Chenbro Xpider PC61166 PC Case Review
(By: Kupe Master)
Thank you Kurtis at ATACOM, INC. for this case. Check their site out at http://www.atacom.com
Case Specs (taken from http://www.chenbro.com.tw)
- M/B Form Factor : ATX
- CPU Type : Intel PIII/P4, AMD Athlon XP
- Dimension (DxWxH): 465mmx 198mmx 425mm 18.2"x 7.8"x 16.7"
-
Drive Bays: Exposed 4x 5.25", Exposed 1x 3.5", Internal
2x 3.5"
PSU Type : PS/2 ATX12V 300W or 350W - Switch : Power ON/OFF
- LEDs : Power ON& HDD Activity
- Slot Opening : 7
- Cooling fan (Option): Front, 1x80mm or 92mm, Rear, 1x80mm, 92mm, or 120mm
- Front Panel I/O (Option)
- 2xUSB2.0,2xAudio, 1xIEEE1394
- Security Lock : Keylock, intrusion switch and kensington lock supported
- Construction : SECC
- Net Weight : 8.2 Kg
This PC case is marketed towards the gamers, and let’s see how Chenbro does with their Xpider Case. When I first received the case, it was packed well with two Styrofoam pieces and was covered in a thick plastic bag, which kept any damage from occurring over shipping. Having the case in good shape when it arrives to your door is always a good thing. In my opinion, the case looks pretty darn nice with the styling Chenbro used. The side of the case with the acrylic window allows you to view the effects if you had a cold cathode tube in your case or other lighting effects of your choice. What stuck me first when I opened the case was the quality of everything. They have little things that showed me they really carefully designed and chose their materials well. The first thing I would like to mention is the 4 front grill sections in the front of the case. It is hard to see in the pictures, but the grills were made out of a strong metal and behind them were air filters to keep the dust out of the intakes.
The cooling options for this case are aboveaverage in the amount of fan slots you have but you do have a good level of flexibility. In the back of the case, you can use an 80, 92, or 120mm case fan for exhaust. Being able to use a 120mm fan is extremely nice. The case does come with a lock to so people cannot steal the internal components, so there is an added security factor. There is also a very convenient lever that goes in a vertical motion, which either locks the side panel from coming out or not.
To take off the front panel off of the case is quite easy. Look at those two green tabs near the front of the case in the top picture. You just need to pull those tabs towards you, and the front panel will come off easily. You can see the rail mounts lying bracketed in the bottom of the case that can be used to mount 3.5” and 5.25” devices easily. Having only one exposed 3.5” bay is a good choice for the target market (gaming) because there isn’t many zip drives used nowadays. Two exposed 3.5” bays would be more suitable for a server or workstation environment where frequent backups are necessary. You have the option of connecting your sound input and output as well as the USB 2.0 connections you may have to the front of the case. When the front panel is off you can also see it is much easier to install a front fan (either 80mm or 92mm)
My Favorite feature of the case is shown in the picture below. Installing a PCI or Video card could not be so easily. All you need to do is lift up the little knob and pull it away from the case and you can take out or install anything you wish to. It sure beats using screws!
After seeing all the nifty and useful features on this case, not to mention the excellent build quality, I am thoroughly impressed with it. The two small things that I could find wrong with the case were the plastic feet used on the bottom of the case and the included fan in the rear. I believed they could have used rubber feet to prevent slipping on a smooth desk. For the rear exhaust fan, they should have used a 120mm one because he 92mm included was not using the area to its potential. Overall, I would recommend this case for someone who is looking for a good-looking case with high functionality. And for around 55 dollars at http://www.atacom.com, it is an extremely good deal.
+Strong
Build Quality
+Useful Features to Minimize the Use of Screws
+Good Cooling Options
+Nice Styling
+Price
-Plastic Feet
Rated: 9.5/10
$54.95U.S. @ ATACOM - There is the orange version for the same price also
