Final Thoughts

In a globe dominated past rectangular mid-towers, the HAF XB's squarish pattern is refreshing, and the fact that Libation Master pulled it off without any major drawbacks makes this a very attractive pick for gamers on the become or enthusiasts with a taste for the unusual. In short, it'south the best LAN-friendly case we've worked with, nosotros're attracted to its well-balanced aesthetics, information technology covers just about everything nosotros'd want in an elevation-end chassis likewise its limited support for iii.5" drives, and it's priced at just $100.

Although nosotros just called this the best LAN-friendly instance we've worked with, make no mistake: the HAF XB is still big and bulky. However, its cube-like design makes it less awkward to transport than traditional case designs. At that place are certainly more than compact options bachelor, but all of them come with tradeoffs that are mostly absent-minded with the HAF XB, which can easily suit a full-fledged gaming rig with an ATX motherboard, a bulky aftermarket processor heatsink, a pair of flagship graphics cards and so on.

Not only can it house that kind of hardware, but it does so without complicating the installation process, which nosotros've found to be fairly common among non-standard chassis designs. The HAF XB is flexible nigh the social club in which components can be installed, whereas unconventional internal layouts frequently require specific build orders. For example, yous might have to remove a handful of parts earlier removing an optical drive. A function of what sets the HAF XB apart is its dual 3.5" external hot-swappable trophy.

Unfortunately, those are the only 3.5" bulldoze bays available, then folks who demand more than two desktop hard drives might have to become creative if they want to use the HAF XB. Some other shortcoming worth mentioning is the fact that the HAF XB but ships with two 120mm fans (both forepart intake). Although this is probably sufficient for many rigs, investing in at least ane 120mm rear frazzle is likely a wise investment for college-end systems as it reduced our processor load temperature past up to ix degrees Celsius.

As someone who reviews reckoner hardware for a hobby, I have access to nearly any case I might want. As I type, the Level 10 GT, Antec Lanboy Air, Bitfenix Colossus, Cubitek HPTX-ICE are collecting dust in my house, and yet I've decided to build a permanent system in the HAF XB because I similar information technology as well much to leave information technology empty. That's perchance the best compliment I can offer and information technology serves as a testament to the HAF XB's all-around quality. We're glad to see Cooler Principal's HAF serial knock another one out of the park.

Pros: Excellent design ways you get expert looks and easy hardware installs. Cube-like figure, orientation make for an crawly test bed. Skillful value.

Cons: Still big and bulky. Only ii three.5" bays. Oestrus management not its strongest suit.