Cougar introduces ‘floating’ mid-tower PC case — separates drives and power supply from main chamber for more efficient cooling

(Image credit: Cougar)

Cougar just released the CFV235 and CFV235 Mesh, a mid-tower PC case design that features a unique “Central Floating Ventilation” structure that physically separates your motherboard, CPU, and GPU from the PSU and SATA storage drives. According to ComputerBase, the gap between these two sections allows for 270 degrees of airflow, allowing the main compartment access to fresh air from four sides. With a setup like this, PC builders can ensure that both the CPU and GPU get cooler outside air for optimal cooling performance.

Cougar Central Floating Ventilation — (Image credit: Future)

Aside from this, Cougar thought about dust settling into the crevice between the two compartments, so it added magnetic dust filters at both the roof and the base of the Central Floating Ventilation structure. This can make cleaning so much easier, and you don’t have to worry about using a powerful blower to get dust off its surfaces and billowing into your room. This case also comes with a single 120mm ARGB PWM fan at the rear and either a Unity 240 ARGB PWM Reversed fan on the motherboard side for the version with the glass front, or two 160mm ARGB PWM fans mounted in front for the mesh version.

You also get an Aurora LED Strip you can easily mount on the roof of the gap, highlighting the special feature of your PC case. And if that is not bling enough for you, you can get the Vision upgrade, which adds a 9.16-inch LCD monitor with a 1920 x 462 resolution at the side of the lower compartment.

For cooling support, you can mount three 120mm fans at the bottom part of the main compartment, and either two 140mm fans or three 120mm fans at the top area, aside from the fans that are included from the factory. Alternatively, you can install a top-mounted AIO radiator up to 360mm and a 120mm one on the rear. Of course, you should avoid installing a radiator at the bottom, as air bubbles can form on your AIO cooler’s motor, leading to premature failure.

Aside from all these cooling options, this case is also compatible with reverse-connector (BTF) motherboards, it supports GPUs up to 400mm long, and up to four 2.5-inch drives (or two 3.5-inch and two 2.5-inch storage drives). Of course, you might think that a cantilever design like this might not be as strong as the usual rectangular box PC case layout. But its 1.5-mm-thick frame should ensure that the chassis won’t bend.

The cases are available in black or white, with ComputerBase saying that the models start at $139 for the cheaper option with the glass display, and $10 more for the mesh variant. And if you want to add a small screen near the base of the case, you must add $89, bringing the total max price to $238 if you order a case with all the bells and whistles.

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Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.

7 Comments Comment from the forums

rluker5

The side fan, reinvented.
Reply
bit_user

*sigh*

If you're going to design a case for radiators and it has two separate compartments, the obvious thing to do is separate the radiator, so that it both gets a fresh supply of cool air and doesn't dump its waste heat into the case.

This is form over function. The PSU really doesn't need to be in a separate compartment. The only thing that does is clear up the bottom for more air intakes, but they've already got all the front fans for that.

If PC case makers got into the automotive business, you'd probably have some cars with engine located where the passenger normally sits!
: D
Reply
lmcnabney

bit_user said:
*sigh*

If you're going to design a case for radiators and it has two separate compartments, the obvious thing to do is separate the radiator, so that it both gets a fresh supply of cool air and doesn't dump its waste heat into the case.

This is form over function. The PSU really doesn't need to be in a separate compartment. The only thing that does is clear up the bottom for more air intakes, but they've already got all the front fans for that.

If PC case makers got into the automotive business, you'd probably have some cars with engine located where the passenger normally sits!
: D
Ah, yeah.

Gamer's Nexus reviewed a case that does exactly that - isolates the radiator from the rest of the case - and it is a complete failure.
Reply
bit_user

lmcnabney said:
Ah, yeah.

Gamer's Nexus reviewed a case that does exactly that - isolates the radiator from the rest of the case - and it is a complete failure.
One example doesn't prove it's a bad concept. That could just be a bad implementation.
Reply
USAFRet

bit_user said:
If PC case makers got into the automotive business, you'd probably have some cars with engine located where the passenger normally sits!
Mid-engine.
Engine where the back seat would be.
Reply
Dr3ams

Too many case manufacturers promote aesthetics over function. I want function. My case has to cool the hardware the way I want it to. I shouldn't have to compromise because of aquarium windows and RGB disco lights.
Reply
USAFRet

Dr3ams said:
Too many case manufacturers promote aesthetics over function. I want function. My case has to cool the hardware the way I want it to. I shouldn't have to compromise because of aquarium windows and RGB disco lights.
Then don't.

There are a zillion of other cases.

Some people DO want those sort of looks.
Reply

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