LAS VEGAS, NV -- As one might expect, cases of all shapes and sizes were on display everywhere you looked at CES 2018. Although styles varied greatly, RGB lighting and tempered glass continued to be the most popular trends at this year's show.
Cooler Master
Cooler Master used CES 2018 to announce the MasterBox MB500 mid-tower case. This new chassis supports up to ATX motherboards, seven expansion slots, CPU coolers up to 160mm, GPUs up to 400mm in length, and standard PS/2 power supplies as long as 180mm. Additionally, this chassis can be outfitted with radiators up to 360mm, and it comes with two 120mm intake fans and a single 120mm exhaust fan. All fans are LED-lit and feature RGB lighting functionality.
The 4mm-thick tempered-glass side panel, held in place by rubber-coated locating pins and thumbscrews, is slightly tinted yet still offers an unobstructed view of your system components. The full-cover PSU tunnel helps keeps cable clutter to a minimum and your system looking neat and tidy.
Information on pricing and availability is not available at this time.
Corsair
Corsair added another chassis to its Carbide Series line of mid-tower gaming chassis. At $99, the SPEC-OMEGA is a budget friendly gaming case that features tempered glass panels on the front and side. This mid-tower chassis supports up to ATX motherboards, CPU coolers as tall as 165mm, graphics cards as long as 370mm, and standard ATX power supplies up to 190mm in length.
The Spec-Omega has tool-less mounting locations for two 3.5" and three 2.5" hard drives. There are mounting locations for up to six 120mm and four 140mm fans, and it can accommodate radiators up to 360mm. I/O options include two USB 3.0 ports and HD audio jacks on the top panel of the case. The Corsair Carbide SPEC-OMEGA is available now with a $99 MSRP.
Deepcool
Deepcool had its Quadstellar Electro and New Ark 90 Electro cases on display at CES 2018. Both are limited edition chassis.
Features that set this chassis apart from the standard Quadstellar include "enhanced styling and color schemes reminiscent of a high end sports car," as well as new RGB lighting and a heat dissipation system that are both controlled via an included app. This chassis is equipped with four tempered glass panels (one on each compartment) that allow end users to show off their system components. According to the company, only 100 Quadstellar Electro Limited Edition cases will be made. This chassis will be available in May and will carry a price tag estimated to be around $600, which is a $200 premium over the standard Quadstellar.
Deepcool has clearly set its sights on water cooling enthusiasts with the New Ark 90 Limited Edition Electro chassis. This case accommodates up to E-ATX motherboards and offers myriad mounting locations for cooling components. The integrated cooling loop features a specially designed external transparent water tube with a built-in flow meter. As with the Quadstellar Electro, this chassis is slated to be released in May. Pricing is expected to be in the $500 range.
Enermax
Originally spotted by our team at Computex last year, the Enermax Saberay ATX RGB case looks like it might finally be on its way to retail shelves. Aside from a handful of minor appearance upgrades, the current version of the Sabray now offers interchangeable front and top panels that allow end users to switch between solid acrylic and mesh panels.
The full-cover 4mm tempered glass side panel features a dark tint and is held in place by a click mechanism. This case includes three 120mm RGB intake fans and one non-RGB exhaust fan in the rear of the chassis over the CPU socket area. In total, the Sabray supports a total of seven fans--three 120mm in the front, one 120mm in the rear, and up to three 120mm on the top of the chassis. Radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 360mm can be mounted in the front and top of the case, too. The Enermax Saberay ATX RGB should be available in Q1 2018 with a suggested retail price of $160.
In Win
The new 915 is a premium full tower E-ATX chassis featuring aluminum and steel construction with a full-cover tempered glass side panel. This case features a distinctive curved design, highlighted with RGB lighting and a top panel that rises to allow added airflow at the touch of a button. The 915 is equipped with eight expansion slots and supports graphics cards up to 410mm, CPU air coolers up to 164mm, and radiators and AIO cooler up to 360mm at the top and front of the chassis.
In Win's A1 mini-ITX chassis sits on a pedestal of light. Even though this small form factor case measures only 210 x 273 x 355.5mm (WxHxD), it can accommodate CPU coolers up to 160mm, graphics cards up to 300mm in length, and a 120mm all-in-one cooler, and it comes standard with a 600W power supply from the factory. That's rather impressive for such a small chassis.
Lian Li
Not one to be left behind when it comes to CES product launches, Lian Li brought no fewer than three new cases to CES 2018. In addition to a pair of new PC-O11 chassis, the company has also has brought back its "LanCool" brand. Developed in cooperation with caseking.de system builder Der8auer, the PC-O11 Dynamic & Air are built using aluminum and tempered glass panels that eschew screws for a sleeker appearance. Both chassis feature a design that supports dual radiators.
Lian Li has also resurrected its LanCool line with the introduction of the Fusion Elite mid-tower chassis. Detail are light at the moment, but we do know from the limited time we spent with this chassis that it supports RGB lighting functionality, sports a full-cover tinted tempered glass side panel, and supports AIO coolers and radiators up to 360mm.
Riotoro
Our team on the ground at CES 2018 got a little hands-on time with Riotoro's brand new CR1288 Prism RGB full-tower and CR488 mid-tower chassis.
Riotoro's CR1288 Prism RGB chassis builds upon the foundation of the original CR1288 with addition of RGB fans, integrated RGB front panel lighting, and a tempered glass side panel. This chassis features a dual chamber design that separates your PSU and hard drives from the rest of your system components. RGB controls embedded in the front panel make it easy to customize color options and lighting effects. The CR1288 Prism RGB chassis will be available in Q2 2018. Pricing has yet to be set.
The CR488 is a budget-friendly mid-tower case that is all about ease of use. This chassis can accommodate large GPUs and PSUs and supports radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 240mm. The CR488 ships with a 120mm red LED intake and and a rear-mounted 120mm exhaust fan. The CR488 is available now with an MSRP of $70.
SilverStone
SilverStone was on hand at CES 2018 with a trio of new cases in tow.
In addition to a bevy of other products, the company introduced the world to its Lucid LD01 and Lucid LD02 Micro-ATX chassis. Both cases feature an inverted motherboard tray and both Mini-ITX and Micro-ATX motherboards. The Lucid LD01 is outfitted with a tempered glass panel, and the Lucid LD02 sports tempered glass panels on the front and both sides.
There are mounting locations for a total of three 3.5” hard drives and five 2.5” drives, two of which are convertible from the two 3.5" drive slots mounted under the PSU tunnel. Of the five dedicated mounting locations for 2.5" drives, two are located behind the motherboard tray. Radiators and all-in-one coolers up to 120mm can be mounted in the top and front of these cases.
Aside from the number of tempered glass side panels, the only other real difference between the two chassis boils down to color combinations. The LD01 is black inside and out, and the LD02 boasts a black exterior coupled with an all white interior.
No information was provided on CPU cooler size, graphics card length, or power supply size. We will update with additional information as it becomes available.
SilverStone also had a Micro-STX case, the VT03, on display that is compatible with discrete MXM graphics solutions.
Thermaltake
If you are in the market for a new PC case and you have a thousand dollars burning a hole in your pocket, Thermaltake just might have the case you are looking for. Yes, you read that right...$1,000.
The Level 20 chassis features aluminum construction and three 4mm tempered glass side panels. This massive chassis sports a compartmental design that separates components such as the motherboard, CPU, and GPU from the power supply and hard drives. The three main component bays are connected via pass-through holes that allow cables, lighting strips, and cooling loops to pass between compartments. The Level 20 supports up to EATX motherboards, graphics cards as long as 310mm, PSUs up to 220mm, and CPU heatsinks as tall as 200mm. There are eight expansion slots as well as support for a vertically-mounted dual-slot graphics card. This chassis can accommodate up to eleven 3.5” or 2.5” hard drives.
Cooling is provided courtesy of three factory installed Riing Plus 14 RGB fans that are all controlled using the included Riing Plus RGB Controller and Riing Plus RGB Software. In addition to the lighting provided by the Riing Plus fans, Thermaltake also includes two Lumi Plus LED strips for additional lighting. The Tt Level 20 features the company's proprietary LCS certification. Front panel I/O consists of four USB 3.0, a single USB 3.1 Type-C port, HD audio jacks, and power and reset buttons.
When asked about pricing, a Thermaltake representative told us “around $1,000.” No release date was given.
