Wind Tunnel Case by XClio Author: faceless105 -- Posted: 2007-08-16
Cooling as we all know is an extremely important factor when it comes to any component in your computer. With this in mind, why would anyone want to purchase a computer that doesn't offer anything but the best for cooling? XClio would ask you all the same. This is why they produce their line of performance cases for the performance user. Today we'll be looking at XClio'sWind Tunnel case.
Now if you take the time to look at their product line you will notice a trend that they all focus greatly on the ability to keep your components cool and the Wind Tunnel is no exception. Right out of the box you will instantly notice two large intake fans mounted on the bottom of the side panel. This positioning is ideal because it will push the cold air directly on your components.
Out of the box this case really stood out to me. It wasn't just one feature. First, it looks great. It has all black with a very clean look. Second is the size of this case, it feels like a good cross between a mid sized case and a full size case. Finally you know that as I unpackaged this rig, my eyes went straight to the dual blue LED 250mm fans mounted on the side panel.
I'll start at the beginning. This case has a really nice look to it like I said earlier. The case is constructed of 1.0 mm black painted metal. This case comes with five 5.25 bays and two external 3.5 drive bays so you have plenty of room for everything. On top of this the case has a drive bay door which is really nice because it keeps everything looking really clean. On that note I want to just tell you guys that I'm really impressed with the overall appearance of this case. It has a real clean design which I honestly prefer. It doesn't look like those pre-mod cases at all which give it a far more professional look; and with the design being this clean, if you ever want to add your own mods to it, this case would be ideal for it.
Now as I mentioned, this has a nice amount of external drives, it also has a ton of internal drives. With six internal 3.6 drive bays you will have room for as much storage as you can get your hands on. Another plus that this case has to offer is the internal drive trays are angled outward and not into the case. This is a huge convenience. It makes your case a lot cleaner and so much easier to get your hard drives in and out if you ever need to swap them. The case is also very large and this is another thing that I personally enjoy. The last three cases I've bought have all been full size cases. It's true you will pay a little more for this style of case, but the extra space to work inside them is more then worth it. The added space also gives the case much better airflow is great news for the life time of all your components. In addition to the two 250mm fans on the side there are optional mounts for 120mm fans on the front and back of the case.
Now for a feature that really sets this case apart, the dual 250mm fans. I'll be honest when I got a look at the Antec Nine Hundred I though the 220mm fan on the top of the case was a big deal but seeing this case I have to admit, Antecs' case doesn't seem like a very big deal anymore.
These fans are variable speed. They really went the extra mile on these. Each fan can be controlled individually with a dial, or turned of completely. Each fan has five blue LEDs mounted in them which give off a really nice glow. The best part about these fans is they are large enough that they can get a great airflow going and still be completely silent. For anyone with a large number of 80mm fans, you will know that they can make a lot of noise and this is one thing you will never have to worry about with these fans.
I'd really like to thank XClio for giving me the opportunity to review the WindTunnel. I'd also like to recommend that anyone else looking for a new mid/full size case check this one out because it will not disappoint. This case looks great, has tons of features (even a tool-less design), and will really set itself apart from the others.
If anyone has any questions don't hesitate as ask :)
