Enermax Volcanus Case Review
By Gabriel Torres on July 26, 2010

Introduction

Hardware Secrets Golden Award

The new Volcanus case from Enermax will reach the market with a very attractive suggested price of USD 80. Let’s see if you should consider this product.

The overall look of the Volcanus is really neat, with the front panel inspired by a flame that continues to both side panels. There are two Volcanus models: ECA3180-B, which is the model we reviewed, where this flame is black, and ECA3180-BR, where this flame is red. The left-side panel supports two 120 or 140 mm fans, which don’t come with the product. Unfortunately the meshes for these fans don’t have air filters.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 1: Enermax Volcanus case

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 2: Enermax Volcanus case

The front panel of the Enermax Volcanus can be seen in Figure 3. This case has five external 5.25” bays  and no external 3.5” bays. Of course you can buy an adapter to convert one of the 5.25” bays into an external 3.5” bay if you really need this feature. As you can see in Figure 3, the bay covers are meshed and have air filters attached to them. It is important to note, however, that only the top-most bay comes completely open; the other bays have a metal cover behind the plastic cover, which must be broken out if you want to improve the case internal airflow.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 3: Front panel

The highlight of this case is the 140 mm fan present on the front panel, called the “VEGAS.” Thru a button labeled “light,” available on the front panel, you can select between several patterns and two colors (red or blue), or you can completely turn off the lights. We made a short video showing this fan working. On the Volcanus ECA3180-BR the fan has only the red lights. No technical information about this fan is available. This fan has an air filter in front of it.

Introduction (Cont’d)

The Enermax Volcanus comes with two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port, and the traditional mic-in and headphone-out jacks on its front panel.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 4: Buttons and connectors

The top panel of the Enermax Volcanus can be seen in Figure 5. It has a space for installing one 120 or 140 mm fan.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 5: Top panel

The rear panel and the interior of the Enermax Volcanus aren’t painted, and it would be nice if Enermax had painted these parts black as well.

The power supply is installed on the bottom part of the Volcanus, not on the top part. It comes with seven expansion slots with individual retention mechanisms, but the slot covers aren’t vented. Two holes protected by rubber covers are available for hoses of liquid cooling solutions. One 120 mm fan is available on the rear panel, but no technical information about this fan is available.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 6: Rear panel

Now let’s take a look inside the Enermax Volcanus.

Inside the Enermax Volcanus

Both side panels are fastened to the case using black thumbscrews, which is great to see, especially in a case from this price range. In Figure 7, you have an overall look at the inside of the Volcanus. The motherboard tray has a big hole around the area where the CPU is installed, allowing access to the backplate of the CPU cooler, so you can replace the cooler without having to remove the motherboard. The motherboard tray also has a few holes for you to route cables behind it. The motherboard tray doesn’t go all the way to the front panel, meaning that there is a communication between the area behind the disk drive bays and the back of the motherboard tray, allowing you to easily route and hide cables.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 7: Overall look

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 8: A view from behind the motherboard tray

This case supports video cards up to 10.6” (270 mm) long.

In Figure 9 you have another overall look inside the case. Expansion cards are fastened to the case using individual plastic tool-less mechanisms.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 9: Overall look

Pay attention to the fact that the power supply can be installed with either its bottom fan facing up or facing down. Since this case doesn’t have a mesh on its bottom panel to match the power supply’s fan, you should install your power supply with its bottom fan facing up.

The Disk Drive Bays

The Enermax Volcanus comes with five external 5.25” bays and five internal 3.5” bays, all using screwless installation mechanisms. The mechanisms used with the hard drives are based on rails that must be installed on each side of the drive. The hard drive bays are rotated 90°, which helps a lot with the hard drive installation.

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 10: The disk drive bays

Enermax Volcanus case
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Figure 11: Accessories that come with the product

Main Specifications

The main specs for the Enermax Volcanus include:

Conclusions

The Enermax Volcanus proved to be a good option for users that want a case that comes with several special features and is, at the same time, affordable.

Strong Points

Weak Points

Originally at http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Enermax-Volcanus-Case-Review/1055

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