Raidmax Vampire Full Tower Case Review
(sumber dan artikel lengkap bisa di baca di : http://www.thinkcomputers.org/raidmax-vampire-full-tower-case-review/)
We have the new Raidmax Vampire full tower case in for review today. Weighing in at just under 30 pounds, the Vampire�s bold but sleek design makes it stand out. The materials, design and build quality are excellent and apparent that a lot of thought went into the design and features that enthusiasts demand. The case is packed with all the features you would expect in its class like cooling with the 200mm front intake fan, water cooling support both internal and external setups, a top mounted SATA hot-swap bay, USB 3.0, five 5.25� external bays and a large side panel window. Will this sleek designed case enriched in features meet your requirements? Read on to find out more.
Specifications
Packaging
The box came shipped double boxed, the outside box was a high gloss black while the inner box was a generic corrugated box that replicated the outside box but less details and cheap printing.
The front of the outer box shows a 3d image of the face and top of the case highlighting the 3 external drive bays and off black rubberized design with a blue background building up behind the case.
The box came shipped double boxed, the outside box was a high gloss black while the inner box was a generic corrugated box that replicated the outside box but less details and cheap printing.
The front of the outer box shows a 3d image of the face and top of the case highlighting the 3 external drive bays and off black rubberized design with a blue background building up behind the case.
We notice that both sides are identical giving the same information as the other side. The outer box shows a 3d image of the case including the face and allowing a visual appearance of its massive window on the left access panel . Below the picture of the outer box and centered on the inner corrugated box is a list of the cases basic specifications.
The back of both boxes has more detailed information and feature locations of the case including a closer look of specific features of the case including its cooling and filtration features, included fans, design, and the included hot-swap SSD drive bay.
Inside the inner box there is hard 3 inch thick Styrofoam to protect the case from drops and bumps wrapped in a felt cloth bag with the Raidmax logo printed on both sides while traveling to its new home.
The Exterior
As we unveil the case we see a pure black case, the face and top panels are rubberized in a sleek design with off black contours that says nothing more than style seeking appreciation. The top half of the face is filled with bay doors that are quick and easy using the lever to quickly remove one of the five filtered 5.25� bay doors. The bottom half has square-ish designs cut out with a filter behind used to filter the intake fan keeping dust particles from entering the case.
As we unveil the case we see a pure black case, the face and top panels are rubberized in a sleek design with off black contours that says nothing more than style seeking appreciation. The top half of the face is filled with bay doors that are quick and easy using the lever to quickly remove one of the five filtered 5.25� bay doors. The bottom half has square-ish designs cut out with a filter behind used to filter the intake fan keeping dust particles from entering the case.
Moving our concentration to the left side of the Raidmax Vampire we find a nice side window that takes up approximately two-thirds of the door, allowing you to view all of your internal components. The window also provides an option of installing two 120mm fans that has an unfiltered slotted opening to pull cold air directly onto your graphics card and processor. The door is held on by thumb screws that are stubby with a short thread length making it quicker to remove the door. However, this door is difficult to remove as the top and bottom rubs against the frame of the case so a little force may be necessary.
Moving to the back of the case our attention is brought everywhere, the 4 grommets supporting external water cooling kits, the I/O board opening, to the right of that is an included 140mm fan. The Vampire case offers 10 expansion slots as the covers have a mesh design for air circulation and are easily removable with the included thumb screws. Instead of having an air vent to the right of the expansion slots, Raidmax has engraved their name into the case. The bottom mounted power supply is compatible of being mounted in either configuration with the fan towards the bottom or topside of the case.
While there�s really nothing special about the right side panel, I did find it much easier to remove then the other side.
Taking a quick look at the bottom of the case we find a filtered air vent capable of holding a 120 or 140mm fan that sits between the power supply and 3.5� drive bays, the power supply intake also has a railed washable filter that is easy to remove. The feet are raised and cylinder in shape that allows maximum airflow into the case from the bottom.
Moving on to the top of the case, The top section is easily removable by the two thumbscrews located on the backside allowing the section to slide off allowing access to maintain top mounted fans and/or radiators inside the case. The bottom section as pictured, near the front of the case we find the side mounted 2.5� hot-swap SSD bay. In the center of the case from left to right is the power switch, two USB 2.0 ports, Audio/Mic jacks, two USB 3.0 ports and the reset switch. On the right side of the top we find the integrated fan controller which includes a low/high speed switch, an X-Speed push button and an on/off push button. The controller is capable of controlling 3 fans with a max output of 30w.
Interior
Removing the cover is easy with a light tug using a slot located center just underneath will provide access to the included blue LED 200mm fan protected by a honeycomb grill.
Removing the cover is easy with a light tug using a slot located center just underneath will provide access to the included blue LED 200mm fan protected by a honeycomb grill.
With the case opened, we find the interior layout has a very clean look. The black interior matches the coloring of the exterior. The motherboard positioning and mounting follows the standard layouts for ATX, MINI ATX, SSI EEB, SSI CEB, FLEX ATX and MICRO ATX motherboard sizes. Although the hard drive cages are not modular, there is still enough room for the longest video card on the market with enough room to expand on cooling and airflow by adding additional fans.
Along the front of the case, we find seven 3.5�/2.5� tool-less hard drive trays, five tool-less 5.25� external drive bays and the included 200mm intake fan. On the rear of the case, we find the included 140mm exhaust fan.
A Closer Look
We really didn�t get the chance to go into details about the features on top of the case including the hot-swap bay, USB port locations or the fan controller. The hot-swap SSD drive bay comes with a dust cover and is easily accessible on the top left of the case.
We really didn�t get the chance to go into details about the features on top of the case including the hot-swap bay, USB port locations or the fan controller. The hot-swap SSD drive bay comes with a dust cover and is easily accessible on the top left of the case.
In the center of the case from left to right is the power switch, two USB 2.0 ports, Audio/Mic jacks, two USB 3.0 ports and the reset switch. While the USB ports come with dust covers, the 2nd USB 2.0 port came dead on arrival.
On the right side of the top we find the integrated fan controller which includes a low/high speed switch, an X-Speed push button and an on/off push button. The controller is capable of controlling 3 fans with a max output of 30w. The low/high switch works together but is really a low/med speed where the X-SPEED runs fans at 100% and has a red led when the switch is activated overruling the switch regardless if it is in the low or high position. The last button on the right, is the on/off switch with a green led when the fan controller is turned on. I�m not sure why you would completely turn off the fans as they are connected directly to the power supply via molex connector.
Installation
Here is what we used for this build.
Here is what we used for this build.
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth 990fx R2.0
Processor: AMD FX-6300
Graphics: EVGA 550 ti
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 16GB (2�8)
Power Supply: NZXT Hale90 V2 1000w
Storage: 320GB Western Digital 2.5? SATA2, 2TB Western Digital 3.5? SATA2
Radiator: AlphaCool 120mm
Reservoir: Danger Den dual bay, Alphacool DC-LT res/pump combo
Processor: AMD FX-6300
Graphics: EVGA 550 ti
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 16GB (2�8)
Power Supply: NZXT Hale90 V2 1000w
Storage: 320GB Western Digital 2.5? SATA2, 2TB Western Digital 3.5? SATA2
Radiator: AlphaCool 120mm
Reservoir: Danger Den dual bay, Alphacool DC-LT res/pump combo
This is what the case looks like with all the components installed; there is lots of room for all the components while still providing good airflow.
Final Thoughts
The Raidmax Vampire is a great case and had a great time looking over it. If you�re in the market for a case ranging from $125-$150 which comes with a 2 year manufacture warranty; The Raidmax Vampire should be on your short list. The case includes several great features such as excellent cable management with plenty of tie down points and grommeted cut-outs, provides support for external water cooling and a 30w fan controller. The hot-swap 2.5� SSD exterior bay is a great feature for those on the go drives that are often dismounted for storage.
The Raidmax Vampire is a great case and had a great time looking over it. If you�re in the market for a case ranging from $125-$150 which comes with a 2 year manufacture warranty; The Raidmax Vampire should be on your short list. The case includes several great features such as excellent cable management with plenty of tie down points and grommeted cut-outs, provides support for external water cooling and a 30w fan controller. The hot-swap 2.5� SSD exterior bay is a great feature for those on the go drives that are often dismounted for storage.
Although the 3.5� bays are not modular like most cases, the Vampire is still fully capable of supporting the largest graphic cards on the market while supporting up to 330mm in length. Installing the test system was nothing but a breeze and found a lot of room for expanding for a larger system or a better loop. With the entire motherboard tray extended out from the rear, it allowed enough space to mount the 120mm radiator in an abnormal position.
Unfortunately, the largest radiator this case supports is a 240mm unless you want to step up to the 200mm on top, modifying the case and pulling the hard drive bays will be necessary in order to have a front mounted radiator. The biggest Issue that I saw with this case was the left side panel catching, a simple 1-2mm shave on the top or bottom would do the trick and open flawlessly. Another minor detail was the second USB 2.0 port was not functional while the rest were in perfect working condition.
On a positive note, the large window gave us a full view of all our components when installed in the case and gave a slight blue glow from the installed blue LED fans installed during the build. Although this case has a few minor technical issues, this is an excellent case in the full tower category. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Raidmax Vampire Full Tower Case an 8 out of 10 score.
Pros:
� Large window
� Cable anagement
� Great airflow
� Included fan controller
� Hot-swap SSD bay
� Large window
� Cable anagement
� Great airflow
� Included fan controller
� Hot-swap SSD bay
Cons:
� Doesn�t support larger custom water cooling without case modding
� Single USB 2.0 port doesn�t function
� Left side panel rubs against side
� Doesn�t support larger custom water cooling without case modding
� Single USB 2.0 port doesn�t function
� Left side panel rubs against side
(sumber dan artikel lengkap bisa di baca di : http://www.thinkcomputers.org/raidmax-vampire-full-tower-case-review/)