So much money Anand is begging to come back. Seriously though, it was previously explained why that was used. I seriously doubt 1 pic of a coke can in a review of a micro atx case in a tech enthusiast website is gonna drive sales of the sugary drink..
I tried to sell a bookcase on craigslist awhile back, and all people commented on/emailed about was how big my Maine Coon was (she was intended to be used for scale, but after what happened, that backfired in making the bookcase look tiny)
Ya, it is nearly impossible to find something that could be used for scale. It would be great if we had international bodies dedicated to making measurement instruments that we could use to compare things. Maybe we should start such an organization and make a set of 'rules', and then we could make a measurement tool called a 'ruler' so that we no longer have to deal with regional differences. Heck, we could even make these 'rulers' things with multiple comparative standards on the same device to help multiple audiences make good understandable comparisons.
We have some smart people in this community. Somebody get on that!
In fact here in Thailand the Coca-Cola cans are 325ml ... or 245 ml. Also these size are slimmer, taller (some might say it slender, sexier, etc.) comparing to the one in the picture.
Approximately true, but Coke cans in the US are 12 ounces, or 355 ml. In Europe as well as countries like Israel, Coke cans are 330 ml. Australia is 375 ml. So an Australian coke can is over 10% larger than a European one. Or maybe they just overclock. ;-)
right? I mean why not a Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew? Who in the PC community drinks Coke of all things? If we really want something comparable then maybe a beer would be a better standard.
E's been using the coke can in several case reviews now. It's just to show scale.. of course he should get a bit of endorsement (..lol) or at least some free pop.
You can wrap the cables all you want, but it usually still looks cluttered. A solid panel with a noise deadening layer would be great. A window isn't a deal breaker, I just place the computer so the window faces the other way.
If I were going to build a Mini-ATX rig, this would be the case I'd buy. If it weren't for the clear side panel (which I don't really like), this could easily be confused for a subwoofer.
If you're building a medium size mITX server, the CHENBRO SR30169T2-250 is worthy of consideration. It's a similar style but only does mITX with 4x3.5 and 2x2.5 drives so it significantly smaller. If I had any complaint, it would be that the hot-swap bays are mostly a gimmic (consumer mobos don't support sata hotswap), and orienting the drive bays to make hot swap easy via the front panel made the case significantly bigger than it needed to be.
I've been using it for my home server for the last 2+ years; without complaints. Best of all no stupid window!
I've been using the Silverstone DS380 and ASUS P9A-I for a few months now. 8x hot-swap bays and 4x fixed 2.5 bays on the DS380 is a perfect match with the 2xSATA + 4xSAS ports (16 sata) on the P9A-I.
I have 2x SSDs for the OS and 2xSSDs + 6x4TB HDDs for my storage cluster so far. Runs like a dream.
Looks like a nice case if you need something a bit bigger than I do.
I'm currently using 2x3TB HDDs and a small SSD for the OS; at current fill rates I may or may not need to add a 3rd drive to my pool before my server reaches retirement age and is replaced.
The only thing I wonder about is the backplate space for a 2nd expansion card. Aside from GPUs I'm not aware of anything else that would need to be 2 splits tall; and a GPU in whats obviously a server case seems rather weird.
I know it's just a case, but yeah, these shots are terrible for a site like AT. It's not even a bad camera, just don't know why they are shooting product at ISO1600
I agree. Disapointing. While many cameras these days produce clean shots at ISO1600 this is not the case. Very unprofessional and reek of laziness. I've seen eBay product shots that look better.
This is mostly lack of proper lighting and enough space. When you cannot even set a tripod, high ISOs are necessary. I need to hold the camera.
Of course I could use better photographic equipment. Ironically, I have already ordered the parts weeks ago. Things will be changing after a few more articles.
When criticizing, do take into account that things can be more complicated and time consuming when something requires your own space and funds. It rarely is as simple as typing a five sentence comment.
Then again, people complain about a coke can, so I guess that I should be grateful for a useful comment, even if it is somewhat rudely voiced...
I'd just like to say thanks for the review. I've been looking at case options for a while, and case reviews are always insightful to read.
I feel that for a lot of things, including computer cooling, overclocking, and photography, past some point increasingly ridiculous amounts of effort/money are required for small gains. Don't take this stuff in the comments section too harshly - we tend to exaggerate.
I agree that the product shots could be better. It's a combination of missed focus and heavy noise reduction that makes the pictures look blurry.
But this isn't Dpreview. The pictures do get the job done, albeit in a very unsatisfying way. If you guys at Anandtech have time, I'd suggest using a tripod (or just putting the camera on a box of the right height), and using a long exposure for lower ISOs. Also check focus with magnified live view before taking the shot. After all, cases don't run away.
This is mostly not knowing how to photograph products. I know this isn't dpreview, but this is AT, not some run of the mill review site. My expectations for this site are that they do things professionally. Or, at least try to.
Honestly this is not bad - they're not cell phone pictures, and (along with the text) got the job done in that they showed me I wouldn't want this case.
Building with it seems a bit messy, and I'm not a fan of having front ports on the right side (if I sit to the left of the case, it's awkward).
The pictures could be stunningly good with more effort, but few review sites can consistently deliver that. While it'd be nice if AT could do that, I'm here more to look at what products offer, and the pictures meet the "good enough" standard. Past a certain point, getting better image quality takes more time/effort than it's worth, anyways.
I know this might be slightly off topic considering this review is for a mATX case, but personally I'd like to see more cases like the Silverstone ML08, RVZ01 that use PCI-E riser cards to minimize volume while supporting full-size GPUs.
The gains a riser card makes in terms of sheer volume can make the difference between something that I can throw into a suitcase and bring with me anywhere vs something that I'd have to pack up and ship separately.
I own this case and use it for a gaming rig with an i5 4690k and a Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 970 in it, which is a very long card with 3 fans. The thing is very quiet even at full load running BF4 maxed at 70+ fps at 1200p.
One crucial difference between this case and the Air 240 is that this one will accommodate lengthy graphics cards, while the Corsair case will not. Also, with space for 5 PCI Express cards, you can put in 2 video cards with room for each to breathe, while the Air 240 will have them mushed up against each other.
I had this on my short list for cases when I builty my living room PC, but ended up going with the Corsair Obsidian 250D instead. The 250D is quite large in terms of mini ITX cases, but it is smaller than this one and the 250D barely fit inside the cubbyhole on the side of my entertainment center where my old 360 was sitting.
Has anyone who purchase this case ended up with size problems when used in a living room setting?
I use this case for a home server. It works fine and runs fairly cool, even with ten hard drives in it. I'm not looking forward to my first HD failure (what with the lack of hotswap bays and all) but otherwise I am a very satisfied customer.
I actually built an i7 right with dual GTX 970's in one of these cases for a friend recently. My friend picked the case which I was skeptical about, but although I wouldn't buy it for myself, it's lived up to my expectations of a Fractal Design case, and I admit, it grew on me during the build process. I would recommend it for anyone interested in its aesthetics.
In regards to fan filters, how hard is it for mfgs to build in filters for their cases that are externally accessible? They should all be simple pull-outs, with a small tab as your handle to pull them out. I don't want to have to disassemble my case or pull off the front cover just to clean a filter.
I'm interested in this case, but I'm curious about what optical drives would work with it. Doing a quick check on Newegg I don't even see a slim slot loading drive available.
How about putting things in inches if this is an article or a product in the USA? I would consider it a courtesy to the country you are doing business in.
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72 Comments
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GreenMeters - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
If it has a window, it's not a clean appearance.Zak - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Agree. Also the curved front makes it look like a small refrigerator.ddriver - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
How much did the coca cola company pay for the placed ad? Nothing else to give a sense of scale?SunLord - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Give him a break he was hungry and ate his banana scaleanandreader106 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Actually, that Coke can is open in that picture. I think it's safe to assume he consumed that as well.maximumGPU - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
So much money Anand is begging to come back.Seriously though, it was previously explained why that was used.
I seriously doubt 1 pic of a coke can in a review of a micro atx case in a tech enthusiast website is gonna drive sales of the sugary drink..
geniekid - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
Man I really want a Coke right now.Lonyo - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Everyone knows how big a can of coke is, it's pretty much universal. It's a quite effective scale giving tool.JarredWalton - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
We could use a kitty cat for scale:http://images.anandtech.com/doci/6516/Kitty.JPG
(Thanks to Ian for that. LOL)
just4U - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
What if it's Maine Coon or Norwegian? those kitties can get pretty damn big!Samus - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
I tried to sell a bookcase on craigslist awhile back, and all people commented on/emailed about was how big my Maine Coon was (she was intended to be used for scale, but after what happened, that backfired in making the bookcase look tiny)http://i62.tinypic.com/1o3afr.jpg
just4U - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
(GRIN) thanks for sharing Samus,My girlfriend and I also have one. Great cats!
Murloc - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
my maine coon is quite small. But she ticks all the other maine coon boxes.Gigaplex - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
Except coke cans vary in size based on region. Especially regions that use metric units.E.Fyll - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
That's true; the cans in the US are 355ml (12oz) while most of Europe and Asia is using 330ml (11.2oz) cans. The one pictured is a 330ml can.The difference however is small, it is just 0.54cm shorter and 0.15cm narrower than its US variant.
It is not easy to find something readily available to everyone globally to use as a scale. And I'm allergic to kittens too.
romrunning - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
Love having the Coke can there - it's really easy to see at a glance the relative size of the case.barleyguy - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
The caption below the picture says it's a 12 oz can. If it's a 330 ml one, the caption is wrong.Murloc - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
what about a BIC pen?CaedenV - Saturday, February 21, 2015 - link
Ya, it is nearly impossible to find something that could be used for scale. It would be great if we had international bodies dedicated to making measurement instruments that we could use to compare things. Maybe we should start such an organization and make a set of 'rules', and then we could make a measurement tool called a 'ruler' so that we no longer have to deal with regional differences. Heck, we could even make these 'rulers' things with multiple comparative standards on the same device to help multiple audiences make good understandable comparisons.We have some smart people in this community. Somebody get on that!
Kjella - Tuesday, February 24, 2015 - link
We've tried that:http://41.media.tumblr.com/47a2c8a02ffbe89e7737cb7...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XS-JVzF_E0I/TB1R2uZJHsI/...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thum...
Do you see one country who just *has* to be different?
vdidenko - Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - link
Sure it is possible! Reuse old floppy drives! http://www.dvdyourmemories.com/wp-content/uploads/...Seriously, though, given that the target is a niche audience, modern standardised size storage should do. Here is a sister website example: http://media.bestofmicro.com/Enterprise-HDD-SAS,1-...
mr_tawan - Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - link
In fact here in Thailand the Coca-Cola cans are 325ml ... or 245 ml. Also these size are slimmer, taller (some might say it slender, sexier, etc.) comparing to the one in the picture.mr_tawan - Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - link
corrections : 'and', not 'or'vdidenko - Wednesday, February 25, 2015 - link
Sure it is easy! Reuse old floppy drives! http://www.dvdyourmemories.com/wp-content/uploads/...Seriously, though, given that the target is a niche audience, modern standardised size storage should do. Here is a sister website example: http://media.bestofmicro.com/Enterprise-HDD-SAS,1-...
barleyguy - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
Approximately true, but Coke cans in the US are 12 ounces, or 355 ml. In Europe as well as countries like Israel, Coke cans are 330 ml. Australia is 375 ml. So an Australian coke can is over 10% larger than a European one. Or maybe they just overclock. ;-)Murloc - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
I'd have preferred a cat because I can't even remember how big a 33cc can is.I would understand a 0.5L can of beer.
eanazag - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
The Coke can was to reinforce the small refrigerator appeal.eanazag - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Damn Pepsi fanboys - worse than Apple or Droid fanboys.just4U - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fugLhNbwoYThe joy of pepsi.... :D
CaedenV - Saturday, February 21, 2015 - link
right? I mean why not a Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew? Who in the PC community drinks Coke of all things? If we really want something comparable then maybe a beer would be a better standard.just4U - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
E's been using the coke can in several case reviews now. It's just to show scale.. of course he should get a bit of endorsement (..lol) or at least some free pop.geekfool - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
A true techie would have used a can of Jolt!pewterrock - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Maybe if you suck at cable management.kmmatney - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
You can wrap the cables all you want, but it usually still looks cluttered. A solid panel with a noise deadening layer would be great. A window isn't a deal breaker, I just place the computer so the window faces the other way.eanazag - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Without a window how else could you easily monitor the dust bunny farm?ianmills - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
well i use an anal probe. i just stick it in the lil water cooler hole in the back and take a lil look around. i am so smartimaheadcase - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
You can actually order a solid panel from them to replace it. So not a huge deal.SkyBill40 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
If I were going to build a Mini-ATX rig, this would be the case I'd buy. If it weren't for the clear side panel (which I don't really like), this could easily be confused for a subwoofer.five_seven - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
That's [subwoofer] the first thing I thought of!nathanddrews - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I have an older sub with a burned-out amp... I think you guys just gave me a new build idea.SkyBill40 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Get at it, modder!DanNeely - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
If you're building a medium size mITX server, the CHENBRO SR30169T2-250 is worthy of consideration. It's a similar style but only does mITX with 4x3.5 and 2x2.5 drives so it significantly smaller. If I had any complaint, it would be that the hot-swap bays are mostly a gimmic (consumer mobos don't support sata hotswap), and orienting the drive bays to make hot swap easy via the front panel made the case significantly bigger than it needed to be.I've been using it for my home server for the last 2+ years; without complaints. Best of all no stupid window!
lewisl9029 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I've been using the Silverstone DS380 and ASUS P9A-I for a few months now. 8x hot-swap bays and 4x fixed 2.5 bays on the DS380 is a perfect match with the 2xSATA + 4xSAS ports (16 sata) on the P9A-I.I have 2x SSDs for the OS and 2xSSDs + 6x4TB HDDs for my storage cluster so far. Runs like a dream.
DanNeely - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Looks like a nice case if you need something a bit bigger than I do.I'm currently using 2x3TB HDDs and a small SSD for the OS; at current fill rates I may or may not need to add a 3rd drive to my pool before my server reaches retirement age and is replaced.
The only thing I wonder about is the backplate space for a 2nd expansion card. Aside from GPUs I'm not aware of anything else that would need to be 2 splits tall; and a GPU in whats obviously a server case seems rather weird.
sweenish - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Talk about potato pictures.A decent case for the price. I just don't want to have to fight a case, regardless of the size.
randomlinh - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I know it's just a case, but yeah, these shots are terrible for a site like AT. It's not even a bad camera, just don't know why they are shooting product at ISO1600Zak - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I agree. Disapointing. While many cameras these days produce clean shots at ISO1600 this is not the case. Very unprofessional and reek of laziness. I've seen eBay product shots that look better.E.Fyll - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
This is mostly lack of proper lighting and enough space. When you cannot even set a tripod, high ISOs are necessary. I need to hold the camera.Of course I could use better photographic equipment. Ironically, I have already ordered the parts weeks ago. Things will be changing after a few more articles.
When criticizing, do take into account that things can be more complicated and time consuming when something requires your own space and funds. It rarely is as simple as typing a five sentence comment.
Then again, people complain about a coke can, so I guess that I should be grateful for a useful comment, even if it is somewhat rudely voiced...
chlamchowder - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I'd just like to say thanks for the review. I've been looking at case options for a while, and case reviews are always insightful to read.I feel that for a lot of things, including computer cooling, overclocking, and photography, past some point increasingly ridiculous amounts of effort/money are required for small gains. Don't take this stuff in the comments section too harshly - we tend to exaggerate.
chlamchowder - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I agree that the product shots could be better. It's a combination of missed focus and heavy noise reduction that makes the pictures look blurry.But this isn't Dpreview. The pictures do get the job done, albeit in a very unsatisfying way. If you guys at Anandtech have time, I'd suggest using a tripod (or just putting the camera on a box of the right height), and using a long exposure for lower ISOs. Also check focus with magnified live view before taking the shot. After all, cases don't run away.
randomlinh - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
This is mostly not knowing how to photograph products. I know this isn't dpreview, but this is AT, not some run of the mill review site. My expectations for this site are that they do things professionally. Or, at least try to.chlamchowder - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Honestly this is not bad - they're not cell phone pictures, and (along with the text) got the job done in that they showed me I wouldn't want this case.Building with it seems a bit messy, and I'm not a fan of having front ports on the right side (if I sit to the left of the case, it's awkward).
The pictures could be stunningly good with more effort, but few review sites can consistently deliver that. While it'd be nice if AT could do that, I'm here more to look at what products offer, and the pictures meet the "good enough" standard. Past a certain point, getting better image quality takes more time/effort than it's worth, anyways.
just4U - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
I've never really noticed it.. pictures on here have seemed fine. They haven't taken a step back anyway... at least not that I can tell.Stuka87 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Ahh, so I wasn't the only one to notice. Proper lighting is a must for a product review like this.wffurr - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
How does it compare to the Bitfenix Prodigy?lewisl9029 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I know this might be slightly off topic considering this review is for a mATX case, but personally I'd like to see more cases like the Silverstone ML08, RVZ01 that use PCI-E riser cards to minimize volume while supporting full-size GPUs.The gains a riser card makes in terms of sheer volume can make the difference between something that I can throw into a suitcase and bring with me anywhere vs something that I'd have to pack up and ship separately.
Silverstone's new FTZ01 looks very promising on this front: http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=533
But I'd like to see more companies attempt these kinds of designs.
mpribe - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I own this case and use it for a gaming rig with an i5 4690k and a Gigabyte G1 Gaming GTX 970 in it, which is a very long card with 3 fans. The thing is very quiet even at full load running BF4 maxed at 70+ fps at 1200p.One crucial difference between this case and the Air 240 is that this one will accommodate lengthy graphics cards, while the Corsair case will not. Also, with space for 5 PCI Express cards, you can put in 2 video cards with room for each to breathe, while the Air 240 will have them mushed up against each other.
PPalmgren - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I had this on my short list for cases when I builty my living room PC, but ended up going with the Corsair Obsidian 250D instead. The 250D is quite large in terms of mini ITX cases, but it is smaller than this one and the 250D barely fit inside the cubbyhole on the side of my entertainment center where my old 360 was sitting.Has anyone who purchase this case ended up with size problems when used in a living room setting?
dave_the_nerd - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I use this case for a home server. It works fine and runs fairly cool, even with ten hard drives in it. I'm not looking forward to my first HD failure (what with the lack of hotswap bays and all) but otherwise I am a very satisfied customer.Also, it doesn't look like a gaudy gamer case.
nissefar - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Disagree. The window certainly screams mad gamer.imaheadcase - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
You made a error under Specs, it does NOT support ATX. Just mini/micro atx.stlouis1 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
I actually built an i7 right with dual GTX 970's in one of these cases for a friend recently. My friend picked the case which I was skeptical about, but although I wouldn't buy it for myself, it's lived up to my expectations of a Fractal Design case, and I admit, it grew on me during the build process. I would recommend it for anyone interested in its aesthetics.bobbozzo - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
12" high seems too tall for an HTPC to fit in most A/V shelving (standard components are 7" or less).Thanks for the review; I have the Node 304 (firewall / UTM) and really like it.
romrunning - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
In regards to fan filters, how hard is it for mfgs to build in filters for their cases that are externally accessible? They should all be simple pull-outs, with a small tab as your handle to pull them out. I don't want to have to disassemble my case or pull off the front cover just to clean a filter.The_Assimilator - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
Not sure why Fractal didn't just go with a pair of standard 4x 3.5" drive cages with trays they use on their larger cases, and mount them to the roof.Biln3 - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
This review makes me want to buy 4 cases of coca colaAnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, February 18, 2015 - link
So uhh, where are the fractals? Just a name I guess.spe1491 - Thursday, February 19, 2015 - link
I'm interested in this case, but I'm curious about what optical drives would work with it. Doing a quick check on Newegg I don't even see a slim slot loading drive available.neo_1221 - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
It looks like a mini-fridge...piasabird - Friday, February 20, 2015 - link
How about putting things in inches if this is an article or a product in the USA? I would consider it a courtesy to the country you are doing business in.ldjqbvpfstrj - Friday, August 28, 2020 - link
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