Raidmax 668 Scorpio

Now let’s take a look at the Raidmax 668 Scorpio.  In our comparison it’s the only full tower here, so it stands a little taller than the rest.  But the real question is can it out perform the rest?  Let’s take a look at the outside and some pretty cool features on the 668.  First of all it’s got the usual, USB/Firewire and Mic and Headphone jacks on the top.  Also it has a really cool window and Diode fan, multi-colored!  It comes with a 420W PSU and has swivel feet.  It also has 2 diodes in the front bezel and the door is built quite well.  It has five 5.25” bays and two 3.5” external bays.  The other nifty thing is that it has keys to lock your rig so nobody can steal your DVD burner.  One thing I did notice about this case is that the paneling is a little flimsy. Not bad, but enough to make a note of it.  Overall it’s a solid case, its not extreme styling but it’s not bland!  The lights really make it something.

• External Drive Bays: 4 x 5.25" and 2 x 3.5"
• Internal Drive Bays: 4 x 3.5" H.D.
• System Board: ATX Form Factor 12" x 10.5" or smaller
• Expansion slots: Standard ATX 7 slots
• Material: Aluminum
• Power Supply: PS2 size/ ATX12V P4 ready Power Supply
• Dimension(WxDxH): 205 x 473 x 522 mm 

            So, what’s to dislike about this case?!  Well it is a little flimsy, but that helps keep it light which is good because it’s a full tower.  But surprisingly, it is very stable!  The back of the case has plenty of support, and they have done a great job here.  The other thing I don’t like is that the space between the hard drives and the door, there isn’t enough room for the cables and they get in the way when you try to close it.  Also there were no instructions, which made it a little difficult at times to make everything mesh right, but it wasn’t too bad.

            Now the will this case be better for cooling?  I mean it’s bigger, but bigger doesn’t always mean better.  As far as fans go it has two from 80mm, one side 80mm, two rear 80mm and an 80mm blow hole on top.  This thing really gets the air moving in and out very well.  Especially the front and rear fans!  The outside temp when we tested was a cool 72F and after one hour loop of Q3 Demo, we got an internal temp reading of 76F.  That’s really good; the air doesn’t get trapped long enough to let the air heat up which is a good thing.  For a full tower it’s surprisingly light.  AS far as weight goes, its a mere 23.6lbs loaded!  Not fully loaded though!

Raidmax conclusion…

1. Install time: 0h 21m 32sec.

2. Style: 9/10

3. Installation: A Little Frustrated

4. Airflow: 9/10

            After trying the Raidmax, it’s going to be hard to improve on this bad boy.  I would try to make the panels a little sturdier with thicker Aluminum, but not too much.  I would also opt for a little more air flow at the side and top fans.  And seat the hard drives farther back in the case, so the cables don’t crimp your style.  Over all its bling bling!

            Overall Score: 9.5/10

Retail Cost: $125.00

Newegg Price: $88.00

Savings: $37.00  or  29%

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