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Overall we are impressed with the Aerocool Strike-X Air. It has very unique styling which we're sure will divide opinion, but is very easy to use nonetheless. It is clearly targeting the enthusiast audience who are always adjusting and playing with their hardware. It has an extremely large footprint so we would encourage you to make sure there's enough room for it on your desk before purchasing!
It can be a little fiddly getting the test bench set up in the first place due to the lack of space around the back of the power supply. However, swapping components over when it's all set up is very simple indeed thanks to the open design. We found that the sheer size of the test bench meant that the cables on our power supply weren't long enough to route neatly, though. So it might be worth investing in some cable extensions if your power supply has short cables.
Build quality is not top notch but the chassis feels reasonably sturdy. We like the inclusion of a lid which doubles as a fan mount, providing the components with some airflow. This lid can be positioned in various orientations so that it doesn't foul tall air coolers on your motherboard, but is quite flimsy and doesn't feel very secure. The thermal performance was good in our tests thanks to the unrestricted airflow. Acoustic performance was poor though, as all the components are open to the air.
At a price of around £90 from Amazon, we feel that the Strike-X Air offers reasonable value for money. It manages to find the middle ground between a case and an open test bench, making it perfect for those enthusiasts who don't want to fully commit to either.
Pros
- Great airflow.
- Easy access to components.
- Supports all types of motherboard.
- Hot-swap HDD bays
Cons:
- Flimsy in places.
- Enormous footprint.
- Can be noisy.
KitGuru says: A niche product from Aerocool that is sure to appeal to a number of enthusiasts.
