Raidmax Hyperion Case Review: Different but Familiar
A Closer Look at the RAIDMAX Hyperion Case
This particular RAIDMAX Hyperion case is the matte black version and it comes with a blue trim. The top part has the front IO on the bottom right corner and the PCB for this is screwed on the top. The IO has a very simple but effective design with the audio jacks and reset button placed beside the USB ports creating a uniform look. The power button is the power LED as well. All cables are sufficiently long and there are no problems with the HD audio cable reaching the very corner of the motherboard when assembled.
With the top removed, the fan/radiator mounting options are visible including the two 120mm fans pre-installed. A 200mm or two 140mm fans can also be installed here. RAIDMAX uses flexible slider elongated mounting holes instead of fixed round mounting for the 120mm and 140mm fans, giving users some leeway in adjusting for component clearance, especially for radiator mounting. There are also large rectangular pass-throughs for the IO cables near the front.
In case users decide to mod the case, a left cut-out is also available. There is no room to mount a fan between the chassis and the top cover so users will have to mount fans/radiators on the inside but the cover must be removed first to secure the screws. The front is plain with a single 5.25″ external drive bay. The space is tight but it is possible to fit fans here between the chassis and the front cover, although since airflow is gathered through the bottom only, airflow is extremely restricted without modding.
With the front cover removed, there are plenty of cable routing spots for the fans that can be mounted here on the top and sides. Two 120mm or a single 140 or a single 200mm fan can be installed here. The 5.25″ drive bay mounting is using screws so it is easily removable for users who need extra room here such as a front radiator mounting or to provide clearance for a radiator mounted at the top.
The side panels are are held in place by thumb screws with the left side panel having a large clear acrylic viewing window that covers most of the area while the right side panel has filtered ventilation holes for the top (optional radiator, fan or drive mounting area) and bottom (PSU intake area). These filters are simple mesh film.
There is plenty of room for cable routing between the top chambers as the motherboard tray that creates the compartment only goes up to the 5.25″ drive bay mounts. This also gives the top area plenty of clearance for wider radiators. The motherboard stand-offs are not pre-installed but since the accessory kit includes a mounting adapter for a screw driver, installation is made easier.
As visible in the photo below, the front top exhaust 120mm fan is right on the 5.25″ drive bay so this has to be removed if installing a 5.25″ optical device or card reader in its place.
On the opposite compartment, the power supply is mounted side ways with the intake facing the right side panel. Up against it is the hard drive cage which has the drives facing downward. A versatile mounting plate that supports fans, radiators and 3.5″/2.5″ drives is also present here on the top part, held in place by screws.
At the rear, there is a pre-installed 120mm fan with two grommetted external routing holes for cables or for external cooling units. This rear fan mounting area also supports smaller 92mm or 80mm fans.
For the expansion slots, there are five in total available compared to the standard four for micro-ATX cases. These use re-usable mesh covers instead of the punch-out variety found in budget cases.
A view from the bottom reveals extra drive or fan mounting points for a pair of 120mm fans. These have a framed mesh filter that can be slid out for servicing. Screws holding the hard drive cage are also accessed here should users need to remove it to provide clearance for a longer power supply unit. The feet elevate the RAIDMAX Hyperion 19.05mm off the ground and have rubber soles for extra grip on hard surfaces.
