Shootouts

Budget Casing Shootout - Affordable PC Housing

By Kenny Yeo - 15 Apr 2010

Internal Matters (contd.)

Internal Matters (continued)

The Ikonik EN2-WB

Removing the side panel of the Ikonik EN2-WB, we can see that the internals are fairly large and should be able to accommodate most setups with ease.

A single 120mm exhaust fan at the rear performs cooling duties for the Ikonik EN2-WB. Users can choose to supplement it with additional fans at the front and side.

A Radeon HD 5870 will fit into the Ikonik EN2-WB quite easily.
 

The NZXT M-59

The insides of the NZXT M-59 looks a tad cramp and we wonder if it'll able to accommodate some of the larger modern day graphics cards such as the Radeon HD 5870. Rear and side exhaust fans come as standard, but the casing can accommodate an additional front intake fan, and two more top side exhaust fans.

The NZXT M-59  has a 120mm exhaust fan located on the side panel that gives off a soft blue glow.

As you can see, it is a little tight in there, having barely managed to squeeze in a Radeon HD 5870.
 

The Thermaltake WingRS 301

The internals of the WingRS 301 is one of the largest of the lot. It comes with a lone 120mm exhaust fan at the rear. Note also that it is the only casing in our roundup that still positions the PSU bay at the top.

There's a removable air guide on the side panel that helps guide cool air to the CPU cooler.

Because of the alignment of the HDD cage, fitting a large graphics card like the Radeon HD 5870 would mean sacrificing one or two HDD bays.

Analysis

If sheer size is what you're after, the Gigabyte Luxo M1000 will not disappoint, because despite being positioned as Gigabyte's entry-level mid tower casing, it is surprisingly spacious. The only downer is that it comes equipped with only one rear exhaust fan - an additional intake fan can be added at the front.

The Antec Two Hundred is yet another fairly spacious casing and it stands out from the competition thanks to its hot swappable drive day. And if ventilation is your concern is your concern, you'll be happy to learn that the Antec Two Hundred can be installed with up to five fans in total - rear and top side exhaust fans come as standard. Thus, it is the most balanced of the six casings in this segment.

Having said that, another 'cool' casing is the NZXT M-59. Granted, it's not the most spacious of casings, a little cramp even, but it comes with both rear and side exhausts fans, and you can add on another two top side exhaust fans and a front intake fan for up to five fans in total.

Join HWZ's Telegram channel here and catch all the latest tech news!
Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.