Cougar DarkBlader X5 RGB Mid-Tower PC Case Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The Cougar DarkBlader X5 Mid-Tower E-ATX PC case is available right now from the usual major retailers. I found it on Amazon for just £79.48, which is exceptional value for money given its size, features, and those gorgeous RGB fans and fan hub. However, if you want to use your own set of fans, you can get the case without the VK120’s, and it’ll only cost you £57.50! However, its main rival comes from Cougar themselves, and the MX660 is still the one I would buy for similar money; style is subjective, though!

Overview

There are so many amazing cases on the market these days that it can be pretty hard to pick the right one. However, it seems that Cougar is making all the right moves here. Is it the perfect PC case? Not really, but honestly, there are no issues here that I would call a deal-breaker, and certainly not at this price range. It’s got all the features of a case that costs North of £100, but at a much more wallet-friendly price.

Design

Tempered glass, RGB fans, and a big PSU shroud, these may have been premium at one point, but let’s be honest, they’re industry standard items now. However, I’m still happy to see them all here and counted for. The little details add up, such as the window covering the full side, and the black border and some foam ensure it looks neat and doesn’t rattle or buzz. There’s also a built-in RGB hub with a few extra headers, ensuring you can easily expand your lighting setup. Finally, the PSU shroud offers up additional storage bays, SSD mounts, cable routing holes, and full radiator clearance at the front of the case; awesome!

Capability

The case I reviewed comes with three 120mm fans in the front, and they look stunning. However, looks aside, they do push a good amount of airflow throughout the case with surprisingly minimal noise. The semi-open design of the front panel works surprisingly well, and you get plenty of additional airflow from the bottom, top and rear air vents, and filters. It’ll also handle some decent sized radiators, making it one of the more affordable cases that’ll hold such large radiators, an E-ATX motherboard, and such long graphics cards.

Build Quality

I was expecting many more compromises at this price range, but that really isn’t the case with this, errr, case! The front panel is maybe a little plastic heavy, but honestly, it does look decent with the matte finish and frosty plastics that let the light shine through. The tempered glass is thick and well mounted. Little details like the side panels have screws that don’t drop off, so you don’t lose them. The expansion slots have reusable metal covers, not the snap-off things. There are cable tie loops everywhere, and Velcro straps, and more little details that all add up to a more premium experience.

Should I Buy One

The aesthetics of the front panel are unique, and the case certainly stands out. There are many great little details to this case that make it look and feel much more premium. Although I really like the model I reviewed, those three 120mm RGB fans do look great. However, if you already have a nice set of fans you want to use, the price of this case without fans will be hard to beat!