| Xigmatek Midgard-W Computer Case CPC-T55DB-U02 |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Steven Iglesias-Hearst - Edited by Olin Coles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Thursday, 12 November 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Xigmatek Midgard-W Case ReviewToday's review focuses on the Xigmatek Midgard CPC-T55DB-U02 Computer Case, Big on features and while not an overly expensive case it is still closer to the top end of what I would call a Budget case. Tool free design, Midgard-W was designed by gaming and cooling thinking within tool-free hard drives and add-on card installation, easy installation CPU cooler back plate window, four pipe holes for water cooling system and seven cooling fan space at most.and a "gorgeous" outlook are only a few points why this chassis is a "must" not only for enthusiast but also for pc beginners. This case is certainly beautiful to look at, but looks are for the vain, Quality is essential to the success of a product. Will you be using this case in your next build? Come and take a closer look to see if this is the case for You. Gone are the days when I could hide PC away in the tight little cabinet space that is provided by my computer desk, With components that need more cool air due to overclocking or poor quality coolers, and the dust factorto consider, my PC now takes pride of place topside of my desk. Now is where the problem starts, The PC is highly visible due to its size and that means an ugly case just wont do, Behold the Xigmatek Midgard-W - home of mankind and protected by Thor, God of thunder, and his hammer. Signalizing the strength of diviness and mercy, but at the same time proprietaring the hardware you built in. And as for the dust factor, with which I am sure you are all familiar (I regularly have to clean the dust off my CPU cooler etc), Xigmatek has come to the rescue again - more about that later in the features section...
First impressions are good, very good in-fact - The case is sturdy yet doesn't weigh a tonne, I am very glad that Xigmatek chose not to have a full size case window and opted for the abstract window that they produced, It creates more of a mystery of whats actually inside and makes people want to take a closer look. Xigmatek Midgard W Features
Xigmatek Midguard W Specifications
About the company: XigmatekPurpose and targets of becoming one of the worlds leaders in thermal PC Industry were set for Xigmatek Co. Ltd in 2005, the founding year! To ensure reaching this project aims, Xigmatek's management followed up with hard work, experiences and customer friendly business style. Honing one of the world's most efficient manufacturing operations, Integration Presence in major economic regions, being tied up with most important strategic alliances between suppliers and academia and further majority investments in R&D are some of Xigmatek's aggressive incensement strategies. Combining the cream of product designers, R&D engineers and technical people (main team in Germany) Xigmatek is proud and full of confidence to offer excellent quality products and service to cover the customers requirements and demands. Within the standard channels as the consumer market and the distributing electrical appliances, Xigmatek will keep on focusing on development and set up even new sales channels to comply ever-changing demands and requirements. Several years of experiences company background in Thermal IT industry provides our customer the best, reliable, environmental and performing Thermal/Cooling Systems including excellent Service to fulfill global users and customers demands. Closer Look: ExteriorPure Black Edition on classic chassis, Xigmatek have created a masterpiece, The black honeycomb mesh that you see on the front also flows from front to back on the top, it would have been nice if this was seamless but there is a good reason why the top of the fascia is plastic as it makes the transition to the power panel almost seamless which is on top of the case.
The plastic on the front panel isn't quite the same colour as the honeycomb mesh or the metal side panel, this isn't a problem though as it has a slight texture on the edges similar to that of the side panel so it reflects the light much the same which makes it hardly noticeable unless you look real close.
The lines and mesh from the front of the case both continue over top of the case, I think this a great idea as it lets the heat inside escape or allows you to draw cool air in. The mesh is also surprisingly strong and will withstand pressure from above without flexing. The finish is top notch and looks very professional.
Here we see the main feature of this case, The side window. This abstract design really makes this case stand out from other windowed cases on the market, also there is the option to install 4 different sizes of fan in the side door - 80mm, 90mm, 120mm and 140mm. The only issue I see here is that any fan installed here will be blowing air on to the CPU which usually has its own fan. This mount would be better located over the graphics card/s I think, allowing you to provide them with much needed cool air.
This is the area where alot of case manufacturers let you down when you buy a 'Black case', I'm very glad to see Xigmatek have gone the extra way to paint the back black instead of the traditional grey colour. I am a little disappointed by the rivets though, They aren't black and they stick out like a sore thumb which detracts from the overall appearance. Ok you wont see them too much as this is the back side but it seems a shame that they couldn't also be colour coded.
Beauty is a beast, Combining old and new styles to create this great case. The Image doesn't portray it very well but trust me this case is big, it is 1 1/2 inches taller, and 2 inches longer than my previous case. This is good news though, It gives you alot of room inside the case allowing you to decide on what you really want to put in, rather than just what will fit in.
A view of the bottom here shows 2 great features by Xigmatek, Firstly the PSU vent filter, not all bottom mounted PSU cases provide a vent and of those that do - do they provide a filter? This is a relatively cheap feature to add but makes a big difference, Secondly there is a vent for another case fan, there is a pre-installed mount on the inside that supports a 120mm or 140mm fan. The feet are fixed to the case with screws and don't swivel out or anything like that but this is a very sturdy case when all hardware is installed. Detailed Exterior FeaturesEverything about this case (apart from its size of course) is quite stealthy and blended in, To really appreciate the quality of workmanship, a little closer looking is required.
Firstly The power and reset button are not moulded plastic, they are diamond cut surface aluminum buttons. Secondly the power and status LED's that accompany the buttons shine like little jewels - The power LED shines a beautiful emerald green and the status LED a deep ruby red.
Moving down to the front of the case is the front I/O panel featuring USB2.0 x 2, e-SATA x 1, Audio out x 1, Microphone x 1. The audio out and microphone are colour coded in the traditional green pink combo and an icon depicting what each port is for has been impressed under each port. Just above the I/O panel us the 5.25" drive bay cover with a 3.5" cutout, this allows you to install a 3.5" external device such as a flash card reader or the nearly extinct floppy drive we all cant do without.
Seeing as this is quite a stealthy case it would have been improper to apply a sticker logo and I think this embossed logo in the lower Honeycomb mesh panel shows off Xigmatek's craftsmanship skills, It also stops the front from looking too plain.
On the reverse side of the front panel you can see that each drive bay cover is shaped and folded Honeycomb mesh. These are quite strong and shouldn't distort with normal handling but im sure if enough pressure was applied then these would give. The front panel required a good tug to remove and is held in place by six plastic clips which is about the only cheap feature of the case, It would have been nice to have a hinged door here but for the amount of times opening is necessary a hinged door is just a luxury that I like. Xigmatek have also lined the mesh with foam seen a little closer below.
This is the lower part that sits in front of the fan, so in essence this acts kind of like a filter, at first I thought this might be removable but then I noticed that it was fixed and glued into place. I'm sure a little bit of maintenance will keep this clean and dust free. Some kind of filter is better than no filter at all which alot of case manufacturers leave out.
Removing the face is necessary if you intend to install optical drives, the knockout sections remove much the same as usual (give it a little bend at the join) but normally when you remove it it means it needs to be discarded right? well actually no, Look at the edges of the plates, they can be screwed back into place. This is another little feature that really isn't that difficult to implement but makes a big difference to people like me who like to change their hardware up all the time. The I/O enclosure is removable but unfortunately is doesn't allow for another 3.5" device.
The lower panel is removed by un-doing 4 screws and gives you access to the intake fan. The sizes of fan you can mount here are 80mm, 90mm, 120mm (pre-installed) and 140mm. XLF-F1253, 120mm LED cooling fan catches not only your eyes, but it also performs adding more airflow in your PC case. Max speed is 1500 RPM and air flow is 61 CFM and is also very quiet (<20 dBA) at full speed. Shinning LED light and transparent colorific frame/blade make your PC case a spotlight.
The intake filter for the PSU is located at the back of the case - under the PSU. This has its upsides and downsides, on the upside it stops dust getting in the PSU which would normally contribute to higher temperatures. On the down side - It's in a very difficult to get to location. It would be better if it were to slide ot to the side rather than the back, or even swing out on a pivot, as sliding it back in when it has been removed is tricky to say the least (without flipping your PC). Closer Look: InteriorWhen Xigmatek say black edition, they mean it. Every panel is painted black and all throughout the interior. Once again the only metal part of this case that isn't black is the rivets, They are hidden by the side panel so it's no big deal - But Xigmatek went to the effort of providing a variety of black screws which makes a difference as these will be visible. The motherboard tray is not removable, but I don't think it needs to be.
A bottom mounted PSU means it gets its air from outside, so it should run cooler. The orange accents are nice and they compliment the XLF-F1253, 120mm transparent orange cooling fans in the front and rear. There's lots of room in the case and plenty of storage space too.There are 4 spaces for 5.25" optical drives / system controllers (or 5 if you remove the 5.25" to 3.5" adaptor), 5 spaces for 2.5"/3.5" HDD's (6 if you use the 5.25" to 3.5" adaptor). Also a bottom fan frame is pre-installed allows you to clip a fan into place without screws, sizes available 120mm or 140mm.
This view hopefully shows why a removable tray isn't needed, the cable routing on this case is great and the recess area behind the motherboard tray allows for alot of wire to be kept there - ok it wont look pretty but a few cable ties soon sorts that out and they will be hidden at the back so it isn't a problem anyway. With all the cables at the back you immediately notice the added room you get around the motherboard.
There are a total of 6 cut-outs specifically for routing cables (1 is partially hidden at the top) and the CPU window cut-out is absolutely huge measuring in at 5x5 inches, This means that you don't need to remove the motherboard when you want to add a new CPU cooler. At that size it should be more than enough space for the newest generation of CPU sockets.
This shot shows the possibilities you have, The power supply goes straight behind the board and can be routed back in through 5 different cut-outs, Optical IDE drive goes straight under the tray and back out and into the mobo, I have a fan controller installed under my DVD drive, the cables go straight behind the motherboard tray and all the connections are handled there. Everything except the front panel wires is routed behind the mobo tray. I did have a little trouble with the CPU power wire not being long enough, this may or may not be a problem for you depending on the location of your connector and the length of your power supply wire, a little extension was required, these are relatively cheap though.
In the little black box you get the above, The instruction manual is very detailed, the pictures are really clear but they are in black and white which is a shame as this loses depth - View the manual (pdf). The fan controller is a nice addition, it allows you to control up to 3 case fans simultaneously with the one knob. The case has 4 knockouts for water cooling pipes but for some reason they only provide 2 rubber grommets. Three cable clips are included in this package, designed to screw into the motherboard tray and provide routing for your cables - They bend far too easily and are way to weak in my opinion and should be made out of a more rigid plastic, suffice to say I didn't use these. Finally a little bag of screws, 10 brass stand-offs for mounting the motherboard and a variety of black screws for HDD, Optical drives, PSU etc. Detailed Interior FeaturesAlot of tool free cases have come and gone, Xigmatek are not the first and wont be the last to make one. Plenty of tool free options simply fail to be as good as the basic screw. This is where the problem lies, the screw has been around for time and alot of people that have been making computers for a number of years really don't mind using screws because it is simple and easy, if the tool free design isn't simple and easy and if it doesnt hold like a screw does, then there is no point to it.
In the top HDD bay you can see a little black box, this box contains all your case accessories, this is a convenient place to store your accessories for easy access in the future. The HDD bays are not so much tool free as they are easy access, you still have to screw in your HDD. The great thing here is that you can install 3.5" or 2.5" drives. Although for 2.5" installation there are only holes (no rubber grommets), But lets face it, a drive with no moving parts (SSD), shouldn't vibrate anyway.
The HDD tray is held in by the 2 tabs at the front, you simply push these in and pull it out like a draw. You can see the rubber grommets that act as vibration dampers thus making the HDD inaudible. 4 screws are needed to install each HDD to each tray from underneath and Xigmatek provide 20 of these with their accessory pack. These trays work very well and hold the drives nice and secure. You can mount the drives which way you like, but I think it is intended that you install your HDD's with the connections facing towards the back for easy cable management.
A view here from inside the 5.25" bays, This is the 5.25" to 3.5" bay adaptor. Useful for if you have a card reader or want to install a floppy drive, or maybe 5 HDD's are not enough and you want more storage. 4 screws have been included for this purpose.
The 5.25" tool-less clips, these feature on both sides of the drive bays and actually work surprisingly well, The idea is to line up the front screw hole on your drive with the front screw hole of the case, you then push in the orange button and slide the button forwards. Because the clip is made of plastic it is possible to do the above procedure without having the drive lined up properly and then adjust the drive until it 'clicks' into place. Of course you could always install a screw for security anyway.
Here we see the Expansion card tool-less clips and also the first 2 water cooling knockouts, I prefer tho use air cooling myself as the sheer cost and complexity of setting up water cooling is at the moment beyond me, but its nice to know that should I change my mind in the future then I wont have to void my warranty by cutting holes in my case. The expansion card clips seem to have had a re-design since Xigmatek went to press as the images on their website portray a different style of clip. Maybe the last design didn't work very well and Xigmatek decided to change it, either way these clips actually hold the card quite secure, almost as good as a screw. Pull the tab on the left towards you and slide the clip to the left, install your card and slide it back in until it clicks. Just in-case they are not strong enough there is always the usual screw hole revealed when you remove the clip, should you need to use a screw.
Here we see the second set of water cooling knockouts and the rear fan. The fan is the second XLF-F1253 120mm fan pre-installed into the case. There are mounting holes here for 80mm, 90mm and 120mm respectively. There are 2 mystery knockouts under the fan that are not documented anywhere, judging by the shape though, one looks like HDMI and the other looks like VGA or serial port.
Looking now at the bottom location PSU slot, there are 2 sets of mounting holes for face-up or face-down installation. This will accomodate a standard P/S2 or ATX/EPS power supply unit. There is also an anti vibration rubber strip where the PSU mates with the case Providing more noise reduction.
Now on to the top of the case there are 2 spaces here for fan mounting, you can install 120mm or 140mm fans in both of these locations. Im also pretty sure that it would be possible to install a water-cooling radiator here judging on the location of the 2 water cooling pipe holes above the rear case fan. Xigmatek Midguard W Final ThoughtsXigmatek have gone to alot of effort with this case and the build quality is excellent. They stay true to their phlosophy of 'Impressive, Creative, Essential' This case was designed with gamers in mind and they include alot of features that make installation easy and tidy. I didn't encounter any problems during installation, although the side panels were a little tough to remove first time around, they have subsequently become alot easier to remove and replace. I am a little bit disappointed about the rivets not being black but I wont let it get me down after all they are out of sight and this case provides so much. There is room in the case for big hardware such as CPU coolers (6.5" clearance above the motherboard). Room at the top for water-cooling Radiator and room at the bottom for small pump an reservoir (7" x 7" square) providing you don't install a fan in the bottom, You could even go for a big reservoir and mount the pump on the PSU. There is even room for 11" graphics cards. The case isn't branded as low noise, but it goes a long way in that direction, the front and rear fans are nearly inaudible, the rubber mounts for hard drives and PSU reduce noise from vibration, and If it wasn't for the side panel fan mount, I'm sure the case would be even quieter.
This review is for the Xigmatek Midgard W CPC-T55DB-U02. Although the sample received was the original Midgard - Product Number: CPC-T55DB-U01, with optional Side Window Cover, Product Number: CCS-MMAB7-U01. I am assured that they are the same product - The Midgard-W is the original Midgard with optional side window re-branded. You may ask why Xigmatek would do this and the answer is simple: To reduce waste and costs. If you buy the original midgard and choose the option of a side window you will receive two packages, and if you buy the Midgard-W you will receive only one. This means it will cost less to ship and you will have less waste to recycle if you buy the re-branded Midgard-W. Xigmatek CPC-T55DB-U02 ConclusionXigmatek are in touch with what the consumer wants. The Midgard-W CPC-T55DB-U02 is a case for enthusiasts and beginners alike, the features are simple enough to use and at the same time advanced enough to perform as they should. The box that the case arrived in (Pictured above) is more than enough marketing in itself, The level of detail is stunning. You know what you've got, and what you can do with it before you even unbox it, which allows you plan your build without worrying about the case. You are not restricted to small low performance hardware, you can go biggest and best with this case. The Midgard-W performs as it should, The tool-less features are simple yet effective and the fans are quiet while moving alot of air. Visually the Midgard-W is flawless, Xigmatek have made a truly beautiful product that would have been a true 'Black edition' if it wasn't for the rivets. Construction quality is second to none, there are no sharp edges for you to worry about, the chassis has alot of steel mesh but this is strong and wont give in as easily as you think. You can be assured that this case will protect your hardware like "Thor, God of thunder, and his hammer - protector of Midgard - home of mankind". The cable routing is an absolute blessing, this free's up so much room inside the case and allows for better airflow throughout, The fan options are more than enough even for the most enthusiastic enthusiast out there, Xigmatek claim that 7 fan spaces are available but after looking in the case and reading the specifications I have concluded that this number is six, which is still good by any standard. The Midgard-W falls into the buget case catergory even though it might be closer to the top end of a budget, but for the features included I believe the NewEgg.com price of $79.99 is just a small premium for what you will receive. I never knew Xigmatek did cases before I received news of this one, but just like everything else they make, they do it with the needs of the consumer in mind and to a high standard. I am proud to blow Xigmateks trumpet and I would definitely recommend this case to anyone thinking about upgrading their case, you wont be disappointed. Pros:
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