached from the case easily enough with a sharp jolt. On closer inspection, we determined that several rivets that were meant to hold the case together had also departed this life. This is a case where we can say with all conviction: hands off! It would be nothing but trouble and the $60 just wasted money.

Looks noble, but first impressions can be deceptive

Front panel made of thin plastic

Ready for the scrap heap: this is where the riveting on the case burst

Interior: not much room for hardware
Pros
- Lightweight
Cons
- No way to install long PCI cards
- No preinstalled system fan
- Shaky front panels
- Case does not stand up to loads

Do-it-yourself installation: fan and funnel included
The Enermax midi tower astounded us as soon as we unpacked it. The case is milk-white in color, a choice that immediately set it apart from the other test candidates. The blue Enermax logo is on the front panel, glimmering through the transparent Plexiglas cover - self-advertisement in the truest sense of the word. If you don't want to permanently plug the case maker free of charge, you can change the picture. This is done by loosening a few screws on the rear of the front panel, allowing the Enermax CS335MW to be individually customized. If you don't like the light color of the case, you can also go for a black or silver model.
Below the front panel is a small display showing the internal case temperature. The integrated fan control can manage up to four internal fans simultaneously, and the front connections for USB, audio and FireWire are located behind a small plastic panel. This construction is a very shaky arrangement, however, and not likely to last. Once the retaining pins are broken, only an ugly piece of tape will keep the panel attached to the case. Why plastic is still used here is puzzling. It's probably meant to encourage you to buy a new case when another plastic panel bites the dust.

A different color for once: the CS335 in milk-white

Thankfully exchangeable: the advertising label on the front

The remaining drives are behind the plastic panel

Plastic junk: protective panel for the front connectors

Handle: off we go to the next LAN party
Inside the case, there is nothing new or out of the ordinary. The mount for the drives is a built-in cage with space for four 5.25" and six 3.5" drives. Long PCI expansion cards cannot be used in this case. The 4-way fan control is stuck unceremoniously to floor of the case.

Room for four hard drives

The fan control regulates up to four system fans
Pros
- Unusual design
- Integrated 4-way fan control
- Carrying handle
- Exchangeable front picture
- Guard for display and controls
Cons
- No way to install long PCI cards
- No preinstalled system fan
- Shaky front panel

Alternative colors for the CS355
Visually, Foxconn did a good job with the Minotaur midi tower. The plastic front is in the form of a devilish beast, complete with red glowing eyes and two horns up the side - highly reminiscent of the game Diablo. The engineers at Foxconn really went to town on the design, but in their enthusiasm once again chose cheap plastic for the front panel. After opening and closing it several times, the thing fell off. Although it can easily be replaced, it shouldn't happen in the first place. If you fiddle around with USB devices a fair deal and always close the panel like you're supposed to, you'll quickly find that they skimped a bit here on their design work. Four folding feet (which would look better on a duck) give the case a stable foundation.

Hellboy was here; only the horns are longer on the TH202

In the box: lighting elements

Always the little things

Oral gratification? The front connectors are in the mouth
A cold cathode (enclosed) ensures even more lighting effects, shown to advantage through the transparent side panel. When switched on, this light glimmers through the blue 5.25" front panels. But even without the lighting, the interior is a feast for the eyes. Foxconn obviously put a lot of thought into it.
The mainboard is mounted on a tray that is removed from the case in a flash. The mount for the hard drives is made of transparent acrylic plastic, which not only looks good but also insulates the drives from the rest of the case. A preinstalled 120mm system fan is also made of this material. Unfortunately, additional fans have to be bought at an extra charge, since they are not included in the package.

Fan and hard drive cage of see-through acrylic plastic

It's hot in hell - thanks to the 30cm neon lamp

Hard drive cage: suitable for four 3.5" disks

Uncluttered. Everything that isn't needed can be stashed here
Pros
- Unusual design with lighting effects
- Mounting rails for drives
- Acoustic isolation of drives
- HD cage rotated 90°
- Preinstalled 120mm system fan
- Funnel for better extraction of CPU heat
- Holding device for accessories
- Mainboard mount on tray facilitates installation
- Filed edges
Cons
- No HDD fan provided
- No dust filter
- No way to install long PCI cards

Heat removal on the side via the green funnel
One aluminum case that is made entirely without plastic is the JNAF600 from Jeantech. The two front panels designed to protect the drives and front connectors are made of lightweight aluminum, like the rest of the case. Behind the air grill, which shines blue when on, is a strange ventilation system. Jeantech itself refers to it as a "photocatalyst air fresher" cooling system. Two 80mm fans suck in air that is then passed to the Air Fresher for cleaning. Because unfiltered air can also get into the $200 case, this filter technology must be an early April Fool's prank. There is more than 1 cm of play between the filter and opening, making all of it rather pointless. In any event, the cooling aggregate hums away, something that is only amplified by the aluminum case. Although the noise level is scarcely audible, it is disagreeably noticeable.

All-aluminum

The strange cooling system all in blue

Front panel: opening angle 200°

Noble even from behind
You only find out how much room the ventilation system takes up when you open the case cover. To make room for enough hard drives in the midi tower, the holder for the 3.5" drives was moved to the back. This has a negative effect on extension slots on the mainboard to be fitted, however. Only the AGP slot or the first PCIe slot can be used for long cards. The other extension slots are blocked by the removable HDD cage.
The motherboard can also be installed outside the case, using a tray that is removed from the interior. This makes mounting the motherboard, cards and the rest of the hardware considerably easier. Once everything is on the tray, the whole thing can be pushed back into the case.

No support for long extension cards

Cooling system: space hog

Preinstalled: two system fans

Motherboard on tray: enables hardware assembly outside the case

Clean and individually packaged accessories
Pros
- Lightweight
- Aluminum case, no plastic parts
- Motherboard assembly on tray
- Filed case edges
- Many front connectors
Cons
- Off-putting humming of cooling components
- No way to install long PCI cards
- High price

Robust cage for the power supply
At 12.7 kg (about 28 lb), the Nexus case is one of the heaviest in this test. This heft has nothing to do with soundproofing, but rather with the case's sturdy design. From the outside, you cannot guess what is inside the part-plastic midi tower. The two side covers are held on by just one flanged screw and easily detach from the rest of the case. Since the whole case stands on two massive pedestals, there is little room inside for too much computer hardware.
Between the two pedestals is a 120mm system fan that sucks the air under the case into the interior. A 120mm fan inside the 350W power supply blows out the heat generated by the unit, but another fan is nowhere to be found. An endurance test would be needed to determine whether this is a good design in the long run, but when completely populated with hardware, we feel this cooling concept isn't likely to measure up. After all, in addition to the CPU and mainboard, the drives also generate a lot of heat. A hard drive spinning at 7,200 rpm quickly reaches a temperature of 40°C. And that's just one drive. What about when there are several in the case - where is all this hot air supposed to go?

Bulky plastic case

The top slot on the Nexus has to be used, otherwise dust gets in

The Nexus from behind
As nicely as the case is outfitted with soundproofing material, the drives are a real botch job. The hard disks are screwed directly onto the mounting cage. The 5.25" drives are also mounted on the Nexus case with flimsy metal screws, as are the AGP and PCI expansion cards. A special mounting bolt on the cross bracket holds the cards securely in place and can be individually adjusted. All told, four 5.25" and three 3.5" drives fit in the Nexus case.

Not much room

Air intake from the bottom through a 120mm system fan

Clamping bolts stabilize the expansion cards

What a shame: no acoustic isolation for the drives
- Integrated 350W power supply
- Installed 120mm fan with dust filter
- Preinstalled foam blocks
Cons
- Little room for hard drives
- Non-isolated drives
- Sharp case edges
- Exposed front ports
- First drive bay with CD/DVD opening

Foam blocks for noise reduction


In the box: power supply with 120mm case fan
Cases don't necessarily have to cost you $100 - a fact Kingwin proves with the Mutant X midi tower. For $60, you even get a preinstalled power supply that pumps out 420 watts of power. Although the cables for the supply's sparse peripheral plugs are a bit short, they are just about sufficient for the Mutant X case.
The front of the Kingwin case is really nifty: two glowing blue LEDs lend the Mutant X a special personal touch. Unfortunately, Kingwin did a rather shoddy job on the front pop-out cover for the USB and audio ports. Grasp it a little too firmly just once and there it is in your hand, ruining the very agreeable overall look. No amount of tape or superglue could repair our test model.
The bays for the 5.25" drives are located behind the big front panel, which is plastic. Be careful when opening the panel on the Mutant X, as the holding bracket is very wobbly and we got the impression it wouldn't last too long. It would be too bad if the front panel bit the dust right away.

Flipped-out front

The front cover opens to the right

Connection cable feed through the hinge? Can this be a good idea in the long run?
You should be careful when installing the 5.25" drives. Behind the plastic front panels are pointed shielding plates, which are easy to snap out but razor-sharp - ouch! The mounting cage has room for a total of seven 3.5" drives including hard disks.

Room for 11 drives

One of two system fans is preinstalled

Careful when removing the shielding plates! They're razor-sharp.
Pros
- Preinstalled 80mm fan
- Integrated 420W power supply
- Cheap ($60)
Cons
- Sharp edges
- No dust filter
- Insubstantial front USB cover


Added bonus at no extra charge: 420W power supply
The latest PC case from SilverStone, the SST-TJ06, is the biggest midi tower in our comparison; it could really be classed as a smallish "big tower". Standing 55.6 cm (22") tall, it still fits handily under a desk. In some ways that's too bad, because the black case looks really exquisite! The USB, audio and IEEE1394 ports are on the right side of the case, rather than the front.
You wouldn't guess everything that's inside the SST-TJ06 by looking at it in its closed state. And when you open the case up on the front right side as usual, it will dawn on you that you can't actually install anything from there! We only realized why when we opened the top of the case.

Elegant looks

Front ports: all located on the side

Executive design: classy and black

The front panel has to be opened to install the 5.25" drives
Installation of hardware in the SST-TJ06 is not your typical midi tower affair. To install the motherboard and other components, you first have to remove the plastic 'wind tunnel' from the case. Unfortunately, the manual contains no information about how to take the tunnel out. You don't want to break anything, of course, so having no instructions is unfortunate. But with a little common sense and a great deal of care, you'll find the tunnel can be removed.
Installing the motherboard proved a bit tricky, as an upside-down board takes some getting used to. On a normal case, the expansion slots are on the bottom, so naturally, they are at the top of the SST-TJ06 tower. Once you've installed the motherboard, CPU with fan and RAM, the tunnel system can be snapped back in again.
Although the two system fans (only one of which takes in air) rotate really fast, they are barely audible. They take the hot air from the CPU and main memory and channel it out of the case quickly and efficiently. The plastic tube also keeps heat from building up within the case. If you want to install a dual-processor platform in the SilverStone midi tower, the tunnel system of the SST-TJ06 has to be expanded with a small plastic add-on duct.

SilverStone: everything a bit unconventional

Tunnel system for improved air circulation

No screws: simple lock-tab system for expansion cards
With the SST-TJ06 you also have to get used to a new way of looking at things when installing the hard drives. The drives are vertically mounted in the cage and held in place with plastic clips, leaving plenty of room above the hard disk to later install a power unit. A 120mm or 140mm fan is advisable, as no separate cooling system is provided for the hard drives. With a little skill and a few zip ties, however, you can make up for the missing fan.

Vertical installation of up to six hard drives

The case-open sensor informs you if anyone tries to access your motherboard BIOS without authorization
Pros
- Unique wind-tunnel cooling system
- Lots of room for drives and hard drives
- Preinstalled 120mm fan with rpm signal cable
- Fully extensible interior
- All expansion slots useable
- Four front USB ports
- Integrated open-case sensor
- Filed case edges
- Screwless bracket for expansion cards
Cons
- Top 5.25" drive bay of limited use
- No dust filter
- No hard drive fan can be installed

Partially plastic: the guide rails
You have to look twice at the Uneec midi tower (which is also marketed under the Chenming brand) to be sure that it’s not a Chieftech case : the similarity of design is amazing ! Well, so what if they copied a lot ? It wasn’t a bad idea. All’s fair in love and war, as they say, which in this case means money.
Behind the easy-to-open front panel there’s room to install five 5.25" and two 3.5" drives. The plastic covers are easily removed from the case, as are the shielding plates behind them. The shielding plates snap off in the right places, making a clean break with no sharp edges. The few remaining millimeters of metal present no danger and are tucked away in a 5mm groove.
Uneec also borrowed a lot from the competition for the case interior. A lot of what Antec pioneered a while back with its LANBoy case can now be found in the Uneec 602BLK. The space for installing hard drives is rotated outwards 90°, making them easier to install.
The design is reminiscent of a Chieftech case
Hidden in front : USB, FireWire and audio ports
The front and rear panels
The Uneec 602BLK proves that even a midi tower can hold a lot of hardware. Besides a bunch of 5.25" drive bays, the special mounting cage with mounting frames can handle six hard drives. However, this midi tower features no acoustic drive isolation. The case holds several 80mm fan mounting brackets.
Installing the motherboard is simple, as the tray can be removed so you can screw the motherboard onto it outside of the case. Here, though, Uneec doesn’t seem to have learned anything from the competition. Comparable cases with mounting trays like those from Cooler Master or Silverstone let you fill the tray with motherboard, CPU and cards. But with the Uneec case, you can only install the expansion cards once you’ve put the tray back in.
Inside : looks like Antec ?
Easy hardware installation thanks to tray : components can be installed outside the case
Special mounting frames for hard drives
Mounting brackets are concealed behind the front plates
- Right-angled mounting frames for hard drives
- Drive mounting brackets
- Motherboard can be installed outside the case
Cons
- A few sharp case edges
- No piezo speaker included
- Drives not acoustically isolated from case
- No way to install long PCI expansion cards

Drive bays behind the front panel

Simple and safe: snapping off the shielding plates
Anyone who's ever wanted to own a midi tower that stands out from the crowd should take a good look at the successor model to the XGBox. From the moment you unpack it, you can see that the case is quite impressive. This initial positive impression is more than borne out when you connect it to a power supply - only then can you really appreciate the beauty of the display and its front-panel lighting. The 500W power supply shines in its own right. You can marvel at the inside of the case through a window on the door in the shape of a viper. The large front display features a clock and interior temperature reading. It also has a minute display that tells you how long the unit's been on and a slowly blinking snake symbol.
| Viper Videos | ||
|---|---|---|
| Viper | Viper Display | Viper Logo |
You need the latest codec from DivX.com in order to play the file.

Always an eye-catcher: this case is sure to draw attention no matter where you take it

Only once illuminated does the Viper really strut its stuff

Big display, little useful info


Good for lighting effects: side-panel window
The designers gave this snake a muzzle of sorts, in the form of a panel on the back to protect the sockets from the motherboard and connecting cables. This is a good idea because it ensures that the cables don't get kinked too easily or come loose from the ports. The top of the Viper is also something to look at. Two long handles make it easy to carry the case to your next LAN party. But be careful! The small panel that's supposed to protect the front ports is very shaky. Touch it the wrong way and you've got yet another piece of pop-out plastic junk with no replacement covers to be found anywhere.

Behind bars: cover on the back to protect connecting cables

The view from the top: always makes a snazzy impression
When you open the case you can clearly tell that it was dunked in a pool of red paint. The Viper's basic frame is red all over. If you take out a screw or remove a slot tray during installation, the missing paint is obvious; a better solution was called for here. This phenomenon is even apparent on the sides, with bare metal concealed under the painted screws.
In addition to the 500W power supply, the Viper case contains two preinstalled 80mm fans that you can set to glow red or blue to match your Viper to your mood. The interior has room for two extra 80mm fans if you want to add system fans at a later time. However, the red LEDs of the hard drive fan aren't very bright and are barely noticeable.
The one-piece mounting cage has room to screw in four 5.25" and six 3.5" drives. This midi case features nothing along the lines of drive rails or acoustic isolation, however. And like back in the old days, the rest of the hardware must be installed with normal metal screws.

Bucket paint job: red paint inside and out


Aha! These bits were mounted to the case prior to the paint being applied
Pros
- Cool design
- Large front display
- Preinstalled illuminated system fans
- Integrated 500W power supply
- Relatively low price (for a case with a 500W power supply)
- Filed case edges
- Back protective bracket
- Handles
Cons
- No dust filter
- No way to install long PCI expansion cards
- Immersed in paint - not all parts covered
- Wobbly panels on front ports

A wobbly affair: the protective panel is sure to break off before too long


Included: a 500W power supply





Conclusion
No midi tower succeeds perfectly in reconciling demands for attractive design and quality workmanship. Cases with extravagant shapes and colors may attract attention, but once you open them up and start installing the hardware, it's clear that a lot of second-rate work has gone into them. That includes things like front panels that nearly break off when you open them, or even cases that come apart entirely when unpacked. In this area, all of the manufacturers could stand to learn a thing or two. A study of the target market would surely be a good start. The more conservatively-designed cases also leave much room for complaint. While the amount of sharp metal both inside and out has been reduced, the manufacturers of some cheaper cases still seem like they haven't heard of filed edges.
Our two test winners prove that cases taking very different design approaches can both be good. Jeantech's JNAF600 aluminum midi case is exceptionally well made, although we did not evaluate the cooling system. We really liked the front panels, which, like the rest of the case, are made of brushed aluminum instead of the usual plastic.
The SilverStone SST-TJ06 scores big with its many expansion options, excellent workmanship and simple hardware installation.
| Manufacturer/ Model | Antec SLK2650-BQE | Codegen ATX-6089 | ComsCom CF-909 | Enermax CS-335TA-MW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | ||||
| Form factor | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower |
| Weight | 13.23 lbs.(6 kg) | 13.67 lbs (6.2 kg) | 12.79 lbs (7 5.8 kg) | 15.43 lbs (7 kg) |
| Dimensions | 16.54" x 8.27" x 16.93"
(420 x 210 x 439 mm) |
17.72" x 7.28" x 19.67"
(450 x 185 x 500 mm) |
19.09" x 7.28" x 15.94"
(485 x 185 x 405 mm) |
19.48" x 7.87" x 17.91"
(495 x 200 x 455 mm) |
| Lockable | no | no | no | no |
| Material | metal | metal | metal | metal |
| Can be opened with | Thumb Screws | Screws | Screws | Screws |
| Sensor (OPEN) | no | no | no | no |
| Appropriate motherboards | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX |
| Motherboard tray | no | no | no | no |
| Side of case | closed | closed | closed | closed |
| Lighting | no | yes, blue light | no | display |
| Drive Bays | ||||
| 5.25" | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x |
| 3.5", external access | 2 x | 2 x | 2 x | 2 x |
| 3.5", internal access | 2 x | 5 x | 4 x | 4 x |
| HDD cage | removable | fixed | fixed | fixed |
| Drive cage rotated 90° | no | no | no | no |
| Drive rails | no | no | no | no |
| AGP/PCI expansion slots | 7 x | 7 x | 7 x | 7 x |
| Front Connections | ||||
| USB 2.0 | 2 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A |
| FireWire 1394a | no | no | no | no |
| Audio | no | 1x Out, 1x In | 1x Out, 1x In | 1x Out, 1x In |
| Other | no | no | no | no |
| LEDs | ||||
| Power | yes | no | yes | yes |
| HDD | yes | no | yes | yes |
| System Fans | ||||
| Drill holes / holders for | occupied | occupied | 1 x 80 mm | 1 x 80 mm |
| Pre-installed | 1 x 120 mm | 1 x 80 mm | no | no |
| Speed signal cable | no | no | no | no |
| Manufacturer | Antec | Tricod Science | no | no |
| Dust filter | no | no | no | no |
| Hard Drive Fans | ||||
| Drill holes / holders for | 1 x 80 mm | 1 x 80 mm | 1 x 120 mm | 1 x 120 mm |
| Pre-installed | no | no | no | no |
| Speed signal cable | no | no | no | no |
| Manufacturer | no | no | no | no |
| Dust filter | no | no | no | no |
| Accessories Included | ||||
| Screws | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Spacer | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| User manual | yes | no | no | no |
| Mounting rails for drives | yes | no | no | no |
| Speakers | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Cable ties | no | no | no | no |
| Accessories box | yes | no | no | no |
| Tools | no | no | no | no |
| Other | sticker | slot brackets | no | no |
| Manufacturer/ Model | Foxconn TH-202 Storm Blue | Jeantech JNAF600 VISCO | KingWin Mutant X | Nexus Breeze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | ||||
| Form factor | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower |
| Weight | 20.28 lbs (9.2 kg) | 14.33 lbs (6.5 kg) | 15.63 lbs (7.1 kg) | 28 lbs (12.7 kg) |
| Dimensions | 19.02" x 7.87" x 17"
(483 x 200 x 432 mm) |
21.57" x 7.68" x 17.99"
(548 x 195 x 457 mm) |
19.96" x 7.87" x 16.18"
(507 x 200 x 411 mm) |
21.06" x 8.46" x 20.28"
(535 x 215 x 515 mm) |
| Lockable | no | yes | yes | no |
| Material | metal | aluminum | metal | plastic |
| Can be opened with | Thumb Screws | Thumb Screws | Thumb Screws | Thumb Screws |
| Sensor (OPEN) | no | no | no | no |
| Appropriate motherboards | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX |
| Motherboard tray | yes | yes | no | no |
| Side of case | with window | closed | closed | closed |
| Lighting | yes, on front and inside | yes, on cooler | yes, blue light | no |
| Drive Bays | ||||
| 5.25" | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x | 4 x |
| 3.5", external access | 2 x | 2 x | 2 x | 2 x |
| 3.5", internal access | 4 x | 4 x | 5 x | 1 x |
| HDD cage | fixed | removable | fixed | removable |
| Drive cage rotated 90° | yes | no | no | no |
| Drive rails | yes | no | no | no |
| AGP/PCI expansion slots | 7 x | 7 x | 7 x | 7 x |
| Front Connections | ||||
| USB 2.0 | 4 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A | 1 x Typ A |
| FireWire 1394a | 1 x | 1 x | 1 x | 1 x |
| Audio | 1x Out, 1x In | 2 x Out, 1x In | 1x Out, 1x In | 1x Out, 1x In |
| Other | no | game port, volume regulator | no | no |
| LEDs | ||||
| Power | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| HDD | no | yes | yes | yes |
| System Fans | ||||
| Drill holes / holders for | occupied | occupied | 1 x 80 mm | occupied |
| Pre-installed | 1 x 120 mm | 2 x 80 mm | 1 x 80 mm | 1 x 120 mm |
| Speed signal cable | no | yes | no | yes |
| Manufacturer | Foxconn | Y.S.Tech | King Win | Nexus |
| Dust filter | no | no | no | yes |
| Hard Drive Fans | ||||
| Drill holes / holders for | no | occupied | occupied | no |
| Pre-installed | no | 2 x 80 mm | 1 x 80 mm | no |
| Speed signal cable | no | yes | no | no |
| Manufacturer | no | Y.S.Tech | King Win | no |
| Dust filter | no | yes | no | no |
| Accessories Included | ||||
| Screws | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Spacer | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| User manual | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Mounting rails for drives | yes | no | no | no |
| Speakers | no | no | yes | no |
| Cable ties | no | yes | no | no |
| Accessories box | yes | no | no | no |
| Tools | no | yes | no | no |
| Other | HDD grips | cable for front connections | no | damper mats |
| Manufacturer/ Model | Silverstone SST-TJ06 | Uneec 602 BLK | XGBox Viper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cases | |||
| Form factor | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower | Mid-Tower |
| Weight | 24.25 lbs (11 kg) | 28.66 lbs (13 kg) | 16.76 lbs (7.6 kg) |
| Dimensions | 18.66" x 8.07" x 22.28"
(474 x 205 x 566 mm) |
8.9" x 8.07" x 21.26"
(480 x 205 x 540 mm) |
19.09" x 8.66" x 21.06"
(485 x 220 x 535 mm) |
| Lockable | yes | yes | no |
| Material | metal | metal | metal |
| Can be opened with | Screws | Thumb Screws | Screws |
| Sensor (OPEN) | yes | no | no |
| Appropriate motherboards | ATX, µATX, Ext. ATX | ATX, µATX | ATX, µATX |
| Motherboard tray | no | yes | no |
| Side of case | closed | closed | open |
| Lighting | no | no | yes, light and display |
| Drive Bays | |||
| 5.25" | 5 x | 5 x | 4 x |
| 3.5", external access | 2 x | 2 x | 2 x |
| 3.5", internal access | 6 x | 5 x | 5 x |
| HDD cage | fixed | fixed | fixed |
| Drive cage rotated 90° | yes | yes | no |
| Drive rails | yes | yes | no |
| AGP/PCI expansion slots | 7 x | 7 x | 7 x |
| Front Connections | |||
| USB 2.0 | 4 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A | 2 x Typ A |
| FireWire 1394a | 1 x | 1 x | 1x |
| Audio | 1x Out, 1x In | 1x Out, 1x In | 1x Out, 1x In |
| Other | no | no | no |
| LEDs | |||
| Power | yes | yes | yes |
| HDD | yes | yes | yes |
| System Fans | |||
| Drill holes / holders for | occupied | 2 x 80 mm | 2 x 80 mm |
| Pre-installed | 2 x 120 mm, 1 x 80 mm | no | 1 x 80 mm |
| Speed signal cable | yes | no | no |
| Manufacturer | Silverstone | no | xxxxx |
| Dust filter | no | no | no |
| Hard Drive Fans | |||
| Drill holes / holders for | no | 2 x 80 mm | occupied |
| Pre-installed | no | no | 1 x 80 mm |
| Speed signal cable | no | no | no |
| Manufacturer | no | no | xxxxx |
| Dust filter | no | no | xxxxx |
| Accessories Included | |||
| Screws | yes | yes | yes |
| Spacer | yes | yes | yes |
| User manual | yes | yes | yes |
| Mounting rails for drives | yes | yes | no |
| Speakers | yes | no | |
| Cable ties | no | no | |
| Accessories box | no | no | |
| Tools | no | no | |
| Other | no | no | 500 Watt power supply |
The overall rating is made up of the following evaluation criteria:
- Workmanship of the case, side panels, front panel and connectors
- Edges and corners: accident risk on opening and during installation of hardware
- Installation of mainboard and long and short expansion cards as well as various power supplies
- Cabling of the front connectors, drives, motherboards
- Installation and addition of hard drives and 5.25" drives
We Used This Hardware For The Test
We installed various hardware components in each midi tower to make the test as realistic as possible. The PC motherboard we chose was the IC7-MAX3 from Abit.
We mounted an AGP graphics card from MSI to the board, and - if the case allowed - a 2-channel ISDN adapter from Multi-Multi-Tech. While it's not the newest model anymore, we were primarily interested in seeing whether it was possible to install a long PCI card.
We used several different makes of hard drives for the test. For a 5.25" drive we chose a 16x DVD drive from MSI.
For the power supply, this time around we went with products from Tagan and FSP. Both supplies had to be easily installed separately if the case did not include a preinstalled unit.

Motherboard IC-7MAX3 from Abit as a basic platform

Older graphics card from MSI: we were mainly interested in the installation.

Long PCI cards like this 2-channel ISDN adapter are real museum pieces

A direct comparison reveals how long PCI cards used to be...

Each case should be able to take four 3.5" hard drives


The FSP400 power supply has a bunch of (thankfully long) connecting cables for motherboard and peripherals

