InWin 309 Gaming Edition Mid-Tower Case Review

How Much Does it Cost?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an up to date price for the InWin 309 Gaming Edition. The only listing in the UK at this time is the InWin 309 ARGB model, and even that is showing out of stock. However, you can check for up to date pricing here, as I’m sure stock issues are temporary. Of course, it will not be cheap either way, with the US MSRP sitting at $250 excluding tax.

Overview

As much as I love it, there’s no getting around some of the very blatant issues with this case. The motherboard placement restricts pretty much all of the cable routing holes. So unless you’re using mini-ITX or mATX, there are no routing holes below the motherboard, leading to some tricky cable runs. Plus, the ones of the right are a strange shape and offer no grommets, while leaving much of the space to the right of the motherboard underutilized. Providing some additional storage mounts, universal brackets, or cable routing holes would have been better. Plus, the USB ports look ugly as sin.

The default fan configuration is strange too, with four awesome fans pre-installed, but all of them are set up to exhaust. Ideally, you would want some bringing airflow into the case. However, fitting fans in the bottom of the case would then also restrict the use of the lower expansion slots. That’s absolutely fine in my build, as I only have one graphics card and no additional expansion cards, but it could be a problem for some, so keep it in mind. That being said, due to the vast amount of ventilation in the bottom of the case, airflow is actually pretty decent and you can feel the case pulling air in at the bottom reasonably enough.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, and frankly, if you’re buying this case for its affordability and practicality, you’re going to be pretty disappointed. It’s a big and obnoxious product and the sooner you embrace that, the sooner you’ll be having a good time. It’s also exceptionally heavy for its size, like holy-cow kind of heavy, so if you have a weak desk, you’ll need to place the case on the floor. Despite the stupid layout creating issues with the build, all the sins are forgiven when you hit the power button. The ARGB fans look stunning, they are so much more unique looking than many rival fans. While ARGB isn’t everything, it’s certainly a large part, if not all, of what the InWin 309 is all about.

The front panel is the real star of the show here though, and it’s almost a product all in its self. it is a basic computer, a monitor and a controller, meaning you can literally play games on it. which is… frankly, stupid and pointless, and really, I do not need this in my life. However, it’s also cool, amusing, funny, and a really unique gimmick. Everything that is wrong with it is everything that is right with it. My kids think it’s the best thing ever, especially the animated Giraffe design! Despite the many flaws, I have to agree, it does put a smile on your face.

While the gaming aspect of it is amusing, I must admit that I just love the overall customisation options of the front panel. Having it as a clock, as a Mario gif, as a lava lamp, a party light, and so much more. It’s just about the coolest looking thing in the room. I’ll admit it’s not for everyone. However, that’s pretty much how the InWin 309 should be viewed. If you look at it and think “well, that’s just dumb” then it’s not for you. If you look at it and think “I need this in my life no matter what” then I think you’ll be able to work around the minor design flaws on the interior and light up your computer, your room and your life with that LED panel.

While I can’t quite justify an award on this case right now, I think that despite the numerous flaws, that if you love that front panel and ARGB fan design, you don’t need me to convince you otherwise; it’s as cool as it looks!