Raidmax X1
While we haven't looked at
that many cases from Raidmax, the X1 was certainly more classy than some of the previous models we've seen from them. The X1 is available in both black (which is the version we received) and white.
Click to enlarge.
Perhaps somewhat similar to the Antec P180, the X1's front carries a very monolithic look to it, with brushed aluminum on the left half and black glossy plastic shaped for ventilation on the right. Only a single power button with a very simple design on it stands out from the rest of the front. Instead of a thin door, practically the entire front bezel of the X1 swings away to the right to open up.
Click to enlarge.
Once opened up, right away it's apparent that the X1 is capable of holding several more drives than the P150: five 5¼” and two 3½” to be exact. In this shot, we've already placed our combo optical drive just to give a better idea of how the system would look with a computer installed.
Click to enlarge.
In a more direct shot, the extremely glossy finish is even easier to see. This is definitely a surface that will have to be kept very clean to always look its best (and could scratch easily), but should look very nice as long as its given a little extra care. At the bottom of the front are intake vents and the port cluster. Raidmax has finally done something right where so many other cases fail; it simply spaces apart the USB ports a decent distance, so larger devices won't crowd each other.
Click to enlarge.
The side that is of most interest on the X1 is the left side - mostly a plastic window to see the innards of the computer. The window is set off by eight shiny light blue triangular pieces, into which the bolts are screwed to hold the window in place. Notice the fan designed to draw cool air in, and right at the CPU are the three side-loading hard drive bays.
Click to enlarge.
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Tamale - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
Lol.. I've gotten this several times now. It's a solid, quiet, dependable, modular unit that's made by NEC. It's a great unit that we've chosen OVER similarly priced and even much more expensive units from antec, ocz, and thermaltake.photoguy99 - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
I'm sure the first time I read the article it warned that people have been having problems with the P150 powersupplies.I've also seen reports of this.
Has it been removed from the article?
yacoub - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
If the article doesn't mention it, here you go:Antec has been aware of the problem with the NeoPower 430W PSU (with Asus motherboards) that happens to be the one included with the P150. They have fixed the problem but no idea if all the P150s that were already stocked at distributors have been sold by now and the new ones have worked into the system.
Either way, Antec support will work with you to swap you an updated model of the PSU.
puddnhead - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
For me thre are four standards to evaluate a case: cooling, noise, installation proagmatics, cost, and "interface" (getting stuff into and out of external ports and removobale media drives mounted in it). While I realize it's a subjective thing, IMO the last is too often ignored. THis review did a good job in one aspect, noting how far the USB ports are spaced apart. But it failed to notice what I immediately saw as a HUGE flaw in the "edotors choice" case, the X1: the USB, etc ports are BEHIND the door! SO if you have anything plugged into the port, the door MUST stay open. A door is nothing more than something that gets in the way if it can't be closed. AM I the only person in the world that has things plugged into front USB ports for more than a few seconds at a time (the amount of time the door on my current Sonata case is open, to insert and remove CDs & DVDs. The front ports, not behind the door & including firewire, is a big reason I went with the Sonata.What I would really like to see is a case that has USB/firewire/audio/etc ports AND one 5 1/4" drive bay not behind a door, and the rest of bays hidden behind the door. Like most people I suspect I pretty much have one CD/DVD drive I need access too a lot, and another less frequently, & of course other bays with no external access needed at all. That would be cool.
Zepper - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
Why was the front fan mount on the X1 ignored in the review. Looks like it can hold a 120mm there too. Personally I'd mount the front and rear fans and block off the side fan (unless I was going to duct directly to the CPU) and any other large area of ventilation holes like those at the back. Looks (from the limited view in the one picture - should have taken the front bezel off and taken a shot of the naked front so we could see what's there for ourselves) like the front fan grille is very restrictive and would need to be cut out for best cooling. No real technical-level user or reviewer would have missed that.For the fellow in Australia looking for Raidmax, those cases are sold here under several names like Fudin and Logisys as well as Raidmax. I suppose that anyone that wants to can import them from Korea (I believe) and sell them under their own brand name. Another little item that any reviewer with any level of perspective on the PC market would know...
One would hope to get better than superficial, FANBOY-style reviews from AT. <rolleyes>
.bh.
Zepper - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
Another question I have is why is there a Mad Dog PSU in there? That is one of CompUSA's in-house packagers. Raidmax usually uses L&C-type bottom-feeding junkboxes....bh.
Zepper - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
re. the Mad Dog PSU - OIC, the X1 can be had either with or without PSU. The OE one is a junky old design w/ only 14 Amps on the +12, so now we know the why of the PSU swap.And the 0.7mm metal thickness is marginal in my book. Can't imagine how that case could not feel flimsy and have ringy acoustics.
.bh.
Tamale - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
Actually, we couldn't use included power supplies because the P150's unit would not allow us to boot the test bed.yacoub - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
For a review of the P150 based on what it was designed for (silence and usability) read this review: http://www.silentpcreview.com/article272-page1.htm...">http://www.silentpcreview.com/article272-page1.htm...Tamale - Friday, January 13, 2006 - link
I'm sorry, but spending $150, and then going to a lot of extra effort on top of that, all to get a computer as quiet as the X1 would've been in the first place for a third the price seems a little silly.I compared these cases for a reason... I really like the P150 too, but I really feel people need to know that there's much cheaper options that are just as/almost as good.
As for usability, you do have a nice point. The P150 definitely is a nice advancement in this regard. Still, please use some common courtesy and don't use the public comment space to advertise for other websites. Thanks.