Price-Point Comparing Three-Way Case Shootout

Raidmax X1 (cont’d)

Turning the case more, we can see the relationship of the three main elements of the active cooling in the X1: the rear 120mm, the side-mounted 80mm, and the potential power supply fan(s).

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Like the P150, the X1 too has additional passive vents near the expansion slots. It’s also easier to tell now that at least in terms of 3½” drive bays, the X1 and P150 also basically tied, as they can both house 1 external and 4 internal drives. The X1’s drive bays are all tool-less, and we’ll explain the usage of the black units visible in the previous two pictures shortly. Before opening up the case though, let’s turn the case around and have a look at the bottom as well.

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While certainly not as nicely-finished as the underside of the P150, the X1 still does have feet, but they’re not going to do anything for the absorption of vibrations. More intake ventilation can be found here under the front bezel, and there is a space for an additional 80mm to be mounted in order to actively bring in cool air right onto the hard drives visible here on the right side panel.

Taking off the left side and peering into the chassis reveals a spacious interior delightfully void of any additional crossbars that could make installation difficult. Granted, bars like this are actually preferred by people more concerned with case stability and longevity, but in testing and handling, we still didn't get the impression that the X1 felt wobbly or weak by any means. One very minor strike against the X1, though, is that it doesn't support quite as many form factors as the P150, as one can tell by looking at the available holes for motherboard stand-offs, but the standard ATX sizes won't be any problem.

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Notice again how every bay incorporates the usage of tool-less locks. While it might be pretty obvious from the picture, it is still worthy of mention that the locks are all the same and are also equally simple to use. They simply push in and slide to both lock and unlock. In the following close-up, the pin that actually holds the drive into place is pretty visible, and in testing, these did a good job of holding the drives very securely.

Looking at the internals from the other side, one can see that, unfortunately, both sides need to be opened up to completely install 5¼” drives. Thankfully, unlike all too many cases, the side panels of the X1 aren't too difficult to work with, and the hard drives have extra plastic rail pieces, so only one side needs to be clipped for a snug fit. Notice also that if one wanted an even tighter fastening, normal bolts can still be used to augment the tool-less clips for all the forward-facing drives.

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