#e-atx

Fractal Torrent White TG Case Review

Kolink Big Chungus Showcase Chassis Review, a huge designer chassis to show off components

Hey everyone, every once in a while I get the opportunity to review something that is special, uncommon, a showcase even. Kolink have been around a few years producing cases,  power supplies and accessories with inexpensive examples of cases following current design trends, until now. Today I have something rather different not just sitting on my desk but taking up most of the space. Kolink have…

Sahara Sea God H600b Case Review: an E-ATX capable, high airflow chassis attempting to take on the upper budget market segment.

Hi everyone, hoping you are all keeping safe and well. I am back with another Sahara case review. Saraha seem keen to make an impact on the component market, putting out products and responding to feedback. So far we have seen some promising products that needed some improvement on quality and pricing. So today I have the Sahara Sea God H600b case on my desk, promising airflow and higher quality…

Solid front panel or mesh front panel? It's a tough question, and everyone has their own opinion. Now though, the Kolink Balance might just have an answer.

Solid front panel or mesh front panel? It’s a tough question. A solid front panel looks good and can dampen noise, but critics say it restricts airflow. This would make the cooling solution work harder and create more noise to dampen. On the other hand, a mesh front panel lets plenty of air in but also lets all the noise out. Some like the more open look, but others also say it looks, uh, meshy.…

Deepcool Matrexx 70 case review: can deepcool overcome the problems of the Matrexx 55 while adding functionality?

Hey there everyone, your PC case is an important choice when selecting components and today we have a tale of a company improving on their offerings. Deepcool, one of those manufacturers that produces mainly casing and cooling components, some of their cases are legendary such as the Tri and Quad-Stellar and their AIO’s are gaining lots of respect within the community. Today I have their Matrexx…

Bitfenix Enso Mesh Specifications

Color Black, White Material Steel │ Plastic │ Tempered Glass Motherboard Support Mini-ITX, MicroATX, ATX, E-ATX up to 272mm(10.7 inch) Maximum CPU Cooler Height 160mm(6.2 inch) Maximum Graphics Card Support (Length) 340mm (13.3inch) Maximum Graphics Card Support (width) 150mm(5.9 inch) Cable Management Space 23mm(0.9 inch) Expansion Slots (PCI-E) 7 Front I/O Ports 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x HD Audio/Mic 2.5″ Drive Bay 3 3.5″ Drive Bay 2 (Usable as 2.5″ bay) Fan Support(Front) 2 x 140mm or 3 x 120mm Fan Support(Top) 2 x 120mm Fan Support(Rear) 1x 120mm Included Fans(Front) 1 x 120mm Fan (Black) Included Fans(Rear) 1 x 120mm Fan (Static RGB) Radiator Support(Front) 240mm x 1 / 280mm x 1 / 360mm x 1 ( Thickness up to 35mm(1.4inch) / width up to 141mm(5.6inch)/ Length up to 400mm(15.7inch) ) Radiator Support(Rear) 1 x 120mm Power Supply ATX & EPS 12V, Up to 160mm(6.3inch) Dimensions (W x H x D) 210mm(8.3inch) x 489mm(19.3inch) x 452mm(17.8inch) Weight 7kg/ 8.5Kg (15.5lb/ 18.8lb)

Bitfenix Enso Mesh Closer Look

For the most part, the majority of the ENSO design and features are unchanged from the original, so I won’t dwell on those too much. As the saying goes, “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” and Bitfenix have been careful to only address the areas that they felt were a problem last time around.

The original ENSO I reviewed came in the black colourway, but the white variant we have here really pops from the moment you unbox it. The exterior side panels, roof and underneath are all untouched from the original, as is the interior chamber and the rear of the motherboard tray.

It’s the front panel where Bitfenix have focused all of their attention, with the goal of getting as much airflow into the main chamber as possible.

At first glance, removing the front panel doesn’t seem to show any difference to the original. Apart from the integrated cable powering the inbuilt front RGB lighting, the whole panel detaches itself from the chassis.

Upon closer inspection of the actual front panel itself however, this has undergone a major re-design. Bitfenix have done away with the solid front, instead replacing it with a full length dust filter. What’s more, it’s held in place with four magnets, and therefore detaches very easily.

By turning the whole of the front panel into a dust filter means that Bitfenix have done away with the two sliding dust filters that were side mounted on the original. At best these were a little fiddly to remove, but the fact that they only actually cover two thirds of the front panel, was clearly not ideal.

Bitfenix Enso Mesh: The Build

CPU – Intel Core i3-8350k

CPU Cooler – Deepcool Gammax L240

Motherboard – Asus ROG Strix Z370-F Gaming

PSU – Bitfenix Formula Gold 550w

GPU – GeForce GTX 1050 TI 4GT OC

Memory – Ballistix Sport LT 2666MHz DDR4

SSD – Crucial BX300 240GB

Lighting – Bitfenix Alchemy 3.0 Addressable RGB 60cm

It was a really pleasurable experience building another system in the ENSO chassis. The original niggles still remain, such as the basement not accommodating the largest of PSU’s, but in this instance I had already decided to use the Bitfenix Formula, which slotted in without a hitch.

There are no fancy cable management features on the rear of the motherboard tray, but with a decent amount of clearance between that and rear side panel, you are able to zip tie all the cables together without too much bother.

Bitfenix Enso Review: The Verdict

Bitfenix have taken what was already a really good case, and redesigned certain elements in order to improve upon it, and for that they should be applauded.

Not only does the redesigned front panel offer significantly more airflow into the chassis, but I think it actually enhances the appearance of the Enso also. With the already stunning addressable RGB lighting that frames the front of the case, you now get a glimpse of your RGB fans through the front grill.

What’s hot:

Redesigned front panel is functional and also looks amazing

Integrated addressable RGB lighting looks stunning

Fantastic value for money, especially at its currently reduced price at Overclockers UK.

What’s not:

Still won’t accept larger PSU’s in the basement

The original Enso came in at a price of £79.99 here in the UK, and the RRP of the improved Enso Mesh has an RRP of just £5 more. However, at the time of writing it is reduced at Overclockers UK to just £69.95, making it over £10 cheaper than the original model. At that price, I would be hard pushed to recommend anything that is better than the Enso Mesh for the same money.

Thanks to Bitfenix for sending a sample of the Enso Mesh in for review.

Related Reading:

Thermaltake View 23 Tempered Glass ARGB Case Review

Be Quiet! Silent Base 601 Case Review

Deepcool Matrexx 55 ADD-RGB Case Review

Thermaltake Level 20 MT ARGB Case Review

Sharkoon Nightshark RGB PC Case Review

As you can see from the below image, the box for the Thermaltake Level 20 XT is massive and that’s to be expected; the case weighs around 21KG! 4mm tempered glass panels cuddle the chassis which adds weight, but it also adds visual appeal that’s popular currently.

Thermaltake Level 20 XT Specifications & Features

Model Level 20 XT P/N CA-1L1-00F1WN-00 Case Type E-ATX Cube Case Dimension (H x W x D) 515 x 394 x 623 mm (20.3 x 15.5 x 24.5 inch) Net Weight 20.4 kg / 44.97 lb Side Panel 4mm Tempered Glass x 4(Left & Right & Front & Top) Color Exterior & Interior : Black Material SPCC Cooling System Rear (exhaust) : 140 x 140 x 25 mm fan (1000rpm, 16dBA) Drive Bays -Accessible -Hidden 6 x 3.5’’ or 2.5’’ (HDD Cage) 1 x 3.5’’, 2 x 2.5’’ (M/B Tray) Expansion Slots 8 Motherboards 6.7” x 6.7” (Mini ITX), 9.6” x 9.6” (Micro ATX), 12” x 9.6” (ATX), 12” x 13” (Extend ATX) I/O Port USB 2.0 x2, USB 3.0 x2, HD Audio x 1, Type-C x1 PSU Standard PS2 PSU (optional) Fan Support Front: 3 x 120mm, 2 x 140mm, 2 x 200mm Top: 8 x 120mm, 6 x 140mm, 2 x 200mm Rear: 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm Bottom: 3 x 120mm Left / Right Side: 4 x 120mm, 3 x 140mm Radiator Support Front: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 240mm or 1 x 360mm 1 x 140mm or 1 x 280mm Top: 2 x 120mm or 2 x 240mm or 2 x 360mm or 2 x 480mm 2 x 140mm or 2 x 280mm or 2 x 420mm Rear: 1 x 120mm or or 1 x 140mm Left / Right Side: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 240mm or 1 x 360mm or 1 x 480mm 1 x 140mm or 1 x 280mm or 1 x 420mm Bottom: 1 x 120mm or 1 x 240mm or 1 x 360mm or 1 x 480mm 1 x 140mm or 1 x 280mm or 1 x 420mm Clearance CPU cooler height limitation: 250mm VGA length limitation: 400mm(with ODD cage) 590mm(without ODD cage) PSU length limitation: 220mm (With Bottom Fan)

Thermaltake Level 20 XT Closer Look

I didn’t think I would review a case that weighed more than the GT, but with the XT tipping the scales at 20.4kg, this is the new heavyweight king! Removing the case from it’s box, and its easy to see why it’s so heavy….this thing is HUGE!

The base design of the XT mirrors that of the previously reviewed GT, but this time with a cube structure. Tempered glass again clads all four sides, with the top & sides able to be removed with the help of thumbscrews located at the back of the chassis.

The front panel comes away with a hefty tug, leaving the IO panel in situ. Speaking of the front IO, here we have all the essentials laid out front & centre, including a USB Type-C port, which should now be considered standard for any new case.

Removing the top panel exposes what has to be described as the biggest dust filter I have ever seen, running the entire length of the chassis. When you see what’s under it, you understand why it’s so big…there are mounts for 8, yes EIGHT 120mm fans in the roof!

With all panels removed, we start to see what we have to work with when we come to build inside the XT. The motherboard tray lies flat, with all the drive cages located directly underneath it. The tray itself is easily removed with thumbscrews, making motherboard installation a doddle.

With all the glass removed, I thought the chassis itself would be fairly light, but it really isn’t. There’s still a fair amount of weight, which proves the quality and thickness of steel used to construct the XT.

Everything located within the chamber is modular and can be relocated, or removed entirely. There’s an option of two different PSU locations, but with only 1 motherboard position, a dual system is out of the question.

The Thermaltake Level 20 XT Review: The Verdict

Building in the Level 20 XT was extremely easy, given the amount of space and access available. Build quality is as solid as it gets, but the downside to that is that the case weighs a ton…before you even start building components inside.

The space inside the double width chamber is positively cavernous, and for custom loop systems, the XT is going to be an absolute joy.

Building a non-custom loop system in this case really doesn’t do it justice, but for the purpose of completing a review that wasn’t feasible. Therefore, the components in our test build look a little lost inside the XT, but the pictures at least give you an idea of the sheer amount of space you have to play with.

There is a view into the system from every conceivable angle, thanks to the huge expanses of tempered glass that clad both sides, top and front. This adds to the weight tenfold but it’s a worthwhile trade off given how good it looks, inside and out.

Whilst this level of view-ability is one if it’s greatest selling points, it also brings with it the problem of hiding any unsightly cables. Given the open layout, and the horizontally mounted motherboard, there really is nowhere to hide cables easily. Whereas you could just stuff all the cables behind the motherboard tray, and slap on the rear panel in a conventional case, this is going to take a little bit more work to achieve a tidy look.

What’s hot:

Beautifully crafted with top-notch build quality & materials

Modular design giving lots of layout options

Makes a real statement, and will look amazing as a centrepiece in any custom loop setup

What’s not:

Only one fan included…and it’s not even LED

Tt missed a trick by not giving the option of housing a dual system inside

The Thermaltake XT is without a doubt a fantastic case to look at. For anyone wanting to make a statement with a drop-dead gorgeous, water cooled build, you need to look no further. The XT is a stunning piece of kit, and you will not be disappointed.

Thanks to Thermaltake for sending a sample of the Level 20 XT in for review.

Buy at Scan Computers: £196.99

Related Reading:

Thermaltake Level 20 GT Case Review

Phanteks Enthoo Evolv Shift X ITX Case Review

Sahara P75 White Gaming Case Review

Thermaltake View 22 TG Video Review

NZXT H500i (White) Case Review

With the Sharkoon Pure Steel RGB Case review we have an enticing look into a new case including addressable RGB out of the box along with retro inspiration such as a top-mounted PSU.

I got another case in, time to strip the LAN rig once more for a review… Sharkoon have been around since the early noughties and have produced lots of parts and peripherals. My experience with them is mostly enclosures and HDD caddies, they do however have quite a broad range. The Sharkoon Pure Steel is a mid-range chassis designed to show off pretty builds where the visible action takes place…