Hiper Osiris ATX Case
Packaging
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As with any PC case, the transit from factory to outlet and then onto you is the most likely time that a case will pick up dents and scratches, so it’s to Hiper’s credit that the case arrived in a very sturdy cardboard box. The DHL guy who delivered the case said how nice the box looked, commenting on the Egyptian theme and judging how easy he walked up my driveway with it, was pleased not to require a fork-lift truck to bring it to my doorstep. There is a handy plastic carry handle on top or two side cut-outs that can be used to lift the box up with both hands should you so wish. The box itself is a black printed affair emblazoned with a picture of the Egyptian God Osiris with the name being raised in faux gold writing. On the rear of the box are the obligatory specs and a compartmentalized picture of the case.
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The inside of the box has a top and base made of quality foam material which holds the case nice and snug and should prevent any damage occurring to those areas. Hiper obviously thought there wasn’t any need for side protection and I must agree as the pictures themselves indicate ‘which way is up’. The case is also wrapped in a thin polythene bag presumably to deter any dust from entering the contents. Overall, a well designed and attractive package and although you will most likely only see the box once or twice in your cases lifetime, it is nice to see some thought go into the packaging rather than a boring brown cardboard box.
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External
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Here we see the case in all its glory. The top, front and rear sections are anodised black with a brushed metal finish. The metal itself is of the same caiber aluminium alloy Lockheed Martin (Stealth aircraft manufacturer) use on thier wings. Sadly niether Area 51 or Skunkworks were available for comment at the time of writing this review so we will have to take Hipers word for it. Needless to say the 6063-T5 Military spec alloy is light (78% aluminium), strong and a perfect material to build PC’s from. The left side panel is a black anodised affair (non brushed this time) and has a quite sleek looking window panel. The right hand side is a plain panel, once more anodised in black. While nothing revolutionary, it is a classic finish seen in LianLi’s and Silverstones costing much more so its good to see a quality job on a case that costs half the price. I don’t know why the brushed metal effect wasn’t carried on to the side panels and frame but despite this the case has a certain allure about it, giving a sense of precision engineering throughout.Â
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The side panels and front panel are designed for tool-less removal and fitting and with minimal effort the push tabs release the panels and the front comes away with relative ease allowing the case to be stripped down to allow easy access to all the internal space ready to for you to fit your components. The rear panel also has a unique number plate, matching the keyring giving a sense of exclusivity. I doubt that there will be a limited run of these cases and that they will any time soon become collectors items but its a nice feature and made me smile.
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The top panel is where you will find the power/reset switches but that’s not all as sat alongside are 2x USB 2.0 ports, eSATA and mic/input/output 3.5mm jacks also adorn the separate plate. There are also 2 micro leds, one blue and one UV coloured which are for hard drive activity and power supply respectively. Towards the back of the top panel we find an exhaust fan fitted with a mesh screen to protect your pinkies – again this is fitted really well.
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Above we see the front and rear of the case in a little more detail. Above left shows the two stealth bays and the hieroglyph of the Osiris. I am not a big fan of graphics on a case and this does nothing to change my personal opinion as it takes something away from the clean look of the Osiris and only serves to cheapen it a little. To the rear of the case, Hiper have placed two rubber grommets to allow the use of water cooling without having to mod the case. This is a great idea but the problem is that only a 120.1 radiator can be hung from the back else some of the rear panel will be obscured and also due to the positioning of the pre-cut holes anything bigger than a 120.1 will prove difficult to route the tubing through these holes without kinking. If however, you only intend to use one of the many pre-built basic kits out there then this is a welcome addition and perfect for the budding water cooler.Â
