One to unit is actually Cougar, and today we are thinking about one of their current circumstances, this new Opponent

During the Computex 2012, I strolled one of limitless places regarding grand stands full of pc instances. There were all those makers that I have never heard of, which are not on which many building contractors look at the “A-list” out of casecrafters, but some of them seemed certain fairly persuasive patterns.

One of many stands We went by the trapped my appeal and you can helped me prevent, since their construction visual was eye-catching.

Specifications

• Mid-tower
• Micro-ATX / ATX
• 268(W)x514(H)x523(D)
• step 3 established 5.25? push bays
• step one established and you can 7 undetectable step 3.5? drive bays
• 3 hidden dos.5? drive bays (converted from step three.5? push bays)
• Outside 3.5? & 2.5? HDD/SSD hot-swap bay
• Restrict step 3.5? Hard drive strung wide variety: 9
• Maximum dos.5? Hard disk drive / SSD hung amounts: 8

The new Opponent

Let’s just obtain the one larger thing off of the dish: people commonly immediately reject this situation according to aesthetic alone, while some might want they to the aesthetic alone. It is a great polarizing framework that fits into the on the more youthful center gamer market. My thirteen-year-old man enjoys the looks. I think it appears to be style of goofy (I am 35). The truth is actually a standard material box, the sort that was coming out of east China for years, in the event high quality has improved significantly inside the very last five years. I believe it’s secure to say that the times of piece material thus narrow one to a tot you certainly will bend they and hand-shredding razor corners have ended. All of the instances I have seen coming out of Asia and Taiwan not too long ago reaches minimum a fairly a beneficial manufacturing high quality; match and find yourself is actually in the long run appropriate across-the-board.

The fresh Challenger visual can ideal feel described as battle automobile/fighter jet. Among the many items that is said in their sale thing more often than once ‘s the red top-secure stamina and you will reset changes, that will be designed to make you feel like you might be turning unlock a missile discharge option or something like that. The remainder situation falls into battle automobile graphic, which have glossy black and you may possibly orange, light, or even more Middle Eastern dating black highlights, according to and this colour you choose.

Appearance out, brand new Enemy keeps a couple of really nice keeps one happen bringing-up right away: the latest dirt filters quietly and you can base is actually magnetized and effortlessly snap towards the place as opposed to distressful plastic movies one commonly split. It is very fulfilling once they “chunk” towards place, well lined up. It’s a highly-designed program one almost every other circumstances companies is always to simulate.

The top a couple USB harbors provides a hybrid inner cord you to should be plugged into a USB step 3 header when you have that, in addition to keeps a good pigtail that have good USB 2 heading in the event the the motherboard lacks help to possess inner USB step three.

Drives

The major selling point of the new Enemy, centered on just what Cougar generally seems to need across the from inside the their force kits, ‘s the configurable drive rack system.

When you yourself have a giant GPU that really needs 410mm regarding approval, you can reduce an entire section of hard disk drive trays so you can make room for they. There are around three configurations having hard disk trays. Here you will find the image from Cougar one determine they:

It’s an excellent system, and also the trays are extremely easy to swap as much as and you will flow out if you wish to.

This new rails themselves are apparently flexible plastic material, but they held my personal pushes snugly and you will clicked to the set in the place of people troubles.

Ventilation

Because the a normal middle-tower ATX circumstances, ventilation is a little confined. I am coming from the lofty realm of this new NZXT Key 810, and so i can be biased, but about discover enough cord administration gaps for almost all pages. The newest Opponent boasts an individual 120mm Cougar Wind generator lover during the the back, and you can a massive 200mm fan right in front, and that sleeps at the rear of a somewhat airtight filter panel. The 200mm inhales since the rear fan is set to exhaust. The side committee include gaps in order to attach a side fan, and greatest include enough space to attach a couple of 120 otherwise 140mm admirers otherwise just one 180mm or 200mm fan.

For individuals who decide from an area partner, a barbeque grill having a soil filter out comes, plus it spends the really chill aforementioned magnetized brackets to help you snap to your put.

Top quality

Whenever i stated previously, the newest construction is better than I’d requested. The newest motherboard rack was matte black material, along with an enormous sufficient cutout for the version of air conditioning options you might throw in here. Unlike metal standoffs, brand new motherboard tray possess elevated supports based in. There was a single low-fuck standoff post regarding the cardio, and motherboard screws directly to the actual situation to the standoff shocks. I favor this system more than needing to arranged 6-nine standoffs.

We encountered no quality problems with possible. Everything is solid, square, and you may fit along with her really well. The side panels was indeed slightly flimsy, even so they slid into the and you will screwed in the perfectly.

Testimonial

If you want the look, this can be a pretty very good mid-tower instance. Or even, there’s absolutely no method you’ll buy it. The truth be told very good construction, the flexibility granted because of the modular drive bays, brand new magnetized clamps having filter systems and boards, therefore the standoff program are things that put the Cougar except that its of several co-workers.

Basically had to classify that it, I’d put it securely in the “very good, however advanced” mid-tier. On $, it’s not going to hurt you wallet, and you might end up with a some good case.