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MAG Forge 100 is a trio of new compact mid-tower PC cases from MSI. Core chassis structure, internal layout and external appearance of all three cases from the series are identical. The only variation between the three cases is the layout and specification of the included system fans. However, all the MAG Forge 100 cases feature RGB lighting in some form.
Making up the MAG Forge 100 case series is the 100M, 101M and the 100R. The case we will be reviewing today is the 100R variant featuring two addressable RGB fans in the front panel with a single regular system fan pre-installed in the rear as an exhaust. The 100M has two regular RGB fans pre-installed in the front panel and a system fan in the rear, while the 101M is equipped with three regular RGB front-mounted fans and one RGB fan located at the rear.
MSI has optimised the MAG Forge 100 series for high airflow and chilly system temperature. As a compact mid-tower chassis, the MAG Forge 100R offers an impressive array of fan and radiator mounting options inside. The front panel can accommodate either up to three 120mm/two 140mm fans or up to a 240mm radiator, the same size radiator can also be installed in the top panel, while a single 120mm fan can be installed at the rear.
Another popular feature of modern high airflow PC cases is a mesh front panel, the MAG Forge 100R has mesh spanning the entire length of the front panel and is one of the most open looking layouts I have seen for a while. With this open front layout and three pre-installed 120mm fans, there should be no reason to worry about system temperature when using the forge 100R, even with some pretty high-end hardware installed inside.
Inside the MSI MAG Forge 100R is spacious enough to install a CPU cooler up to 160mm tall and graphics cards up to 330mm long. There are provisions for installing up to a total of five 2.5-inch SSDs inside the case or two 3.5-inch HDDs beneath the integrated power supply shroud. Motherboard support caters for up to standard ATX form factor and maximum installable power supply length is up to 200mm with the 3.5-inch HDD caddy removed or 160mm with the caddy in place.
Around 80% of the left-hand side of the case is taken up by a mildly tinted tempered glass panel, so you can see all those lovely hardware components inside. While the bottom 20% is made up of the integrated metal PSU shroud with a MAG graphic decal to add a little MSI style to the side panel.
This is quite a compact mid-tower chassis which measures just 420mm from front to back at its longest point, 500mm tall and 210mm wide, which sounds quite impressive considering the vast hardware configurations it can support. This compact design means the MAG Forge 100R should fit on your desk and leave plenty of room for other peripherals if you so choose.
With all these features combined, you could be forgiven for thinking that the MSI MAG Forge 100R will come with a premium price tag. However, the series is very cost-effective. Currently, the MSI MAG Forge 100R is available to purchase for around £60 here in the UK. But is it any good? Let's find out.
Key Features
- Addressable RGB lighting hub
- Tempered glass side panel
- Power supply shroud
- High airflow front panel
- Three pre-installed 120mm case fans
Specification
| Case Form Factor |
Mid-Tower
|
| Support MB Form Factor |
ATX / Micro-ATX / Mini-ITX
|
| I/O Ports | 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A 1 x HD Audio / 1 x Mic |
| Drive Bays |
2 x 3.5” (compatible with 2.5”) + 3 x 2.5”
|
| Case Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Maximum GPU Length |
330 mm / 13 inch
|
| Maximum CPU Cooler Length | 160 mm / 6.3 inch |
| Lighting |
Addressable RGB
|
| Power Supply |
Standard ATX 160 mm, max to 200 mm (without 3.5” HDD case installed)
|
| Cooling Layout | Front: Up to 3 x 120 mm / 2 x 140 mm Top: Up to 2 x 120 mm / 2 x 140 mm Rear: Up to 1 x 120 mm |
| Pre-install Fan | Front: 2 x 120 mm addressable RGB LED Fan included Rear: 1 x 120mm System Fan included |
| Radiator Layout | Front: Up to 240 mm Top: Up to 240 mm Rear: Up to 120mm |
| Dimension | 421(D) x 210(W) x 499(H) mm 17.05(D) x 8.27(W) x 19.65(H) inch |
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