Enermax CS-318, Continued
The case construction itself uses 0.7mm thickness, which makes the case less stiff and give the case a lot more bend and twist than most other cases that are using between 0.8mm to 1.0mm. While it might not sound like a big difference, it clearly is. The inside of the case is rounded, but we did find a few areas that are not finished as well, and were somewhat sharp. Nothing too bad, mind you, but the finishing quality isn't as nice as the majority of the high-end cases which we have become spoiled by.
The case includes all kinds of lighting and this does make up for much of what could best be described as a rather strange appearance. The front offers two vertical mounted lights on the sides of the front bezel, which light up and even change color in some versions of the case. The window is cut into what looks to be like a flower petal, but in fact is similar to the Enermax logo.
When it comes to cooling, the CS-318 gets it right! The front can hold up to one large 90mm fan, and if that isn't enough there is room for two 80mm fans in the rear. The top is setup for one 80mm fan and the side panel is configured with one 80mm fan in the side. Venting that runs across the top of the case to help even more heat escape tops all of this off. The cooling potential of this case is very good and can handle the hottest systems. It is fast becoming a favorite with over clockers as a result.
The front mounted ports on the CS-318.
The CS-318 features a flip up door that hides two front mounted USB ports as well as front mounted audio jacks as well. The door design is somewhat improved over early variations of similar Enermax cases, but it is still not as sturdy as we would like to see. Of course the 1394 port is missing, which odd since it is about the only thing the case doesn't have.
From the blue tint in the side panel window to the extra attention that Enermax paid to making sure that you have the largest range of cooling options possible, this case is loaded. No matter that it lacks some of the quality found in higher end cases, it offers a price tag that is extremely competitive, which has led to this case becoming a favorite with the pre-modded case crowd. If you can overlook some of the issues with this case, it does offer an excellent value for the money, which is what many people are after.
