COUGAR DarkBlader X7 Midnight Green Case Review

How Much Does it Cost?

The Cougar DarkBlader X7 Mid-Tower E-ATX PC Case is available from most major retailers. It’s currently priced at £70-£75, and you can find it on Amazon UK for £74.99 in either green or black. While that’s not a bargain price, for a case of this size, with a built-in ARGB hub, front panel lighting, a 120mm ARGB fan, and that huge tempered glass window, I’d certainly say it is competitive.

Overview

Cougar is a huge brand, with an absolutely massive range of products to their name. PC cases, peripherals, power supplies, gaming chairs, desks and much more. I’ve given them many awards over the years, and I’m happy to say I’ll be doing the same again today. While the Cougar DarkBlader X7 doesn’t really offer anything innovative, it does get all the little details correct and at a perfectly competitive price.

There’s room for some very high-end hardware in this case. An E-ATX motherboard and the largest graphics cards on the market will fit with ease, and actually, with room to spare. If you want to get some AIO coolers or custom loop radiators into your build, you’ll be more than happy for the extra room.

I do like that they’ve added a vertical GPU mount too, and while you will have to provide your own riser cable, they’re not that expensive these days. It’s a great way to show off your graphics card, especially with that huge tempered glass window on the side.

The single RGB fan is a nice addition, as is the ARGB strip in the front panel. A lot of cases put too much focus on lighting, and while that’s great too, I do prefer this more toned-down look. Actually, it’s the subtle green colouring of the case that makes the most impact, and it’s a joy to see something that isn’t monochrome for once. Albeit, I’ve seen reports of other big brands launching more colourful case designs this year too.

The build quality is excellent throughout, with durable fittings and fixtures. There are dust filters on the front panel and top, keeping the airflow squeaky clean. Furthermore, the tempered glass and side panels are fit snug, so dust and air won’t leak in or out of the case. The vertical GPU mount has snap-off covers, but Cougar lovingly put some spare covers in the components bag, so no harm there either.

Should I Buy One?

Cougar has a pretty standard mid-tower E-ATX design here, but they’ve paid a lot of attention to the details, and I really can’t find anything wrong with it. It’s spacious on the interior, has excellent hardware support, there’s room for lots of high-end cooling hardware, great cable routing options, and more. Of course, with the unique green exterior adding a subtle twist and the competitive price, it’s a case I’d quite happily have under my own desk!