MaximumPC 2004 09

SEPTEMBER 2004 MA XIMUMPC 59

BUDGET

Chenbro Xpider II

Chenbro is quickly becoming the

king of budget cases by milling

enclosures that are as sturdy as they

are inexpensive. Its blue shell might

not be photogenic, but it’s built

extremely well, with features usually

found on cases that cost twice as

much. As Chenbro’s newest budget

case, the Xpider II has improved on

every aspect of the already excellent

Gaming Bomb.

HIGH END

Cooler Master CMStacker

The CMStacker is one of the best

towers on the market, with great

ventilation and an insane amount of

expandability. To wit: If seven 5.25-

inch devices aren’t enough, you

can swap out the front fan and hard

drive cage to crank the number of

bays all the way to 11! Its aluminum

construction makes it surprisingly

light for its size, and its six front

USB ports will satisfy the most

device-hungry user.

MIDRANGE

Kingwin KT-424

Kingwin’s entry into our case

roundup doesn’t boast flashing

lights and spinning vortexes, but

its well-designed, roomy interior

more than makes up for its con-

servative looks. Call us old-school,

but we think this case’s classic aes-

thetic allows it to fit in almost any

environment.

OUR FAVORITES

We pick the best case to represent each price category

MANUFACTURER MODEL 5.25 BAYS 3.5 BAYS FRONT PORTS PRICE MOTHERBOARD

TRAY?

PSU? MATERIAL COLORS VERDICT

Antec P160 4 6 2 USB, FireWire, audio $170 Yes No Aluminum Silver 8

Antec Super LANBOY 3 6 2 USB, audio $90 No No Aluminum Silver 8

Chenbro Xpider II 4 6 2 USB, FireWire, audio $55 No No Steel Red, blue, white, green 9

ClearPC Secret Agent Briefcase 2 2 None $150 No No Acrylic Clear 7

Cooler Master Cavalier 1 5 5 2 USB, FireWire, audio $125 No No Aluminum Silver 9

Cooler Master CMStacker 7 4 6 USB, FireWire, audio $170 No No Aluminum Silver/black 9

Kingwin KT-424 4 6 2 USB, FireWire $100 Yes No Aluminum Silver, black 9

Silverstone Temjin TJO5 6 10 4 USB, FireWire, audio $180 No No Steel Silver 9

Thermaltake Damier 5 5 2 USB, FireWire, audio $170 No No Aluminum Silver, black, blue 9

Windy Jazz Take 5 6 4 None $400 Yes Yes Aluminum mesh Black 7

Xoxide UFO 5 9 None $600 Yes Yes Aluminum Silver, black 6

Xoxide X-Blade Extreme 5 6 2 USB, audio $70 No No Steel Silver, black, blue 8

COMPARISON CHART