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Overall we are impressed with the Aerocool Strike-X Air. It has very unique styling which we're sure will divide opinion, but is very easy to use nonetheless. It is clearly targeting the enthusiast audience who are always adjusting and playing with their hardware. It has an extremely large footprint so we would encourage you to make sure there's enough room for it on your desk before purchasing!
It can be a little fiddly getting the test bench set up in the first place due to the lack of space around the back of the power supply. However, swapping components over when it's all set up is very simple indeed thanks to the open design. We found that the sheer size of the test bench meant that the cables on our power supply weren't long enough to route neatly, though. So it might be worth investing in some cable extensions if your power supply has short cables.
Build quality is not top notch but the chassis feels reasonably sturdy. We like the inclusion of a lid which doubles as a fan mount, providing the components with some airflow. This lid can be positioned in various orientations so that it doesn't foul tall air coolers on your motherboard, but is quite flimsy and doesn't feel very secure. The thermal performance was good in our tests thanks to the unrestricted airflow. Acoustic performance was poor though, as all the components are open to the air.
At a price of around £90 from Amazon, we feel that the Strike-X Air offers reasonable value for money. It manages to find the middle ground between a case and an open test bench, making it perfect for those enthusiasts who don't want to fully commit to either.
Pros
- Great airflow.
- Easy access to components.
- Supports all types of motherboard.
- Hot-swap HDD bays
Cons:
- Flimsy in places.
- Enormous footprint.
- Can be noisy.
KitGuru says: A niche product from Aerocool that is sure to appeal to a number of enthusiasts.
I love this, looks nicer than the other one from Antec or Silverstone was it?
Yeah I like that myself, fancy a test bed myself to play with some hardware I have. just ordered it from Amazon. good review henry thanks.
Buying this too. I have a system I use for work, but id like a rig I can just rip bits out of regularly. Good price too IMO.
Henry when you say its not a wonderful build. do you mean you think it might fall apart, or is it just a bit of ‘flex’ on the metals?
I like the look of this, but dont want it falling apart on me in a few months.
@Ivan
I would assume by the score, its just a minor thing, otherwise I can’t see it scoring 8
@ Ivan,
You’re right, there’s a bit of flex here an there in the materials and it generally doesn’t feel as solid as it could be. I highly doubt that it will fall apart or anything, though!
Does anyone have any ideas how to fit a corsair Hydro H80i in the case (Aerocool Strike-X Air)? Appreciate any pointers. Is there a bracket I can get? Alternatively which liquid cooler would be suitable in this case for an AMD FX 9370 with the Asus Crosshair V Formula-Z? Thanks.