AeroCool X-Predator Evil

 

 
Up Close: Cooling and Ventilation

So far we’ve mentioned two fan locations neither of which have fans pre mounted on them.  Now I don’t want you thinking that this case doesn’t come with any fans at all, far from it.  It actually has two 230mm fans pre installed.  Air is pulled in from the front by means of 230mm intake fan.  This is an Orange 9 bladed fan with orange LEDs, with manufacturers figures detailing a fan speed of 750rpm +/- 100rpm, delivering 49CFM of air with a static pressure of 0.54mm H2O, and generating a maximum of 27dBA of noise.  The fan is located between the front grille and the HHD rack.  The top extract fan sports identical figures to the front fan save that it is a non LED unit with Black blades.  This fan is located roughly centrally in the roof of the case.  Should you wish to remove this top fan mounting holes are also provided for either 2x120mm or 2x140mm fans, and given the room up there it’s fairly safe to say it’d be an easy enough job to slot in a 120.2 or 140.2 radiator leaving enough room for fans before Motherboard encroachment issues raise their heads.

       

Back to the outside of the case now and one of the more interesting features of the XPREDATOR.  The top of the case is formed by means of 5 louvres.  These louvres can be opened or closed by means of a sliding tab on the top edge of the case.  Opening and closing the louvres will of course reduce the amount of air being extracted from the case and should also serve to reduce the sonic footprint of the case.  Opening the louvre lets the case breath and provides a decent size vent for the top fan to exhaust the hot air from inside the case.  The aim I assume is that when you’re sitting browsing the web or other such low heat generating activities then you can slow down the fan and close down the roof, letting the minimal hot air generated be exhausted by the rear fan.  Switch to turbo nutter gamer mode (this is a gamers case after all) and you’re going to want to crank up the fan speeds and open up the louvres, allowing for maximum hot air extraction.

       

Not only do the louvres alter the thermal characteristics of the case, they also significantly alter it’s aesthetics,  I actually quite like both the looks in equally measure with the chevroned (might have just made that word up) louvres having design overtones of interlocking plates of armour, mixed with a little F22 raptor.  How amazing would it be if the louvres were motorised and linked to a thermostat so that they opened automatically (preferably with a little servo noise for good measure) when the temperature inside the case reached a pre determined point.  Sadly they aren’t, you have to do it yourself, making the little servo noise yourself is optional.