In Win Maelstrom Case Review
Conclusions
Contents
In Win Maelstrom is a full-tower case targeted to the user that wants a case full of features with a good cost/benefit ratio.
Strong Points
- Up to ten 120 mm fans can be installed.
- Meshed bay covers with dust filters for improving airflow.
- Meshed slot covers for improving airflow.
- Hole for CPU cooler back plate installation on the motherboard tray.
- Highest number of connectors we’ve seen on a single case: two eSATA ports, four USB ports and one FireWire port.
- No sharp edges where you could cut yourself while building your PC.
- Side panels with foam to absorb noise.
- Excellent screwless mechanism for installing drives.
- Very good number of hard disk drive bays (six or seven, if the 5.25”-to-3.5” adapter is used) that should please even the most demanding user.
Weak Points
- No holes for routing cables on the motherboard tray.
- Could have come with thumbscrews for fastening daughterboards.
- No dust filter for the power supply fan.
- The tubes on the front panel are not handles.
- No speed controller for the fans.
- No noise-absorbing mechanism for the hard drives.
In summary, we think Maelstrom provides a terrific value for the user looking for an inexpensive (compared to other full-tower cases around, of course) full-tower case focused on ventilation.
