Final Thought
Though extremely quiet, the temperature benchmarks tell us that Enermax needs to work on their cooling for the Sea Hawk. Having the highest operating temperatures among the first three cases that we have tested with our new hardware, the Sea Hawk seems like it may need some improvement in the cooling area. This can easily be done by including a few more fans.What may be appealing to some is the Sea Hawk's simple design and equally simple, yet stylish, looks. Enermax has done a great job in creating a look that does not yell out "Look at me!" Rather, it says simply that it is here and looks like an excellent mid-grade product.
In the end, it isn't the looks that always matter. Performance and features are the key factors in deciding which case is right for you. Is it worth buying a simple case for a lower price or should you spend that extra 50 bucks on a high end chassis with sound dampening foam and the quietest case fans on the market?
With a price tag of around $65, the Enermax Sea Hawk is worth the money. Its built-in LCD temperature display is an attractive feature and goes with the sleek look of the case. Many of the cases that we have looked at in the past are both simple and unattractive, like the NZXT Guardian, or are extremely expensive for the added features that they carry, like SilverStone Technologies' Nimiz.
The Sea Hawk doesn't have all of the features that the Nimiz has, but it does look great out of the box without the ugly modding of inexperienced designers. We recommend this chassis to those who want something simple and easy to work with without the unnecessary features of a higher priced box.
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Zepper - Monday, August 16, 2004 - link
the 1018x series is totally different from this series - in a whole other league of quality. Way overpriced for .7 SGCC (recycled tin can metal - not quality steel) case. I can't imagine why there wasn't more mention of the flimsiness of the metal except re. the drive bay ears.. I wouldn't buy it on a bet. Equal quality can be had from a lot of 3rd and 4th string case makers for half the price and including a PSU.
.bh.
Mday - Sunday, August 15, 2004 - link
You know, I have been wondering why certain non-core reviews by anandtech refer to the name on the box as the actual manufacturer of the item.We all know Enermax didnt design this case. And the same can be said of that case Zirconium has (which I have also).
Zirconium - Sunday, August 15, 2004 - link
I got the Enermax CS-10181 case. It is a very nice case - plain looking, but extremely functional. I can't comment on this one because I don't actually own it, but I'd look favorable on this one since it probably shares some features with my case.val - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - link
window (shape of flower) on side... for sure :-)Val
val - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - link
I Have older Enermax case, with window on front, Enermax power supply and one case fan, I am satisfied with those products for over 2 years now. With power supply in range bellow 100USD is no other option, but also overall Enermax quality is highly bigger than price difference.Val
TrogdorJW - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - link
*MUCH* nicer looking case, IMO. Unfortunately, it just doesn't sound like it's really worth the cost. $65 for a case without PSU? If you're spending $65 without getting a PSU (and here at least we could get a relatively decent PSU, since Enermax is one of the better PSU manufacturers), I would think there are better options. By the time you factor in a decent PSU, you're looking at about $120.And the front lights are still a bit too bling-bling for my taste. But hey - to each his own. I still haven't heard of any nice cases (i.e. not gaudy) with 120mm fans other than the Antec models. Which is why I keep getting Antecs. Is there no other decent option? :p
sprockkets - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - link
This case is used in a lot of different designs, yet is the same on the inside. I've built two, one that was aluminum and one that was steel. One had a front 120mm or 80mm fan holder, both had a fan on the side, and one had the 2 fan holders in the back while one used a fan duct system. Good points to mention is the fact that the HDD are right in front of a fan for good cooling, plus there is room for four. Those pin out headers are annoying, but if they weren't that way then it wouldn't work for all the different pinout styles.Although the InWin cases are sturdier, the ventilation on most of these, with the expansion capabilities and still being good on style make these a good choice for ATX cases, especially for the cost.
Thoreau - Saturday, August 14, 2004 - link
w00t!! Finally, a case that doesn't totally suck the life out of installed components! =)