RaidMax X-1 Gaming Case

From the side we get a nice look at an oversized window with a fan mounted in such a way as to feed outside air to a processor's cooler.  An 80mm blue LED fan is included with the X-1 as is the color coordinated ring that serves as a fan mount.  Not so sure about how stylish this is but we'll have to live with it.  Another questionable styling point are the silver triangle screw caps at each of the mounting points for the window.  You will have to decide for yourself if my sense of flash is outdated but these come across as a little gaudy to me.

Moving to the butt end, we see an exhaust grill stamped into the steel frame of the Raidmax X-1.  Normally, I don't like the stamped grilling as they are restrictive.  That's not the case here.  Look closely at the open area that allows for excellent air exchange.

The right side panel sports a nice little vent area about 80mm square that is positioned in such a way as to feed air to any hard drives installed in the inner rack.  I'm not seeing any fan mounting holes here on the outside, so we'll have to remember to revisit this when we crack the case.

Lay her open Hoss

Removal of the side panel required no more or less effort than you would expect after taking loose the two case screws holding it in place.  The area we find inside is roomy and well thought out.  Also notice the included power supply.  The unit is a 450w number that has two rails of three 4-pin Molex and a lone FDD power connector on each.  It also has a native SATA power connector, standard 20 pin ATX power and 12v power connectors.  An extra SATA adapter plug was also included in the ever present goodie bag.

Along the rear inner wall we see the included 120mm fan and something else beside the expansion card slot area.  Looking closer we found a tool free card rack.  Unlike other push tight systems we've seen, this one worked very well.  A bit tight but very nice all the same.

  

Moving forward are our drive racks.  The lower rack can take up to three 3.5" drives and check out how it is mounted 90 degrees off.  This reduces cable clutter and gives a case a cleaner more professional look.  The drives are held in place by a tool free system that pushes a metal pin into the side mounting hole of a drive.  An identical drive clip assembly is on the opposite side of the rack to keep things secure.  This is only for the externally accessible drive bays whereas the HDD rack drive clips are only on one side.  Our drives, once installed, were firm and only a hair off of a rock solid feel.  A feel similar to the lines of using three instead of four screws to mount a drive.  A hair off but very adequate.  We mentioned earlier about the right side panel venting.  Unfortunately, we did not find any factory fan mounts here but a bit of automotive double sided tape would do the job nicely.

  

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