Hardware EVGA Hadron Air Review

EVGA has made of the smallest enthusiast mini-ITX cases we've seen. Just don't look at the price tag.
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2013/12/13/evga-hadron-air-review/1

 

How much? So the case is 140% more expensive than the Prodigy and Phenom cases and yet it loses merely 2 points in the value score and still scores a massive 75% of the total available points? The Hadron is more difficult to use, is less versatile and offers less customisation! That review score is a complete and utter joke.

 

But those cases don't come with a custom PSU.

 

It's not 140% more expensive, it's 30% more expensive - it includes a power supply!

Factor in a reasonable modular PSU and a Prodigy setup will cost you £130 ish - thus the £30 mentioned in the conclusion.

 

uh... guys?

 

I really don't like the 'jaunty' angle created by the front being lifted up - I used to have a case like that and it got on my nerves - I'd have to add another foot at the back personally to lift it up...

140% more expensive means 2.4 times more expensive...

Hehe - that's naughty...

 

8-0

Oops. Fixed.

 

Yes, indeed it does... £70 x 2.4 = £168 which is the price of the case. So what exactly is your point?

 

In honesty I did miss that paragraph about the PSU... However, as you can get a decent 500W PSU for under £50 (Corsair - Scan) £70 + £50 = £120 which is almost £50 under the price of this.
Considering the restrictions on cooling, especially water, the ease with which to replace the PSU should it fail and all the other areas of compromise I still think that the overall score and especially the 'Value' scor are way over the top. Consider that there are cases which have been reviewed and scored far lower while offering far less restrictions or compromises. It raise yet another inconsistency issue with Bit-Tech... For me at least (AMD R290X for example).

 

You come across as having such a bad attitude in so many of your posts. You need to start reading and thinking before you post.

 

If you can even find a SFF/SFX 500W 40a PSU i would be surprised, the highest rated SFF/SFX PSU i can find is 450W.

 

Personally I really love this and really want one.

When I upgrade this will be the case I use I think.

What cooler do you think you'd use with it?

 

Fair enough. I never mean to cause offence. However, many of my posts raise issues that often seem to be politely swept under the carpet, so to speak and often still ignored. My opinion still stands though that I think that score is a joke.

 

Value doesn't mean cheap though. Because the prodigy is floppy and twice the size its cheaper, but maybe the reviewer thought that this product represented value elsewhere? The quality overall, which he has mentioned a few times.

Personally I think it looks slightly expensive, but its also very niche being that small. I think I could fit that in a pack on my back and take it to LAN while carrying my screen, which would save me driving each year.

 

All told this rather perfectly demonstrates how scores can be such a pain, particularly such granular ones. Ultimately this feels like a 4/5star product because it does precisely what it sets out to and does it very well and we'd recommend people spend the money, though you do pay a bit of a premium (which is why it didn't get an award). On the other hand a middling case that has a reasonable number of features bit simply doesn't excel on any particular level feels like, say a 3/5star product, because ultimately we wouldn't recommend someone buy it over an alternative.

You do raise a valid concern regarding the PSU, though with a three year warranty it is on balance a reasonable compromise.

Edit: And, yeah, what Ant said.

What's the issue with the 290X anyway?

 

I love this case. My second rig was built around one and has been running for about 2 months now. I replaced the 120mm roof fans with PWM Noctuas and the CPU cooler is also a Noctua. The end result is it actually runs quietly and pretty cool for the amount of power packed in there. I think the big win is the built-in PSU as it really saves space over a SFF or ATX design.

I'd also mention to the review that some tower coolers certainly do fit. I have the Noctua NH-U9B SE2 installed no problem, which is far superior to a low profile cooler.

 

Change 'em. It's your site.

 

"Water-cooling options are also nearly non-existent, without taking your radiators outside the case."
Sounds like a challenge!

 

It does sound like an invitiation to try but IIRC EVGA are [or are about to] flog a variant of this geared towards internal plumbing [called the Hadron Hydro or something like that]. Hadron AIR, the clue's in the name.