Installation
Installing a system into this case should be a quick and easy exercise thanks to all of the features included. Fans are placed in there correct locations in seconds, 5 ¼ inch drives as mentioned before require 2 screws, and the 3 ½ inch drive cages slide out for easy access. There is no removable motherboard tray however, and whilst it didn't pose any problem in installing a motherboard, you will want to install things like CPU, HSF and Ram outside of the case.
Users with a lot of PCI cards will also want to get the hard drives installed before hand too, as while plenty of room is available between the PCI slot cards and the drive cage, when cards are installed it will lessen the amount of space you can back the drive cage into. Another thing I would like to mention, don't do what I did and throw away the box before looking at the instructions; otherwise you'll be sitting there wondering which of the blue, yellow or black cables are meant for the front USB of Firewire ports. I had to remove the front panel and trace the cabling back to work out which one was which.
However, the fact that I had no instructions through my own stupidity and the fact that my 7yr old installed most of the computer into this case should tell you something to the ease of installation. Apart from not having a removable motherboard tray, everything else is designed to make it quick and easy. For the modders out there, as with any chassis like this, it does have a lot of potential. You could easily drill out the rivets holding the lower drive bays into place and install a radiator for a watercooling system whilst retaining room next to it for a pump or small vertical reservoir.
A window mod would be a bit more creative because of the door handle and it's easier to go and buy a pre modded side panel for the case. The support bar that runs across the top half of the case, inline with the bottom of the PSU will detract from the over all uninhibited look from the side, but not overly so.
A blowhole or top window would again require you to drill out the rivets holding the top in place, but it is possible. Lighting the interior of the case does make for an interesting effect in that with the rear of the front gradient slats having numerous holes that lead straight to the interior, any lighting inside the case will shine through to the front if it isn't obstructed in anyway.
Final Words
cases are quite common, and with good reason. They may not be perfect but for the price they do provide a quality base for your system. The updates made to the BX series go a long way into providing a quick and easy case to house your system in, appealing to first time buyers for its ease of install, modders for its spacious interior and removable front panelling, users who constantly mess around changing hardware, and those simply looking for a decent case with out having to use up a months rent to pay for it.
It isn't all golden, but many of the issues found here are minor. No removable motherboard tray; well, we used to do without them but I do feel that this would be a great addition to this case, a continuation of the ease of install theme that runs throughout. There is plenty of room to install a motherboard and installation didn't show any problems, but it still would have been a nice addition. The door doesn't leave a lot of room behind it so if you wanted to install a Rheobus, better make sure it has short dials/switches on it, or you won't be shutting the door properly.
Speaking of a Rheobus, any item you might want to install into one of the 5 ¼ inch drive bays will need to have the industry standard layout for screw holes, since the case will only hold a drive with the 2 rear top screws. I would also have liked to have seen the rear fan holes free of a pressed out design, but rather utilizing a proper grill so as to maximize airflow, which is in all other respects very good indeed. System temperatures are low with this case, hanging around the 23C - 25C mark, which isn't surprising considering the openness of the front and the amount of air intakes available.
A lot of the issues are direct side effects from the ease of use design of the case, and despite these problems anyone who has standard installation items for the 5 ¼ inch bays and is looking for a decent case on a budget should give this one a serious look. The case has a lot going for it and its updated interior design from other models make the BX case very easy to work with. Being steel it is heavy so probably not a LAN friendly case but if you just want to house your home system and not move it you'll be fine. I almost gave the case a Viperlair Recommended Award, and indeed I do personally recommend it, but you must make sure you understand the limitations caused by the mounting system of the 5 ¼ inch bays first. If this isn't an issue for you, and the look of the case appeals to you, you will love this case.
Pros
Idiot proof installation
Almost completely tool-less
Great cooling potential
Air filters with easy access
Supporting feet
Front USB and Firewire ports
Spacious interior
Thumbscrews
Locking front door and side panel
Easy access door style handle for side panel
Inexpensive
Bright blue power LED
Cons
Relies on industry standard screw placements for 5 ¼ bays
Quite heavy, not for LAN parties
No removable motherboard tray
Clearance between door and case is small
No manual included?
Bottom Line
This case is built for ease of install, but it will however depend on industry standard full size items for installation in the 5 ¼ bays. Cooling potential is good, and the usual mods can be done without too much difficulty, but the cases real selling point is the speed and ease of installation thanks to it's almost totally tool free design.
You can buy this case from our friends at .
If you got any comments, be sure to hit us up in our forums.
HOME
