Introduction

Xoxide continues to expand its line of modified cases available to the public. They're simply not content to rest on their laurels as they have consistently conjured up new and improved designs. They're not just active on the design front either; their excellent service and support has earned them an excellent reputation at ResellerRatings.com and their X-Hour and Xoxide Rewards program have proven to be innovative ways to increase their exposure. The last review of a case I did was of their LL-61 Warrior, and while it proved to be an effectively designed case, its price was quite steep for some people. But those same people will perhaps still want a case that is not only aluminum, but looks great and is well-built. There are many advantages to the aluminum case: Heat can be dissipated better, they are easy to transport because of their light weight and they generally look nicer. Today, Xoxide answers the call of the budget aluminum case aficionado with their X450 Aluminum Mid-Tower.

Specifications

From the picture above, this case looks very flashy. But we all know that looks can be deceiving. The X450 is available in either a silver or black theme, and the one I'll be looking at today is silver. The drive configuration is similar to what you'd find on most mid-tower cases nowadays. Four 5.25" drive bays provide ample space for most people's devices, though you could easily fill them up with a DVD, CD-RW, Baybus-type device and a LCD/VFD of some sort. But in that case, I don't think your system would be classified as "deprived". A total of six 3.5" drive bays is also quite a lot. One thing that immediately caught my attention was the lack of fan placements in this case. There is one 80mm up front, one side panel mounted 80mm and one thin (15mm) 60mm fan at the rear for exhaust. That's it; there are no more stock places for fans. I would have liked to see at least the rear fan to be a standard-size 80mm rather than a thin 60mm fan normally seen on small heatsinks. Xoxide claims that "due to the aluminum structure, the case is in need of less cooling fans than the X300 to stay chilled", but we will see if this is the case. (Haha, "case", get it? Okay, lame pun...)

• Available in Silver, Black colours. (Silver reviewed)
• Dimensions: 41cm x 19.8cm x 49cm (H x W x D)
• 2 Front USB ports; Front Mic; Front Headphone/Speaker
• Thumbscrews to hold side panels in place (4 total)
• 4 * 5.25" external drive bays
• 2 * 3.5" external drive bays
• 4 * 3.5" internal drive bays
• 1 * 80mm Power Logic (12V 0.14A) front intake
• 1 * 80mm Yate Loon (12V 0.14A) side exhaust
• 1 * 60mmx15mm Power Logic (12V 0.16A) rear exhaust
• Weight: 4kg (9lbs)
• No PSU included
• On Sale for $79.99 USD currently, regular $109.99 USD

The first thing you undoubtedly will notice about this case are its looks. The plastic front bezel is silver coloured, to match the brushed aluminum look of the exterior of the case, and the drive bays along with almost all of the front bezel are covered with acrylic(?) pieces. The acrylic has a bluish tint to it, and this is evident when it is viewed from the side. The two bolt heads visible on each 5.25" drive bay cover hold the acrylic to the plastic faceplate, and are very well-polished adding to the overall look. This case is also *very* light; 9lbs is nothing for a case, and I was very surprised at how easy it was to pick this case up. Definitely something to consider if you're looking for a LAN party case.

The (silver) X450.

Front view; plastic sheet protects the acrylic faceplates

Side view; nice window design.

The window on the side also has a bluish tint to it, and would be ideal for a blue cold cathode. However, other colours such as green, I found, worked very well. In fact, for some, a green colour would provide a nice contrast to the bluish hue of the entire case. The side panel has seven pieces cut out from it in a symmetrical shape, and the one-piece window is simply bolted over these cutouts. A clear-fan is placed right in the centre of the window design, and chrome-wire grill finishes off the impressive look. This clear fan can be upgraded to a quad-LED fan of your choice, if you so desire, as such a fan would work quite well with the design seen here.

Rear view; no PSU included.

Handles on side panels.

Removing the plastic protective cover.

The rear of the case shows that this case comes with no PSU. Not a surprise these days, as it allows the price of the case to be kept lower, and also allows the consumer to pick what PSU they want to use, rather than being stuck with a cheap unit, or being fed an expensive one that is more than what they need. There are four thumbscrews provided standard with the case, two on each side to hold each side panel in place, and they simplify access. Nowadays, thumbscrews are becoming increasingly common as the industry addresses the needs of the case modders and other enthusiasts who are always playing around in their cases. The side panels also have a little thumb-handle on each side, to facilitate in the removal of the panel.

The reset button is just below the central power button.

Front panel access for USB, audio.

Plastic-spring latch holds cover in place.

Standard case feet.

There is a clear plastic protective sheet covering the front acrylic to prevent it from being scratched during shipping or removal from the box. It's similar to the sheet you find protecting displays on electronics, and it's easily removed. This was a nice touch by the manufacturer to make sure the nice-looking front of the case remained that way when it reached its destination. The Power, Reset and LEDs are located towards the bottom of the case and are bordered by a shiny, plastic bevel. The HDD LED is red, and the power LED is green. The front USB ports and audio jacks are covered by a plastic door that is held in place by a plastic-spring latch. Front USB is always nice, but I felt the latch holding the door in place was little fragile, and felt it was prone to breakage.

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