Raidmax Seiran PC Chassis Review (Hardware)
There are some noticeable differences between console gamers and PC gamers. While both share an unquenchable love for games and a lust for their friends’ blood on the digital battlefield, there are fewer PC gamers because of the extra dedication needed. It is nothing to throw an Xbox or PS3 in a backpack, grab your TV, and head to a friend’s; or if the game is split screen just take your controller. PC gamers, on the other hand, must pack up a whole lot more, carry all the extra weight, spend longer setting back up at the event, only to do it all over again at the end of the night. It is situations like these that have created the need for lightweight cases and greater portability. If you don’t want to go the micro-ITX route, then your options are limited and you still have a lot of weight to lug around. Raidmax thinks they have the answer for this need in their new, lightweight Seiran chassis. They sent one to GDN for review, and it made us believers. Seiran Design and Features
The side panels of the case each have a folding handle to make their removal easy. The back side includes a protruding design to allow space for cable management. Instead of a window, the other side has a large section made of fine mesh to increase airflow and allow you to see what goodies are inside. It also has predrilled holes for the 180mm fan that comes with the case, or a 120mm fan if you decide to swap it out. |
Starting on the front panel, you will see 9 mesh driver covers from top to bottom. These covers remove with quick latch on the right. What is nice about this is that you can actually put an optical drive or hard disk drive in any of these slots. There is also a fan mount that allows you to attach a 120mm fan to two of the hard drive trays. Up top you will find your power and reset buttons, as well as the I/O ports (2 USB 2.0, 1 USB 3.0, audio out, and mic in). One nifty little feature is the built in fan and light control knobs. These knobs will allow you to adjust the speed of 3 fans and the brightness of their LEDs. I found the number 3 to be odd though, since only 2 of the fans in the case (front 120mm and side 180mm) have 3 pin connectors for the LED control and I couldn’t find any additional fans for sale on their website.| Our Rating for Raidmax Seiran PC Chassis Review (Hardware) | |
| 7.0 | Construction Individual pieces of the case would only get a 6 on structural integrity, but when they are put together, the case would easily earn an 8. |
| 8.0 | Installation Component installation was quick and easy, but the Seiran lost a couple points here for the hassle of digging through a bag of screws, and for the time it takes to get the cable management done in a tight space. |
| 8.5 | End-user Most gamers will love the look, style, weight, and features, but the flimsiness of the case prevents it from being used by modders who want to make drastic changes. |
| 10.0 | Style This is where the Seiran shines. The look and design of the case make it a real eye catcher. Plus it looks even better in the black and red versions. |
| 7.5 | Functionality The USB 3.0 has a motherboard connector, but only one 3.0 port. Seems like a bit of a waste to me when a second 3.0 port would have been easy enough to include. |
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8.0
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Overall The Raidmax Seiran has a few things that make it imperfect, but the good features far outshine the bad. If the sample GDN received was the red version, then I personally would be using it as my primary case. |
