Spring Case Madness: 24 Of The Best

Chenbro SR205, Continued

With its 120mm fan mounted in the back of the case, the SR205 is described by Chenbro as an entry-level server case. The case itself passed Intel's simulations for Xeon 2.4 GHz thermal testing. The cooling potential of this case was one of the best that we tested.

The internal design of the case is clearly targeted at server users with a small compact design that is able to handle quite a few devices. While the styling of the case is clearly somewhat "plain Jane," it is clear that it was well designed with little bend or twist in the case. This case was kind of heavy, but not as heavy as other similar models.

The case includes four large stand offs, which support the case and prevent it from tipping over. The case is sturdy and would handle a dual processor system nicely. The inside of the case is clean and well constructed. The edges are clean rounded. The case is very open in the motherboard section, which allows you good access to the motherboard.

While the SR205 does not include any front mounted ports, it does include an innovative fold back for the front door, which is very nice. We wish more companies would take a page out of Chenbro's book here and get into the act by allowing the door to fold back when not in use. Great design and the first time that we have seen it.

A look at the fold back fron door design of the SR205. Way to go Chenbro, this is a great idea that we are surprised that no one else has picked up on. People who use their optical drives a lot compain about the door getting in the way and Chenbro has find a good way to resolve this issue.

Overall, this is a nice case. It is somewhat limited, which is reflected in the overall case rating being a little lower than one might expect for this unit. Since it really has no bells and whistles to speak of, other than the fold back front door, it is hard to give this case a high rating when compared to the other cases in this review. There are a variety of cases in this review, while not designed specifically for server applications as this unit is, that can serve these purposes, as well.

The SR205 is a quality-constructed case with excellent cooling potential, but it doesn't keep pace with the features offered by a lot of other cases in this review. However, if you are looking for a server case, this might be an excellent choice, depending on your application and the price.