DynaPower Cases: Two Warriors & a Widow

Features Table

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Dynapower cases
Row 0 - Cell 0 HachimanDark WarriorBlack Widow
CaseATX Mid-TowerATX Mid-TowerATX Mid-Tower
Dimensions8" (W) x 19 1/4" (D) x 17" (H)8"(W) x 19 1/4"(D) x 17"(H)8" (W) x 19 1/4" (D) x 17" (H)
Drive BaysExternal 4 x 5 1/4", 2 x 3 1/2"Internal 4 x 3 1/2"External 4 x 5 1/4", 2 x 3 1/2"Internal 4 x 3 1/2"External 4 x 5 1/4", 2 x 3 1/2"Internal 4 x 3 1/2"
Power600W eJet (Ever Joy Ever Triumph) PS-600T472600W eJet (Ever Joy Ever Triumph) PS-600T472600W eJet (Ever Joy Ever Triumph) PS-600T472
Cooling System1 x 120 mm rear fan1 x 120 mm rear fan1 x 120 mm rear fan
Expansion Slots777
Front PortsTwo front USB, audio, IEEE1394, LCD display with time, temperature, fan speed, Power & HDD informationTwo front USB, audio, IEEE1394Two front USB, audio

Conclusions

Note: Be sure to check out the slideshows for the DynaPower cases covered in this article.

You can't judge a book by its cover and you can't judge a case by its artwork alone. There is no shortage of connectors on these cases and there is virtually no connection missing. SATA, PCI Express and power galore are in good supply with all three cases. The manuals for all three cases clearly describe what goes where in terms of connectors, which when you're building a system can sometimes be trickier than you might expect. Additionally all the connectors are clearly labeled which is also helpful.

Another simple item which can often be neglected is the card slots, which on the DynaPower cases benefit from the non-screw locking mechanism. Easy latches on the internal drive bays are always a plus too. You'll still need a screwdriver to actually mount your motherboard though and a little tape might come in handy too. The thermal temperature detector on Hachiman and Black Widow must be manually attached with electrical tape to an area around the CPU.

All three DynaPower cases are lookers, no question there. On Hachiman the flat LCD display on the front of the case is clearly the differentiating factor. It offers something more than a LED light that tells you your hard drive is running. Its clean front face is also appealing and really gives the case an elegant feel.

Dark Warrior's front face is a little boring especially when you compare it to Hachiman. Dark Warrior's theme does not carry over to the front panel which produces a non-continuous theme when compared with both Hachiman and Black Widow.

Black Widow is really cool in a way that puts it into an entirely different class than Hachiman or DarkWarrior. The color changing temperature sensor is a neat thing that likely will get noticed much faster than the temperature gauge on Hachiman's LCD. Though it's called "Black Widow" it could easily pass for a Spiderman-esqe type of look (black suit spidey from Spidey 3 or Venom). Black Widow 's poor USB and audio placement though are a bit offsetting. Then again that could just be a personal preference issue for those who like their connections low and angled.

Unless you really care for the LCD display, BlackWidow is likely the best deal of the bunch. DynaPower's MSRPs of these cases as configured with the "eJet" 600W SLI Certified PSU are Hachiman-$149, DarkWarrior-$134, BlackWidow-$119.

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