XFX Type 01 Bravo Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on May 16, 2014 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- XFX
- mid-tower
- Case
XFX Type 01 Bravo Case Review: Introduction
Companies often try to diversify their product lineup into other market segments, and today's review is such an attempt. XFX began as a graphics card manufacturer, later branching into motherboards, power supplies, and now cases. Today we're reviewing the Type 01 Bravo today, first ever PC case from XFX.
XFX is a company traditionally focused on gamers and their marketing has always been gaming-related -- they started by making graphics cards, after all. Thus, it is no surprise that their first case is being marketed as a "gaming case". On paper, the Type 01 Bravo is a feature-packed, roomy mid-tower PC case and, with a retail price of $129.99 plus shipping, it appears to be reasonably priced. But there's more to making a good case than paper specs, so let's find out if the Type 01 Bravo is is actually worth buying.
| XFX Type 01 Bravo Specifications | ||
| Motherboard Form Factor | Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX | |
| Drive Bays | External |
3 x 5.25" 1 x 3.5" (using a 5.25" to 3.5" adapter) |
| Internal |
5 x 2.5" or 3.5" (upper front drive cage) 3 x 3.5" (lower front drive cage) |
|
| Cooling | Front | 1 x 200 mm (included) |
| Rear | 1 x 120 mm / 140 mm (140 mm included) | |
| Top | 1 x 120 mm / 140 mm (optional) | |
| Left Side | 3 x 120 mm (optional) | |
| Bottom | 1 x 120 mm / 140 mm (optional) | |
| I/O Port |
2 × USB 3.0 2 × USB 3.0 1 × Headphone 1 × Mic |
|
| Power Supply Size | ATX | |
| Clearances | HSF | 175 mm |
| PSU | Any | |
| GPU |
340 mm (with 3.5" drive cage) 370 mm (with 2.5" drive cage) |
|
| Dimensions |
562 mm × 232 mm × 518 mm (H×W×D) 22.2 in × 9.2 in × 20.4 in (H×W×D) |
|
| Prominent Features |
Unique XFX floating case design Modern minimalist design style Seamless hidden disc drive bays with folding doors Open Mesh Bottom With Filter Water Cool Ready Isolated bottom mount PSU design Solid and light ABS plastic construction Standard Mid Size tower height Full ATX motherboard compatibility 5-year warranty (with registration) |
|
| Price |
$149.99 USD (MSRP) Online: $130 (plus shipping) |
|
Packaging & Bundle
We received the Type 01 Bravo in a very simple, brown cardboard box. There is virtually no artwork on the box at all, with the exception of horizontal stripes that resemble the corrugated theme of the case. Inside the box, the case is protected by thick, individualized expanded polyethylene foam slabs, enhanced with a cardboard shell. The box is understated but looks to provide a decent amount of padding and protection for the case.
XFX did a decent job with the bundle as well. Although nothing really special is supplied, the company packages everything into individual, labelled plastic bags. Aside from the screws and standoffs, XFX also provides a few cable ties, a 5.25" to 3.5" front panel adapter, and a basic manual.
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28 Comments
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piroroadkill - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Another large, generic and ugly case.I want to see a lot more innovation in the arena of microATX and miniITX.
A good example of an innovative microATX case is the Aerocool DS Cube. Damn nice.
nissefar - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Yes. I don't get why so many mediocre mid towers keeps getting released, when that market is already saturated.For the vast majority of users, there is no need to build anything larger than mATX or even ITX. But the big producers are moving so slowly in this area, basically if you want something that's not huge and doesn't look awful you have to go for custom niche productions like the Ncase M1.
RaistlinZ - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Stick to video cards.sicyo - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
I don't mind the looks but I wouldn't spend $50, let alone $130 on a case that broke so easily in a review.jmke - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
", we mentioned that the plastic top and bottom frames are just a decoration and mishandling them will almost certainly cause permanent damage. We tested that theory by trying to lift the empty case by its rear top plastic frame, which looks like a handle. The result of that test was the snapping of the frame even before the whole case was off the ground. The bottom rear frame shattered when the case landed back on the floor as well. It goes without saying that users need to handle the Type 01 Bravo with extra care."if it looks like a handle, people will use it as a handle. make sure it can support the weight and then some. and you tried it with an empty case, imaging you installed thousands of $$$ and it breaks..
they have to fix this... either remove the handles or make the sturdy.
Good example of handles done right is Coolermaster Cosmos; that one has handles top/bottom, but they support the weight, even when loaded with 10+ HDDs!
lavaheadache - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
what a steaming pile of garbage. I feel bad for anybody that buys that caselmcd - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Not only should the handles work, but the front panel should be covered by a band of thick plastic about 1/3 from the base just to improve the aesthetic (and the logo, buttons, and ports can all go there too). Below the band that I suggest they insert, HDDs should be hot-swap facing forward.Gunbuster - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
It looks like they designed maybe 45% of the case at most and then said aw screw it just ship it out.And that grime/fingerprint magnet finish. No thanks...
Dr0id - Monday, May 19, 2014 - link
Man the grime was the first thing I noticed in the pictures. I thought my glasses were dirty.I appreciate Fyll's technical review, but the $30 looks of this case kind of sour any compliments he could give to XFX.
The whole thing looks like a cheap 80's boombox, with the front looking like the speaker grill, the grimy faded black plastic all round, and the useless rounded flare which looks like it would brake if you stare at it (but would usually be stamped with something witty like "Xtreme Bass.)
Torashin - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Oh god, it's hideous!