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Chenming 301 Mid-Tower w/Window - $36.99 Free Shipping (Five Colors)

This is pretty much your basic case. The upside is that it's aluminum (easier to cut and lift). Not an overclocker's case, but not bad if you run stock and need a light-weight, more compact case. I own a larger version of this case and am happy.
 
Whoa, a blast from the past!

I posted a review of this case here.

AFAIK Chenming made the cases, and all the other ones from Chieftec, Aspire and Antec (original Super LAN Boy) just used Chenming as the OEM.

The aluminum is much thinner than on other aluminum cases, so this case is feather light. Downside is that it is flimsy especially if you don't have the sides securely attached. Mine developed a dent on the bottom - the weight of the components caused the feet to push upwards. It is also an extremely compact case.

I may order one (or more) just for the heck of it. It can keep my 8 other unused cases company in my garage. Thanks OP for the memories.
 
You know, I'm looking at the pictures of this, and I'm having a hard time figuring out where the supposed optional 120mm fan mount is. Surely that's not it under the PSU bay? It looks too small to be 120mm from that angle.
 
The review says it's the rear one, but that's not true. Chenming copied this design from the earlier Antec cases, all of which use 80mm fans. One option mine didn't come with is the two window 80mm fans that this one has cuts for. Just don't over tighten on Lexan. 🙂

*Edit* I guess the picture could be wrong. I guess you'd have to contact them to find out for sure.
 
Originally posted by: Zap
I posted a review of this case here.
Click to expand...

"The case is VERY small, meaning if you have a large motherboard that uses the last row of mounting holes on the motherboard tray, you WILL NOT be able to use the bottom two 5¼" drive bays for any normal sized optical drive. I don't recall any LAN BOY review mentioning this."
🙁

"One final thing to reduce the size of the case is how the expansion cards bolt in from the OUTSIDE of the case, covered by that long plastic wart which doubles as a spare screw holder."
🙁

"The Chenming w/o power supply runs $30+13 for either color. "

Are these really a deal? Sounds like they are still about the same price as they always were.


I have a question about the hard drive cage. Is it easily removable with a built-in lever, like my full-size ATX Chieftec Dragon? I don't see the lever in the pics.
Also, does the drive cage include a plastic bracket to hold a fan? Again, like mine?

Otherwise, looks like a decent, if old-school, case.
 
Originally posted by: Burrich
The review says it's the rear one, but that's not true. Chenming copied this design from the earlier Antec cases, all of which use 80mm fans.
Click to expand...

I don't think Chenming copied the design, I think they own the design and sold cases to Antec, Chieftech, ect., who rebranded them.
 
Originally posted by: AmberClad
You know, I'm looking at the pictures of this, and I'm having a hard time figuring out where the supposed optional 120mm fan mount is. Surely that's not it under the PSU bay? It looks too small to be 120mm from that angle.
Click to expand...
Probably just a misprint unless they stuck a 120mm exhaust in the center of the top panel. Or you're just hallucinating and that case, this post and everything to do with this deal don't really exist.

Take the blue pill.

😕
 
Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
"The Chenming w/o power supply runs $30+13 for either color. "

Are these really a deal? Sounds like they are still about the same price as they always were.

I have a question about the hard drive cage. Is it easily removable with a built-in lever, like my full-size ATX Chieftec Dragon? I don't see the lever in the pics.
Also, does the drive cage include a plastic bracket to hold a fan? Again, like mine?
Click to expand...

It is a deal because without these, you can't get cheap and small aluminum cases. Not everyone needs 2' tall behemoths, and not everyone wants to pay $100+ for an aluminum tower. After I bought mine, the supply dried up for a while. Then, it was available as an Aspire for around $60 with a disposable PSU. So, $37 shipped in your choice of colors isn't too shabby.

The HDD cage is removable with a lever, but does not have a spot for a fan.

Originally posted by: Nessism
I don't think Chenming copied the design, I think they own the design and sold cases to Antec, Chieftech, ect., who rebranded them.
Click to expand...

Correct.
 
good decent case but the construction is a little low grade from the pictures. For the money I think CM690 seem to be a better choice with a modern bottom PSU design. But still a good find.
 
Originally posted by: Zap
The HDD cage is removable with a lever, but does not have a spot for a fan.
Click to expand...

I don't know, look at the photos on the Xoxide.com site. I have an old-school (2002/2003 vintage) blue steel windowed Antec Dragon mid-tower that I bought at SVC.com when they had a Hot Deal on it back then. And I actually bought a used white steel one off of Craigslist within the past couple of weeks. I love Dragon cases! I wish they still made them.

I can see some noticable differences between the Dragons and the cases pictured on Xoxide. First, the optical drive bays look very different and I don't see how the normal rails would work with them. They look like they just have screw channels. I also don't see the lever for the hard drive bay. Also, these don't have a handle like the old ones used to -- it looks like it has the normal, crappy, cheap "slide the side backwards" thing instead of the nice pivot/latching mechanism in the true Dragons.

Whenever anyone gets one of these, please post bigger pics and details. I will be happy to buy one or more if they end up being worthy successors to the Dragon, but this looks more like a downgrade.
 
I had an Antec OEM Dragon case (SX1000), I cut out my own window with a dremel and added an 80mm fan to the top as well, ah the memories.

I'm on my Antec P160 right now, I've gotten 4 years out of this case, no need to change now
 
Yeah, I had an Antec 1080AMG, which is basically the taller mid-tower AmberClad posted. it was a decent case at the time, but heavy and not particularly good at damping all the noise within. The sound from the HDDs rattling in the cages + five 80mm fans + a 7800GT's fan...I wouldn't tolerate it today.
 
Originally posted by: slashbinslashbash
I can see some noticable differences between the Dragons and the cases pictured on Xoxide.
Click to expand...

That's because they're totally different cases, as AmberClad pointed out. I've owned this case, plus an Antec 1080AMG, plus an Aspire "alien" that are all the same as the various Chenming units.
 
*BUMP*

Today a rather nondescript box showed up on my doorstep with CM USA printed on it. I was like, "what, Cooler Master got too cheap to print their logo?" Box was rather light... oh yeah, CM = Chenming! :light: The cardboard is nice and thick, as was the molded styrofoam.

Here it is unboxed, hot and ready for your viewing pleasure! Ok, rather cold actually being that there's 5" of fresh snow outside and the garage is around 40º F. My case actually comes with two 80mm LED fans on the side panel. Hmmm, the middle panel of the door looks kind of... glossy... Indeed it is a separate piece of plastic. There's modding potential in little discoveries like that.

Airflow is as unrestricted as I remembered. Here's the view through the front vents. Plenty of air can come in there, as well as dust. The bluish plastic through the vents is the mount for an 80mm intake fan.

OMG the description was right about there being a 120mm fan spot in the rear. The old pictures on the Xoxide site shows the older version of the case which I had before and which Antec used for the LAN Boy, with a small exhaust fan spot. This case is updated to hold a 120mm fan, with a rather unrestrictive grill. NICE! Not so nice are the "preapplied" fingerprints that the camera picked out. Those aren't mine! :|

Thank you again, AmberClad, for posting this deal. With the 120mm fan update and two included 80mm fans plus free shipping, this deal is HOT! I almost feel like ordering several more of these to keep each other company, along with the other 7 cases I have sitting unused in the garage. Oh wait, maybe not. 😱
 
Knowing you, you probably did have a Cooler Master case on order 😛. So the airflow situation is a lot more promising than the Xoxide pictures would lead you to believe. The included LED fans is a nice gesture I guess, but in my case those bling fans would have been the first thing to go :laugh:.

Hehe, someone needs to tell Xoxide's warehouse people to keep their grubby mitts off the goods...
 
It was factory sealed, so the fingerprints probably originated in China. Added value, I guess. 😕

Airflow in this should be as good as any other high-airflow case.

I'm already considering replacing the side window - don't feel the need for fans there.
 
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