Raijintek Paean Case/Bench Table review

1. Introduction2. Raijintek Paean: Unboxing and Assembly3. System Installation4. Testing: Thermals and Acoustics5. Closing Thoughts6. View All Pages

The Raijintek Paean is a open frame chassis designed for a custom waterloop.

In-fact, I found out pretty quickly that it is designed for a custom loop only. I wanted to install an EKWB Predator 280 all-in-one, but the radiator mounting area is too far from the motherboard. As a consequence, I had to use a low-profile cooler, since the air cooler height limit is just 140mm.

While I can fully understand Raijintek are aiming the Paean at the watercooling community, it does seem a bit short-sighted to restrict the use of an all-in-one cooler. I am sure plenty of people who do not have custom loops would still love to show off their builds using the Paean – it does, after all, have a lovely aluminium body and tempered glass panels. However, that is sadly not a possibility here.

That being said, for what it is, the Paean is excellent. Its build-quality is second-to-none thanks to the aluminium frame and glass panels, while there are plenty of smart extras which make life  that bit easier – the adhesive cable tie-downs and PSU support bracket are just two examples.

So, if you find yourself wanting to build a custom waterloop in a chassis with plenty of open space, support for a 360mm radiator, as well as beautifully thick tempered glass side panels – the Paean is a great option.

EDIT 20th December 2016: Raijintek replied to let us know that ‘AIO support will be coming soon'.

You can pick one up from Overclockers UK for £149.99 inc. VAT HERE.

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Pros

• The brushed aluminium and tempered glass looks stunning.
• Easy to assemble.
• Heaps of room for cable management.
• Thoughtful extras are included to make life easier.

Cons

• The Paean limits itself with its lack of support for AIO coolers – thus making it quite a niche product.

KitGuru says: If you are planning a custom watercooling project, the Paean will serve you well and look incredible at the end. However, by making AIO coolers incompatible with the Paean, Raijintek alienate a big chunk of potential consumers.

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