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Everyone under the sun wants a cool case these days. Something
exciting, sleek, and interesting to look at, but nothing so ridiculous
as to be mocked or destroy your wallet, right? Of course! So you're an
avid gamer who loves to be the source of social envy. You're the person
who likes to just stare at your computer. You want something nicely sized,
but not huge like most of the elite gamer cases are. Chenbro has the case
that's just right for you then, in the form of the Chenbro Xpider Case
which offers a cool design, vibrant colors, and a pretty good airflow
design.
The Specs
Effective Thermal Dynamics
Optional 92mm front and 120mm rear cooling fans
Pass Intel 3.06GHz CPU thermal test
Slot bracket with venting holes
Easy air intake by metal mesh design
Excellent EMI Solution
Optional EMI liner for slot window
Optional EMI liner on the edges
Installation and Maintenance Time Saving
Rear fan holder for easy installation
Easy bezel removal design
Detachable internal drive cage
Screwless slide rails for 5.25" and 3.5" devices
Optional screwless holder for add-on card
Safe Assembly
Folded edge for each part
Membrane of side cover to avoid scratch
Configuration Flexibility
Screw-mounted or rail-mounted for 5.25" and 3.5" devices
Optional extra 2-bay or 4-bay HDD cage
Rackmountable by tray
Max. Security
Support Kensington lock, and optional intrusion switch and Keylock
Side cover latch
USB2.0 FPIO Support
Optional USB2.0/Audio or USB2.0/Audio/IEEE1394 FPIO board
M/B Form Factor : ATX
CPU Type : Intel PIII/P4, AMD Athlon XP
Dimension (DxWxH) : 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 Openings : 7
Cooling fan(s):
Front, 1x80mm or 92mm
Rear, 1x80mm, 92mm, or 120mm
Front Panel I/O (Option) : 2xUSB2.0,2xAudio, 1xIEEE1394
installation
The mid-tower sized case is great if you're interested in
something large enough to throw your computer components into, and not
take up a city square block doing it. Navigating inside a case this size
does take quite a bit of patience, and a bit of practice. Don't try too
hard to squeeze things inside, especially the motherboard. The lack of
a pull out motherboard tray with a case this size is extremely disappointing,
but for the price, it's understandable. Just be patient and careful when
mounting the motherboard in the case.
Taking off the case side without the use of screws is extremely
convenient for any computer owner. The screwless PCI/AGP slots through
use of the chamber system is pretty convenient, but for those of you not
happy with the performance, you can remove it and use your old screw standbys.
performance
The case allows for good performance with your ATX complaint
motherboards. The installation of the front side USB and IEEE1394 (FireWire)
was extremely easy, as the case comes with the wires in combined format
and not the normal 8 separate pins to plug into your board.
The inclusion of one 120MM fan on the backside of the case
is great, but you'll most likely want to go with a Vantec or other "name
brand" performance fan for either quiteness or speed. You can also
install an intake fan on the front side (HIGHLY recommended for good airflow),
allowing the case to have a total of two case fans. This is fine if you
don't plan to overclock your system - the airflow can be good, but not
great.
Value / coolness
The case is definitely cool - no doubt about that. The case
design on the outside is fantastic - the green and black colored case
was especially awesome. The side and look of the outside again is right
where you'd want the case to be. The back of the case is nothing special,
and the window cut out side panel looks very sharp. Unfortunately because
the case is a mid-tower ATX case there is very little room inside for
a CCD light ... if you could find some mini-light of some sort, that'd
be the only way it could happen as the standard 12" lights could
never hope to fit in there cleanly.
overall impressions
I'm pretty impressed with these cases. You can find them
at various e-tailers in and around $50 to $60 which is a damn fine deal.
The look is good, the attitude this case gives off is a pretty fresh vibe.
From an aesthetic perspective, this is one cool looking case.
The screwless entry system, and the design of the interior
is nice and pretty friendly for those of you already familiar with cases
of this size. If you're looking for a nice inexpensive case that actually
looks really cool and can last you a few years, then Chenbro's Xpider
case is specifically designed for you.
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9 / 10 |
OVERALL SCORE
92%
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9 / 10 |
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10 / 10 |
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9 / 10 |
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9 / 10 |
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9.2 / 10 |
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