Verdict and Conclusion
This has been an interesting review for me. Initially I wasn’t very impressed, I quickly ran into the things I’ll be listing in the cons and it took a bit for me to run into and recognize the pros. Now that I have used the case a bit however the tables have turned and I rather like it! Not many reviews do the rollercoaster impression as well as the Seiran did. On the whole I like it though!
The front IO panel is fantastic, fan and LED controls, no clicking from the fans while using the controller, front facing ports (I like them better than top facing) and nice simple easy to see LEDs for power and HDD activity. It’s great.
The entire front panel being made of removable drive bay covers is very cool as well, as is the ability to mount the front fan, 5.25″ devices and 3.5/2.5″ devices anywhere.
Having to get the screwdriver out to mount HDDs makes the tool-free latches look a bit silly, but there aren’t many options given the customizability of mounting locations.
I’ve found prices between $70 (excellent) and $120 (too much). Given the features and such I would say that $70-85 is a fair price.
The rear fan sucks. It moves lots of air and would be quiet but for the mechanical clicking, but even then the molex-only power setup makes it dubious at best.
The front fan is fantastic. The side fan is great other than the LED aiming issues, if you don’t care about them it is fantastic as well.
The motherboard tray is overly flexible for my tastes. The cable management options are pretty good for the size of the case, but if you run the ATX24P wires around the back expect a fight getting the case side panel back on.
The styling is rather unique, I like it. The carrying handle is fantastic.
In the process of installation I wasn’t wounded at all and didn’t bleed even a little bit, this is a very polite case from that standpoint.
Tall and wide CPU coolers may be an issue, while the MUX120 fits I don’t think the marginally thicker TRUE (ThermalRight Ultra-120 Extreme) would. Don’t even try a Noctua D14!
On the plus side, the CPU cooler alignment forced by the side fan works quite well.
To summarize, there are plenty of pros:
- Unique looks, I like ’em.
- Carrying handle and light weigh for portability.
- Good airflow/cooling.
- No sharp edges to bite the unwarry.
- Front IO panel is excellent.
- Extreme flexibility in drive placement and front fan placement.
- Front fan is excellent.
There are cons too:
- Rear fan is poor at best, makes noise and won’t connector to fan controller.
- CPU cooler options are somewhat limited by the side fan.
- Side fan LED build quality is dubious, it’s nice and quiet though.
- Cable management room is limited.
- Motherboard tray more flexible than I’d like.
All told I rather like the Raidmax Seiran and give it an 8/10 rating!
SCORE
8/10
