Ahanix dBox: Standardizing LCD Case Controls

Conclusion

Our overall impression of the Ahanix dBox was favorable.  There were several design flaws with the unit that bothered us.  Specifically, the 5.25” rails, sharp edges, the non-removable tray, and the poor intake placement.  After all was said and done though, the case provided a solid performance.  There was an enormous amount for improvement, but perhaps Ahanix can revise and improve on these in the future. 

As we mentioned before, the front panel LCD was really the strong selling point on this case.  Considering all the flaws in the case, the panel actually worked marvelously.  Ahanix is not the only company with this idea, and several other companies are beginning to run with it, including Skyhawk, Enermax and ThermalTake.  We also should mention the Skyhawk Jupiter case which we will be soon reviewing.  This case also has a front LCD panel and shares several similar features to the dBox.  Ahanix is certainly not alone in this market.

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If you can get this case for a good price, we would rate it a fair buy.  The street price for the case is under 90USD, which makes it a little pricier than most of the steel cases we have seen on the market.  If this case had a few more bells and whistles, 90USD would be a good price.  Ahanix also has an Aluminum version of the case that retails for 170USD.  Will front panel control panels catch on in future case designs?  Time will tell, but if the new onslaught of cases with control panels is any measure, we might be looking at this feature becoming a standard on every unit someday.

We would like to thank ExoticPC.com for providing us with the dBox, which currently has the lowest prices on most Ahanix products.