HYTE Y40 PC Case Review

Another solid case from HYTE

HYTE is the new kid on the block, a new manufacturer that aims to take on the likes of NZXT, Corsair, Cooler Master and others. It’s refreshing to see new designs and ideas hit the market, and equally refreshing to see a company create something that isn’t the standard ATX box that we are all used to. That said, the HYTE Y40 is probably the closest thing to a “standard ATX box” that we have seen from them so far.

Like HYTE’s prior case, the Y60, the Y40 is an “aesthetics-first” chassis design. This case is designed for vertical GPU mounting, has a lot of tempered glass, and designed to be visually appealing, not optimally cooled. As such, this case does not sit on the cooler side of our case thermal graphs, but damn does this case look good.

For £150, the HYTE Y40 is an aggressively priced PC chassis. Yes, it isn’t cheap, but what other case offers this much glass and a PCIe 4.0 riser card while targeting this price point? Yes, you will need to get some more fans to get the most out of this chassis, but it is far from being the most expensive enclosure on the market.

The only major criticism that we have of HYTE’s Y40 is the same as the one that we had for the Y60, and that’s that it is a restrictive design. Its vertical GPU mount forces all your other other add-on cards within the PC to use half-height PCIe slots. This means that users of sounds cards, networking cards, and capture cards will have limited options. Thankfully, options are available for all of those products within that form factor, and buyers are willing to work within those limitations to build a PC with the aesthetics they want.

Improvements over the HYTE Y60

The HYTE Y40 is both the smaller brother of the Y60 and the result of a lot of HYTE’s early Y60 feedback. With the Y40, HYTE has added support for larger graphics cards by adding 20mm of additional clearance between this case’s GPU mounting location and the case’s side panel window. Additionally, this case also features a bottom mounted fan that helps to feed more air to the GPU section of this PC case. 

HYTE is the new kid on the block, and with that status comes fresh ideas for the PC case market. Below we can see one of HYTE’s more unique additions to their Y40 chassis, a simple idea that wowed us with its effectiveness. Below you can see the three 120mm fan mounts from the top of the HYTE Y40, and below that we have an additional cut-out that allows us to easily connect or disconnect 4+4 CPU power connectors, fan headers, RGB headers, or other wires. Even when fans or an liquid cooling radiator is installed, these locations are easy to access. As someone who builds and rebuilds PCs frequently, easy access to 8-pin CPU power connectors is revolutionary, and HYTE should be praised for this design element. I fully expect HYTE’s rivals to copy this design element on their future cases, and HYTE should definately make this a feature of all of their ATX enclosures. 

HYTE’s Y40 is a case that leaves us with mixed feelings. We love the Y40’s aesthetics, but its cooling performance leaves a lot to be desired. PC builders are going to need to take some time to ensure that their systems are being cooled as effectively as possible, and make sure that all of their add-on cards (aside from their graphics card) are half-height. This is a case that requires a level of love and attention to get the most out of it, but your reward will be an incredible looking PC that’s unlike pretty much everything else on the market. 

If you are willing to work within the HYTE Y40’s limits, you will be blessed with a great looking system that won’t break the bank. With an asking price of $149.99, this case is very reasonably price for what it is. Some manufacturers are asking for an arm and a leg for their branded PCIe riser cards and vertical GPU mounts, but HYTE is providing you with that out of the box at a respectable price.

With their Y40 chassis, HYTE has shown us that they are a PC case manufacturer that’s worth keeping an eye on. They are offering solid pricing, strong aesthetics, and design elements that are often leaving us wowed. We look forward to seeing what HYTE has in store for us in the future, and to seeing the systems the PC gaming community will create with their newest cases. 

So what do we think of HYTE’s Y40? We like it, but feel that purchasers have a lot of pros and cons to look into if they are considering this chassis. Add-on card support and thermals are major factors that are worth thinking deeply about, but if the HYTE Y40 has the look your are aiming for, it is definately a case that’s worth considering.

You can join the discussion on the HYTE Y40 PC chassis on the OC3D Forums.

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