Enermax Ostrog Advance ATX Mid-Tower Case Review

The Ostrog Advance (Ostrog ADV) offers traditional features with modern bling. Let's see how this mid-tower case performs.

Early Verdict

While buyers with a lighter hardware load may choose the Ostrog ADV for its extra bays and lighting, value-seeking performance fanatics will want to have a second look at other comparable products.

Pros

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    Six 3.5” internal bays

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    Three 5.25” external bays

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    Internal bays drilled for 2.5” drives

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    Space for oversized motherboards

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    Full dust filtration

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    Built-in fan controller

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    Easy latches on mesh panels

Cons

  • -

    Poor noise control

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    Poor heat control

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    Poor price to performance ratio

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Introducing The Ostrog ADV

Sold as both the Ostrog Advance and Ostrog ADV, Enermax’s flashy mid-tower is packed with traditional drive bays and even includes three fans. Bucking the switchable RGB trend, model number ECA3380AS is available in your choice of Blue (-BL), Red (-R), or Green (-GN) lighting.

The basic steel structure is dressed in metal mesh and plastic. While the lower face panel features push latches in its upper corners, the matching top panel uses the same style thumb latches as the three 5.25” external bay covers. All mesh panels have captured open-cell foam dust protection. Molded in 3D to provide around 7” of CPU cooler clearance, the plastic side window shows other features, such as an interior paint color that matches the external lighting.

In addition to a lighted ring that surrounds its top fan vent, the Ostrog ADV top panel includes two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, Headset and Microphone jacks, an Off/On/Breathing/Strobe light mode switch, power and reset buttons, and a three-speed fan controller.

The right side features a bulge similar to the left side window, which is necessary for cable clearance. From the same angle we see that the Ostrog ADV has only the standard seven slots, a 120mm exhaust fan, and two grommet-lined holes under a folding side panel handle.

Unlike the open-cell foam of the front and top vents, the power supply inlet has easier-to-clean nylon screen dust filtration. The power supply mount above it is drilled with two patterns to allow flipping the power supply orientation.

A look inside the space behind the motherboard tray shows the beautiful color scheme matching interior paint, along with the minimal 0.5” of cable clearance that mandated the extra 0.5” of side-panel bulge.

Peeling away the snap-on front panel, we find two 120mm intake fans with translucent silver finish, along with the six 3.5” bays that are also drilled for 2.5” drives.

Lacking space up front for a radiator, the Ostrog ADV provides a 2.3"-thick space between the top of the motherboard and inner chassis panel to hold a 2x 120mm or 2x 140mm radiator and fan combination. There’s also a 120mm fan mount on the base, though power supplies longer than 6.8” will partially block it.

The lower cage is riveted, but the upper cage is secured with two screws. Removing the upper cage extends card space from 11.7” to 16.3”, but only within the top five slots. Pins and grommets on the trays provide vibration damping to 3.5” drives.


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Thomas Soderstrom
Thomas Soderstrom is a Senior Staff Editor at Tom's Hardware US. He tests and reviews cases, cooling, memory and motherboards.
  • falchard
    Lovely Orange color and no Orange LEDs.
    Reply
  • Serratedfool627
    Love the concept, Hate the performance..... Shame
    Reply
  • shrapnel_indie
    Nice to see the Ostrog updated. Unfortunately, the update included some poor performance numbers (especially temperatures.) Was the original just as bad in cooling?
    Reply
  • MysteryFlavor
    This case looks nearly identical to my thermaltake S71, down to the internals. Rebrand perhaps?
    Reply
  • Crashman
    19465665 said:
    Lovely Orange color and no Orange LEDs.
    Well, it's actually supposed to be red, but it's a bright red so it's closer to the orange scale than, say, barn red. And the LEDs are red too, they just "blew out" the photo. For a better color reference, see the images on the Ostrog ADV web page.

    19466338 said:
    Nice to see the Ostrog updated. Unfortunately, the update included some poor performance numbers (especially temperatures.) Was the original just as bad in cooling?
    I don't know why the airflow out the back was so poor, but yes I checked it and yes it was low. You would think that the intake fans would boost it, but I have a feeling the positive pressure was just bypassing the CPU cooler and going out the top vent on the case. The original performed better.

    19467238 said:
    This case looks nearly identical to my thermaltake S71, down to the internals. Rebrand perhaps?
    Most case brands have limited to no manufacturing capability, and the chances of both coming from the same ODM are better than zero.

    Reply
  • WINTERLORD
    would really like to know what the weight of the upper drive cage is? can you wiegh it plz :)
    Reply
  • WINTERLORD
    i like this pc case alot but wondered bout the weight. the wioeght listed is the wieght without the box or packaging right?
    Reply
  • Crashman
    19469115 said:
    i like this pc case alot but wondered bout the weight. the wioeght listed is the wieght without the box or packaging right?
    Correct.
    Reply
  • stairmand
    Another boring case design.
    Reply
  • Fiqar_
    Enermax has done well here!
    Reply