- Oct 13, 1999
- 22,377
- 2
- 81
I own one of these AOpen cases, and am thinking about getting the Kingwin. The mini-review of the AOpen case is based on having one in my possession for... um, close to a month now. The Kingwin impressions are from reading reviews and looking at pictures and specifications. IMO both cases are good, neither is perfect (a "perfect" case for me does not yet* exist (*I can hope...)). Feel free to reply with thoughts and impressions on these two cases. I'd like to hear more from owners of Kingwin cases since I'm considering one.
AOpen A600A
Newegg $119+15, OOS
LIKE
- aluminum construction
- glossy black finish
- window is flush mounted
- 120mm rear fan
- LEDs in rear fan & power button
- tons of hard drive bays
- quality power supply
- clip in method of mounting drives
- included fan speed controllers
- good airflow characteristics
DISLIKE
- the nice finish is tough to keep nice, fingerprints and dust comes off but blemishes stay
- window is on the small side, though I suppose the power supply and the side of the drive bays aren't much to look at
- rear fan grill is just holes punched into case, would prefer a complete opening and a wire finger guard for lowest noise/highest airflow
- power supply not sufficient wattage for filling all drive bays
- location of front ports (USB, etc.) blocks some airflow, plus don't like the door over the ports
The unit I got has a 350W power supply. I've read that the buyer (OEM or reseller) specifies the wattage, up to 400W. Still, being able to hold 6 hard drives means that the power supply should be, um, more, right? Not only is the airflow good in this case, it has a nice front-to-back design without any side fans or ports. I know that side ports are good for CPU cooling, but I feel they are unsightly in a windowed case. Side fans I just don't like since I feel the case should have good enough airflow designed into them. The glossy finish is great to look at, but my case already has blemishes where stuff has rubbed on it creating hazy spots. Not too noticeable, but since I know they're there it bothers me a bit. This case is a bit bigger than most mid-towers I've worked on, probably just an inch below the Chieftec style cases which are popular. It has fold out feet which some people like, some don't. Since I'm using mine for a home file server the case stays in one place and I do use the feet. If I were using this for a gaming machine and transporting it around I probably wouldn't like the feet as much. I really like cases that use 120mm fans for ventilation, but I really don't like fan grills that are punched out of the case material. I feel that they inhibit airflow and increase noise from turbulence. Though equipped with a 120mm fan this case doesn't really have any concessions to "quiet" computing. It is not a noisy case, exhibiting no rattling or humming from case panels that I've encountered with some other cases.
Overall a nice case with good value for the money. Some nice design elements with not too many flaws. It is neat to be able to see your reflection in the case finish. A nice looking case, not too flashy yet definately not conservative.
Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM
Newegg $88+10, in stock
LIKE
- 2mm thick aluminum construction
- aluminum front panel reminiscent of the old LianLi cases which put aluminum in the case scene
- large side window that is easy to change, allowing you to easily do some custom work such as etching
- good ventilation and airflow characteristics
- air filter to keep dust out
- rubber grommets on hard drive bays
- front air intake looks sharp, IMO
- under $100 shipped (minus tax)
- no power supply (can be a minus as well)
DISLIKE
- door over front ports seem extraneous
- use of 80mm case fans (would prefer 120mm)
- fan grills are punched out of case (though not as bad as the AOpen design)
- case window looks tacked on
- no front audio ports
I don't have this case, nor have I seen one in person. However, I'm very interested in it and have done research on it so I'll give my impressions. Some aspects of this case I'll mention but won't comment too much on. For instance, the motherboard tray slides out with the expansion cards. While this looks to be a nice touch I don't really have experiences with cases using this feature so I can only mention it as existing without giving my thoughts on it. I also like the power supply not being included. The last time I used an "included" power supply for one of my main systems was with an Antec case with a TruePower power supply. Okay, I'm using the Turbolink included with my Aspire X-Alien case, but I'm hoping to sell that computer.
The thick aluminum construction probably adds weight, but this case promises to be really solid. Nice for a LAN party case, IMO. Also nice is the inclusion of rubber grommets for the hard drives. Good for transporting, also good for noise reduction. Not good for noise reduction is the use of only 80mm fans. I usually just use exhaust fans and I know some people feel otherwise, but I think everyone would be pleased that there's fan parity for intake and exhaust, with two 80mm intake and two 80mm exhaust (counting the one in your power supply). If I were to buy one of these cases, I'd replace the side window with one that I would spend some time engraving. The little door over the front ports seem totally extraneous since the ports are almost flush with the face. Some reviewers said they have taken to just removing the door. For LAN party use, I'd like front panel audio ports as well, but this case has none. Overall, a nice looking case that has me considering it for my next case purchase.
THE PERFECT CASE
Well, the perfect case for me does not exist. I realize that people have different needs for their computers, and indeed I have differing needs for my own computers so I cannot say that there is one design for everyone, but if I were to design a case for myself that would be closest to being perfect... here are my design requirements:
- must fit standard ATX (and in the future, BTX) motherboards
- must use largest standardized fan sizes (120mm), using clear plastic fans
- fans must be self adjusting based on temperature, with the owner being able to set parameters
- glossy black is beautiful
- rubber grommets for ALL drives, not just the hard drives
- rubber/silicone/silica gel gaskets/dampeners for all fans
- must not be too flashy, yet not look fuddy duddy
- full compliment of front ports mounted on the front, not on the side or top, also not in the way of air intake
- air filters in any intake spots
- no extra ventilation holes punched here and there in the case
- aluminum is the preferred material, using thin (1mm or less) sheets backed by a rigid box-section or tubular frame, thus gaining rigidity and strength while not increasing weight too much
[edit]
Forgot to add for my wish list:
- fewer 5¼" drive bays and internal 3½" drive bays spaced farther apart, how many people use up all of the 4-5 5¼" drive bays in all the cases these days. I'm thinking something like three 5¼" external bays and one 3½" external bay, maybe 4+ 3½" internal bays with lots of room between them for airflow
AOpen A600A
Newegg $119+15, OOS
LIKE
- aluminum construction
- glossy black finish
- window is flush mounted
- 120mm rear fan
- LEDs in rear fan & power button
- tons of hard drive bays
- quality power supply
- clip in method of mounting drives
- included fan speed controllers
- good airflow characteristics
DISLIKE
- the nice finish is tough to keep nice, fingerprints and dust comes off but blemishes stay
- window is on the small side, though I suppose the power supply and the side of the drive bays aren't much to look at
- rear fan grill is just holes punched into case, would prefer a complete opening and a wire finger guard for lowest noise/highest airflow
- power supply not sufficient wattage for filling all drive bays
- location of front ports (USB, etc.) blocks some airflow, plus don't like the door over the ports
The unit I got has a 350W power supply. I've read that the buyer (OEM or reseller) specifies the wattage, up to 400W. Still, being able to hold 6 hard drives means that the power supply should be, um, more, right? Not only is the airflow good in this case, it has a nice front-to-back design without any side fans or ports. I know that side ports are good for CPU cooling, but I feel they are unsightly in a windowed case. Side fans I just don't like since I feel the case should have good enough airflow designed into them. The glossy finish is great to look at, but my case already has blemishes where stuff has rubbed on it creating hazy spots. Not too noticeable, but since I know they're there it bothers me a bit. This case is a bit bigger than most mid-towers I've worked on, probably just an inch below the Chieftec style cases which are popular. It has fold out feet which some people like, some don't. Since I'm using mine for a home file server the case stays in one place and I do use the feet. If I were using this for a gaming machine and transporting it around I probably wouldn't like the feet as much. I really like cases that use 120mm fans for ventilation, but I really don't like fan grills that are punched out of the case material. I feel that they inhibit airflow and increase noise from turbulence. Though equipped with a 120mm fan this case doesn't really have any concessions to "quiet" computing. It is not a noisy case, exhibiting no rattling or humming from case panels that I've encountered with some other cases.
Overall a nice case with good value for the money. Some nice design elements with not too many flaws. It is neat to be able to see your reflection in the case finish. A nice looking case, not too flashy yet definately not conservative.
Kingwin KT-424-BK-WM
Newegg $88+10, in stock
LIKE
- 2mm thick aluminum construction
- aluminum front panel reminiscent of the old LianLi cases which put aluminum in the case scene
- large side window that is easy to change, allowing you to easily do some custom work such as etching
- good ventilation and airflow characteristics
- air filter to keep dust out
- rubber grommets on hard drive bays
- front air intake looks sharp, IMO
- under $100 shipped (minus tax)
- no power supply (can be a minus as well)
DISLIKE
- door over front ports seem extraneous
- use of 80mm case fans (would prefer 120mm)
- fan grills are punched out of case (though not as bad as the AOpen design)
- case window looks tacked on
- no front audio ports
I don't have this case, nor have I seen one in person. However, I'm very interested in it and have done research on it so I'll give my impressions. Some aspects of this case I'll mention but won't comment too much on. For instance, the motherboard tray slides out with the expansion cards. While this looks to be a nice touch I don't really have experiences with cases using this feature so I can only mention it as existing without giving my thoughts on it. I also like the power supply not being included. The last time I used an "included" power supply for one of my main systems was with an Antec case with a TruePower power supply. Okay, I'm using the Turbolink included with my Aspire X-Alien case, but I'm hoping to sell that computer.
The thick aluminum construction probably adds weight, but this case promises to be really solid. Nice for a LAN party case, IMO. Also nice is the inclusion of rubber grommets for the hard drives. Good for transporting, also good for noise reduction. Not good for noise reduction is the use of only 80mm fans. I usually just use exhaust fans and I know some people feel otherwise, but I think everyone would be pleased that there's fan parity for intake and exhaust, with two 80mm intake and two 80mm exhaust (counting the one in your power supply). If I were to buy one of these cases, I'd replace the side window with one that I would spend some time engraving. The little door over the front ports seem totally extraneous since the ports are almost flush with the face. Some reviewers said they have taken to just removing the door. For LAN party use, I'd like front panel audio ports as well, but this case has none. Overall, a nice looking case that has me considering it for my next case purchase.
THE PERFECT CASE
Well, the perfect case for me does not exist. I realize that people have different needs for their computers, and indeed I have differing needs for my own computers so I cannot say that there is one design for everyone, but if I were to design a case for myself that would be closest to being perfect... here are my design requirements:
- must fit standard ATX (and in the future, BTX) motherboards
- must use largest standardized fan sizes (120mm), using clear plastic fans
- fans must be self adjusting based on temperature, with the owner being able to set parameters
- glossy black is beautiful
- rubber grommets for ALL drives, not just the hard drives
- rubber/silicone/silica gel gaskets/dampeners for all fans
- must not be too flashy, yet not look fuddy duddy
- full compliment of front ports mounted on the front, not on the side or top, also not in the way of air intake
- air filters in any intake spots
- no extra ventilation holes punched here and there in the case
- aluminum is the preferred material, using thin (1mm or less) sheets backed by a rigid box-section or tubular frame, thus gaining rigidity and strength while not increasing weight too much
[edit]
Forgot to add for my wish list:
- fewer 5¼" drive bays and internal 3½" drive bays spaced farther apart, how many people use up all of the 4-5 5¼" drive bays in all the cases these days. I'm thinking something like three 5¼" external bays and one 3½" external bay, maybe 4+ 3½" internal bays with lots of room between them for airflow
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