Conclusion
This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.
Installation was a breeze as the motherboard tray alone is such an added benefit that it would easily make me look over other discrepancies that could be found, but you, the reader need to know what I found so here it is.
Quality of the build was enjoyable, especially considering the motherboard tray. But, problems with the 3½” drive cage makes me really hope for design changes as the removable cage is great, so long as it can be used properly. A quick disconnect front panel connector would also make a system built around this Skyhawk case even better as this case (being a true server case) does not have all the multimedia ports up front, the only wiring is for your standard LEDs and switches.
The front fascia is firmly fastened and will not go anywhere as I have seen happen on other cases. Solid connectors make the front fascia solid even if it is just aluminum wrapped. The front fan wire grills make an exceptional showing of desire for the server market usage, as downtime is something you would strongly wish to avoid. The overall weight of this case would certainly make it a LAN partier’s dream at 11 lbs. without all the other components added in.
Five fans cooling an AMD system is also a great option which includes two side blowholes that can be turned around for intake if you need it for your system setup. I was able to maintain a 1-2ºC above ambient at all times with an XP1800 system overclocked to near XP2000+ speeds. Here is my list of Pros & Cons.
Pros:
- Cooling abilities
- 2 Side Blowholes
- 5 fans in total
- 10 Drive Bays
- Roominess to handle large motherboards
- Thumbscrewed all panel access
- 2-3 pin Power LED convertor
- Motherboard Tray support bar
- Hard Drive cage moved for better airflow from front fans
- PSU bi-directional bracket for dual fan or redundant PSU use.
- Front Fan Filters with Wire Fan Grills for 0% downtime
Cons:
- 3½” drive cage has some design issues that need to be addressed
- Support Bracket for Case may make certain PSU installs tricky
- Fan filters need to be removed in order to remove Floppy Drive cage
- No quick disconnect for front panel wiring when removing MB tray
Here are some general specs of my test system. A GA-7DX+, AXP1800+ OC’ed to near 2000+ speeds, 7200 Maxtor HDD, 56X CDR, and ECS315 video card. At all times during my testing the case temp was well within 2ºC ambient temps. I run Folding@Home for Amdmb.com and I can tell you it gets your system hot! Now this testing includes more than 24 hours in 85ºF ambient temps as my home central air blew out and had to be replaced. I have several systems in my office and one of the systems I did not have to shutdown during my imposed heat wave was the Skyhawk MSR4620, and it has the highest overclock of all my systems. Excellent showing!
Would I buy this case for myself or anyone else? You’re absolutely right I would. The weight alone makes it perfect for SOHO or LAN party use. Take a PSU, motherboard, hard drive, and CDR, then add the weight of a light bowling ball and that’s it.
I’d like to thank Skyhawk for providing this case for review for Amdmb.com. This case performed quite well, even in my little heat wave! Resellers and users can check out the entire Skyhawk line at www.skyhawkusa.com
