It has been almost 20 years since I built my last PC, and how things have changed! I remember when we used to worry about IDE conflicts on the graphics card, but now the problem is cable management and LED lights, or at least that's what I struggled with! Hahaha.
Anyway, we wanted a good quality case that would last a long time, with a nice design (for my son) and with filters. Initially, we had chosen the Asus TUF GT501, but when we decided to buy it, the delivery time was 30 days, and who wants to wait that long!
My son had his eye on this particular case, and when I told him that the ASUS one wasn't available for immediate delivery, he suggested this one as an alternative. Since it had good reviews here and on German websites, had fans, USB 3.1, a controller for fans and LEDs, which would provide extra convenience if we wanted to add more fans in the future, we decided to go for it.
The case is HUGE, it can fit much more than anyone would ever need. It has slots for 2 x 2.5 SSDs behind the motherboard and 2 trays for 3.5/2.5 drives, which are actually made of plastic (they look different in the pictures), but they do their job just fine.
There are holes in other places that seem to fit 2.5-inch drives, but fitting 6+3 drives as stated in the specifications seems unlikely. 6x2.5 or 4x2.5 + 2x3.5 seems more accurate.
It also has fans (120mm), in addition to the rear one, it can fit 3 in the front and 3 on top, contrary to the 2+2 mentioned in the specifications. The 3 fans that come with the case are beautiful and quiet.
The top filter is average in terms of quality, but it's not a big concern since you usually have it blowing air out. The front, however, doesn't have a filter even though it's the main area where it draws air from, so I clean it regularly. I bought 3 120mm fans along with filters to install in the front.
The filter on the power supply is denser and filters better.
With the fan setup, i.e. the 3 fans (2 on top + 1 at the back) blowing out and the 3 in the front blowing in, the airflow is very good and the PC runs smoothly, but without overclocking, we don't have high demands.
What bothered me was the controller for the fans and LEDs, but the solution was simple and I found it on YouTube (link below at 5:25). The power supply has a 3-pin connector and it says SATA on it, and I was looking at it like an idiot. Turns out, you just connect a SATA connector despite the "mismatch" of pins on the board and the connector, and it works!
Another issue is the case fans, which are 3-pin, but the controller is 4-pin (PWM). After some research, I found out that you can connect them by leaving 1 pin out, but then you lose PWM control. So, you can't read the fan speed and the speed is adjusted using DC mode if supported by your motherboard. I connected the other fans, which were 4-pin, directly to the motherboard.
I didn't use the switches on the case to adjust the fan speed, which I imagine would be useless for most people since most motherboards can control fans.
Because the case is HUGE, the connection cables for the audio/microphone outputs of the case, as well as the power cables for the motherboard (Asus x570-E), barely reached. As a result, there isn't much room for cable management. Even the cables for the infinity mirror are measured and there isn't much room for management. Basically, all the cables in the box, even with washing and softening, do not untangle and I, being picky, did not like it because no matter how good your mood is, you will not be satisfied with the final result.
Finally, the space with the cables is not spacious, meaning the lid closed under pressure.
In general, however, we are happy with the final result, it is beautiful, quiet, sturdy, with a good panel, so we recommend it for purchase.
More in the review of the link (not mine) with which I agree on everything with reservation on the front airflow, which I have no issue with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Aw0ixiK0s&ab_channel=STS