Raidmax X-1 Case Review

On the surface and under the skin the basic chassis used in the X-1 is the same one you will find at the heart of the Raidmax Samuari. Drive configurations, fan support and drive retention mechanisms are identical in functionality and placement. This is good since the Samurai did very well in the cooling department however there are a few things that could be made better.

1) First the LED fan in the window, based on its position we would recommend reversing the airflow or removing it completely. While having the blue glow is a nice touch the airflow disruption is not ideal when it comes to cooling. Likewise the perforated holes covering the 120mm fan spots really need to be drilled out or removed completely (think Dremel tool), not only will airflow increase but fan noise will be reduced.

2) Unfortunately due to the dual fan PSU our typical 92mm blow hole solution will not work. An 80mm fan or two 60mm fans will fit in this location but seem like a very unlikely solution in this particular instance.

3) We are very pleased with the placement of the side venting however due to the lower HDD drive cage this vent can never be converted to active cooling if the fan is to remain internal to the case (external fans are not very pretty). So to maximize their potential we need to refine our cooling methods. Provided that the 80mm fan is reversed and the grill on the 120mm fan has been removed there should be enough pressure to draw a sizeable amount of air thru the side vents and keep the HDDs cool.

4) Front fan location, placing a fan here in hopes of getting better airflow will only lead to fan noise and frustration. Normally the suggestion would be to save your money on a 120mm fan and concentrate on other cooling methods but the vent behind the aluminum panel is very intriguing. Initial thoughts would be to remove the perforated grill and hope for the best.

5) The tell tale sign of a pre-modded case is the inclusion of a side window. In the past the plastic used was always very thin and prone to breakage. The X-1 is slightly different; the panel is made from acrylic and held in place by a series of screws (found behind the funky triangles). As you can guess the panel is rather flexible but is also very sturdy due to its construction. No mods to report here unless you are dying to change the window color.