Raidmax Scorpio V Review
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So, you have decided on that new CPU and motherboard combination, picked the RAM and HDD, and decided on a Blu-Ray burner; but you are still wondering on the type of case to hold your next pride and joy. If you are lucky enough to be near one of the large computer stores you could browse those shelves for several different options, but you soon notice that the store choices are not of your liking. So you do as a lot of others, go to your backup plan and browse the Internet. You soon find your choices are overwhelming. What size; full, mid, mini; orientation; tower, desktop; colors; black, white, blue, etc.; side window; how many external drives; how many internal drives; etc. How about cable management, power supply location, lights, etc. The options are almost endless and then you have to decide on a manufacturer. Raidmax has been designing computer case solutions since 1988, providing innovative and quality products for enthusiast. The manufactuer has updated one of their oldest case lineups, the Scorpio. This design debuted in 2003, and now Raidmax has introduced the Scorpio V. So, let�s take a few minutes and see what the latest Scorpio offers.
Specifications:Size: Model: Color: Dimensions: Expansion Slots: External Drive Bays: Internal Drive Bays: Top Ports: System Boards: Cooling Fans: Warranty: | Tower Scorpio V White or Black 500(L) x 212(W) x 500(H)mm 8 3 x 5.25� 8 x 3.25� or 8 x 2.5� SSD 1 x 2.5� HDD Hot Swap 2 x USB2.0 / 2 x HD Audio / 2 x USB3.0 Power Switch\LED / HDD Activity LED / Reset Switch ATX / Micro ATX / Mini-ITX / EATX Front � 120mm LED (included) Back � 120mm Black (included) Side � none Top � 2 x 120mm Bottom � 1 x 120mm 1 year limited parts and labor |
As usual, the outer box has a depiction of the case inside with some specifications listed on the box ends.
Inside we find the inner foam support/cushioning, with the Scorpio V case itself wrapped in a plastic bag.
After unpacking the case, you will first note the two side panels have bump outs (one panel also has a window) which gives the case sturdiness and room for those tall, large coolers often used during CPU/motherboard installation. Be very careful when handling this case, as the front and top panel easily detach from the case with minimal force. I also found it extremely lightweight when empty. The white exterior of this Scorpio V model is more of a pearl color.
Removing the windowed side panel, we can see all of the hard drive mounting trays, plus the rear fan and cable management access ports with rubber covers. By pulling on the middle of a hard drive tray, you can remove one to mount a HDD. The yellow arrows in the right-hand photo point to the latching pins on the tray. Gently pry outward on the sides of the tray, then place a HDD into the tray and allow the latch pins to fit into the screw holes of the HDD. The red arrows point to the screw access points for installing an SSD.
Here you can see a DVD I installed for visual comparison after opening the front door of the case. The other two drive openings have wire mesh covers with a foam backing for filtering and airflow. As shown on the photo below right, the front panel is easily removed by pulling outward from the bottom for cleaning and once removed you can see the clear 120mm front fan that has a blue LED installed.
In this view of the back panel you can see the sticker of the rear 120mm fan through the vent holes. Next is a view of the case bottom with two removable filters.
Here is a top view with all of the buttons, USB ports, audio ports, and the SATA dock. If you press on the rear edge of the black mesh panel of the top it will pop up and you can remove it for cleaning and access the top fan mounting. Next is a closeup showing the fan slider control, USB / audio ports, eSTA port, power switch, reset button, and HDD activity LED.
The next two photos show the other side of the case as well as a close up of the installed cables to connect all the top ports and light above the front door panel, with the case manual and plastic bag of parts. (NOTE: There are also 4 fan cable connectors that operated via two speed control located on the top panel. So, if your motherboard does have enough fan headers you have a convenient solution.)
Displayed below left is the top filter panel and one of the external front panel covers. If you click on the image you can get a better view of the makeup of each item and note the front panel cover has a separate removable cover to allow installation of a floppy disk drive or equivalent. Below right meanwhile is a close up of the manual and parts package that comes with the case. Spread out for viewing are the numerous bags containing; power supply / fan (two styles) / motherboard mounting screws, rubber plugs for the top cover USB / audio / SATA ports, plastic tie wraps, motherboard speaker with adapter and assembly instruction sheet.
Now we get to see the computer system installed into the Scorpio V case. Look at how neat and orderly the case can be even after all the components are installed.
Next are closeup photos of the cabling as it snakes through the cable management ports to other components of the system. The first photo shows how power supply cables easily feed through the port, while the other photo shows the video card power cable coming back out to the component side to connect.
These next two images show a slight shortcoming; the 8-pin motherboard cable had to run out a cable management port over the top of the motherboard to its connection point.
Even with all the cables snaking around the back of the case they can still be keep neat using tie wraps.
I will be comparing the temperature readings of a current computer system by using CPU-Z for Core Speed, CPUID HWMonitor for temperature readings and Prime95 with Unique Heaven to stress the system. I will then transfer the components into the new case and re-perform the tests. Prior to each test I will boot up the system from a cold state, let the system settle for one hour, then run the stress programs for another hour. I will also keep track of the ambient room temperature using an AcuRite 613 Indoor Monitor and correct those readings for a variation from a nominal 25�C.
{NOTE: Please remember that results will vary due to computer system components and test environment.}
Computer components:
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4670 Haswell 3.4 GHz
- Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Pro3
- HDD: ADTA SP900 SSD
- Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws 8 GB (2x4) DDR3
- Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper EVO
- Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 7800 1 GB
- Optical Drive: Lite On DH-20MP
- Power Supply: OCZ Mod X Stream Pro 700w
- OS: Windows 7 Pro w\SP1
Comparison Case(s):
- Cooler Master Centurion
Both of these cases have two 120mm fans to provide good airflow. So what did we find?
When moving a complete system from one case to another that is basically set up the same way (two fans placed in same locations), you would expect similar temperature readings. Here we see a 1� C temperature increase for both test runs in the Scorpio V case. We wonder if the additional HDD trays in the Scorpio V (8 versus 3) could be slightly hindering the air flow. I am sure that the one degree difference would average out over usage.
Although the Chipset Idle reading is better on the Scorpio V case, it still runs up to the same Load temperature. This could well average out over time.
Here we see exactly the same readings for both cases, again leading to the conclusion that these two cases have similar cooling characteristics.
More fan locations, controlled fan speed support, easily removable dust filtering, etc., the list of options is long. Add the blue LED front fan lighting and blue LED eye above the door, and it is easy to see how the Scorpio V case could be a desirable case for most enthusiasts. Even after installing a water cooler setup there is still plenty of room for all your drives or dual video card setup.
If you have an eSATA port on your motherboard, plugging the eSATA cable of the built-in dock on the Scorpio V top will give you quick and easy access to extra SATA HDDs you can use for backups. If your motherboard does not have an eSATA port, you can still use a normal SATA port on your motherboard, though the HDD directory will not reset without a reboot once your system reads the HDD. An annoyance, but the quick access can still prove advantageous.
So put this case as a consideration to use for your next build or upgrade; it should fill your case needs for the foreseeable future. Currently available in Black or White versions for about $80, we hope more color options will be added to the Scorpio V lineup.
