X-Dreamer Case - X-Dreamer Case

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Silver X-Dreamer Case

 

 

 

The case itself has a lot of features, for something so budget oriented.  With seven 3 1/2" drive slots available, along with four 5 1/4" ones, there is room to spare.  The drive cages themselves are not removable, but there is good access on both sides.  Both side panels are removable, and held in by thumbscrews.  That is a really good inclusion, for anyone who is in and out of their case a lot.

The thing to notice though, is the front LCD.

 

        

            

 

This is what really makes the case something different.  A lot of companies have done the window thing, and used an acrylic front panel, but not very many have put a temperature monitor in the case.  It lights up a pleasant blue colour, and is quite legible as long as you don't try and look at it from too much of an angle.  The probe included is one of the flat types, so it can be stuck anywhere.  There is no way to calibrate it, but it seems fairly accurate.  The only gripe I have is that while there is a spot for a button to change from Fahrenheit to Celsius behind the bezel, and labelling for it, the switch was not implemented! 

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A CLOSER LOOK

This is where good cases separate themselves from lesser ones.  Taking this thing apart was partly heaven, and partly hell.  Thanks to the included thumbscrews, the side panels came off with no problems.  The front bezel however, was another matter all together.  It is connected by six plastic standoffs to the frame behind.  While my Chieftec's bezel is easy to remove, the X-Dreamer took me half an hour, and made me think multiple times that I was going to break it.  The standoffs are very difficult to get at from the back side, to help in getting it off.  A big pain in the ass, considering you do need to get it off to install fans in the front of the case.

    

Once the bezel is clear, you can see the 4 80mm front intakes.  Unfortunately, they are pretty well blocked off.  The grating there is not very conductive to airflow, and of course there is the acrylic as well that doesn't allow much air to get through either.  Using a dremel would help a bit, but you still can't do anything about the bezel in front.  There are also the wires there for hooking up the front panel. 

                                                                           
    

 

In addition to the standard power/reset/leds, the X-Dreamer also has some connectivity to your peripherals.  There are two USB ports, connections for headphones and a microphone, and what looks to be a Firewire port.  Too bad that there was no hook-up for that last one. 

                                                                           

 

At the top there is an 80mm blowhole, for venting hot air sitting above the CPU fan, and between the PSU and optical drives.  The installed fan is a "TurboCool" model, that I couldn't find any ratings for.  I'm guessing about 30dB, 2500 rpm, and 30 CFM.  In the back there is room for two more 80mm exhausts.  These also could sure use the dremel treatment, as they aren't all that free flowing. 

The case lacks some features that would prove very useful in one this size.  The first is removable drive cages. Having a removable cage is still a lot easier to work with. Then next is a removable motherboard tray.  While the case isn't terribly cramped, installing a motherboard in it isn't as easy as the bigger Chieftec, or as it would be with the tray away from the internals.  Again though, this is a budget case, so if you want those things, you're going to have to pay for them.

The case's window isn't the best implementation I've seen.  The plastic clips holding on the Plexiglas are pretty cheap.  Another thing is that the PSU isn't held on by anything more than the screws at the back of the frame, and a tiny tab above the exhaust fan mounts.  If you bolt on a heavier power supply to replace this one, be careful when you move the case around, unless you like the idea of your PCB's being broken into colourful little wafers.  Again, think budget price range, and this all makes more sense.

 

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