Circle Tornado
This is a decked up case as far as features
are concerned. The top of the case protrudes to allow for 2x120 mm fans and
also has four slid able switches for its fan controller which has low, normal
and high settings for each individual fan. The front is completely meshed and
has a wide variety of ports including an eSATA port. Its side panels though
wobbly have space to attach four optional fans. The dust filters on the side-panel
are screwed down. Velcro cable ties make cable management easy. Its HDD Bay
section is removable but overall the case is still a bit cramped.
Cooler Master HAF 912
The CM HAF 912 is a budget -friendly
alternative to CM’s higher end line of their HAF breed of cases. Its front
bezel has an aggressive look to it with a metal mesh and dust filters. The side
panels of the case also protrude outwards and the left side panel has the HAF
logo painted on it. The build quality of this case is solid but its side panels
have some amount of flex. There is plenty of space inside the case to
accommodate most components. Cable management is easy in this case. We found
that the included fans provide a good amount of air-flow inside the case and
keep the case cool.
The
CM HAF 912 is a budget -friendly alternative to CM’s higher end line of their
HAF breed of cases.
And others
Mercury Romeo Omega was another mini-tower
we got, the insides of this case are very basic and there is not much
difference between this and the CM Elite 344 except it has an 80mm fan at the
rear and costs half as much. The Antec One S3, had a nice plastic matte design
and is a good case to consider, but we found it tough to fix its left
side-panel due to less clearance.
Category verdict
The Huntkey T-91comes out as the winner of
the Best Buy award in this lower end of the spectrum mostly because it’s dirt
cheap but still has nice features and performs well enough. The Bitfenix Merc
Alpha was also a worthy contender due to its price but the Huntkey T-91 at $290
is what you must get (if you have no space constraints) rather than getting a
mini-tower case. People looking for more style in their cabinets, can opt for
the Cooler Master K380 as it has a nice feel to it along with most of the bells
and whistles available in good cases.
Mid-tower cabinets between $150 to $300
This is a sweet spot for most buyers as
this range has impressive cases which provide most of the features one can ask
for without burning that proverbial hole in your pocket. There are some
cabinets in this category which are big enough to sup-port XL-ATX or E-ATX
mother-boards making it easy for buyers to choose them instead of paying for an
expensive full-tower. It should also be noted that most of the cases in this
range have good cable management features.
Corsair Carbide 400R
The Carbide 400R has superlative build
quality along with a very professional but functional design and a great paint
job. Its front panel is meshed and has two white LED fans pre-installed and its
top is raised to make way for a handle which enables you to carry the case
around. Its side panels are protruding more than any case we got for the test.
These panels are sturdy and have rubbered fan mounts on them. The included fans
provide a good deal of airflow inside the case. You can mount a 240mm or 280mm
radiator at the top of the 400R too.
The
Carbide 400R has superlative build quality along with a very professional but
functional design and a great paint job.
NZXT Phantom 410
Out of the two Phantom cases which we got
from NZXT, the Phantom 410 is a mid-tower and also a newer version of the
original Phantom. The front and the top of this case is mostly made of plastic
but the inner frame of the case is solid steel. We liked its beveled design. A
push-to-open door hides the 5.25-inch drive bays. The left side panel is
divided into a see-through window and a grill for fan mounting. There is lots
of space to maneuver around inside the case. You can even install a fan on the
drive cages which has a pivot to switch the direction of airflow towards the
GPU or CPU areas.
Cooler Master HAF XB
Straight out-of-the-box you will notice
that the dimensions of this case are very different from standard mid-towers.
It’s because this case also doubles up as full-fledged test bench. Being from
CM’s HAF series of cases, its design is still primed for maximum airflow. This
can be seen as it has a big meshed grill at its front with pre-installed fans.
There are also two hot-swap drive bays at the front. There are handles at its
sides to allow you to carry the case conveniently. Its motherboard tray can be
removed just by unscrewing four thumbscrews. The front-portion of the case can
also be used to install a 240mm radiator for liquid-cooling.
Straight
out-of-the-box you will notice that the dimensions of this case are very
different from standard mid-towers.
