Introduction
XFX are better known for their award-winning power supplies and graphics cards, in fact that’s ALL they’re known for, or at least that was true until this arrived in the eTeknix office! We’ve seen the case before at a couple of trade shows, but back then it was just a prototype, and we’re no stranger to seeing things like this at shows, then the products never seeing the light of day in terms of retail.
XFX are moving into the chassis business with the launch of the XFX TYPE01, a premium class midi-tower chassis and with some already fierce competition in this sector of the market, it’s certainly a bold move. The question is, can XFX compete with the likes of Corsair, NZXT, Coolermaster and many others in this sector of the market? Well if this case is anywhere near as good as their other PC components, then the answer is certainly yes and we’re confident that they’ve got the expertise and industry knowledge to create something spectacular.
- Unique XFX floating case design
- Modern minimalist design style
- Seamless hidden disc drive bays with folding doors
- Three(3) 5.25” External Toolless Drive Bays
- Eight (8) Internal 3.25“ Toolless Drive Bays
- Support up to 8 fans from 120mm to 200mm
- Up to Eight (8) PCI Expansion slots
- Top I/O ports including Four (4) USB 3.0 and Audio I/O
- Mic& Headphone HD audio ports
- Open Mesh Bottom With Filter
- Water Cool Ready
- Isolated bottom mount PSU design
- Solid and light ABS plastic construction
- Standard Mid Size tower height
- Full ATX motherboard compatibility
Priced at a staggering £130+ for pre-order at Scan.co.uk the XFX TYPE01 really is going to be the play thing of the enthusiast, and at that price I’ll be expecting nothing short of faultless build quality and design. For your money you get plenty of support, with room for eight expansion cards, 3 x 5.25″ devices and 8 hard drives. So let’s get right to it and see just what the TYPE01 Bravo has to offer.
The box doesn’t look much, but the lines down the side are a sneaky hint at the chassis overall design that you’ll see in a moment.
Around the back we have a nice run down of the major features as well as a small tear-down image. The box reads; “THE ULTIMATE SCABBARD FOR YOUR GAMING PC. Built with gamers in mind, the XFX TYPE01 series of PC cases offer a number of features that is sure to please. Designed to “Float” off the surface of wherever you game, it provides ample airflow to your components while its unique design is sure to turn heads.”
The case comes really well packaged, there a pair of smaller boxes on each end that are lined with thick and soft foam, which is custom cut to the shape of the chassis, more than enough to keep it well protected in transit.
Inside the chassis there was a components box, this contained all the major fixtures and fittings required to get your system installed. This includes 5 x 2.5″ drive trays, an easy to follow user guide, front panel adaptor and two small packets.
Inside the packets you’ll find a nicely labelled selection of cable ties, screws, stand-offs and case fittings.
Hoo boy that case looks like a dreadful mess to me, not my taste at all. I’ve seen overpriced, impractical cases (ThermalTake Level 10) often enough but at least some were sexy (In Win 901/904). Generally I like XFX products (especially their Seasonic built PSU’s) and I hope their next attempt is a much better looking, far more practical and far, far better value for money attempt. Until now XFX products have always been reasonable value for money and I hope it remains so.
P.S. I’ll have to test this case myself soon so I’d better keep an open mind.
I agree but I don’t. I think that if any established manufacturer was to do this, I’d agree with you, but this is still a first attempt for XFX so credit where credit is due. Yes the stylish is a bit 80’s in terms of the slats, but the idea is there. I’m keen to see if they take our comments on board and develop something with more design flair.
It probably looks nicer in the… ahem, plastic than it does in pics. It’s the price and practicality in the review that really caught my attention. At this point in time I’m not sure I’ll ever get to see it let alone test it.
WANT