| XG Ninja 2 Case | |||
|
Product: XG Ninja 2 Introduction: The case of a computer can be just important as the CPU, PSU, ram, and motherboard. If a case does not have effective cooling your computer will run hotter and the overclocking capabilities of your computer could be severely limited. Today we are going to look at the Ninja 2 from XG which claims to boast an advanced airflow system, a 400 watt power supply, and many other cool features. Hopefully the Ninja 2 will live up to all the hype and not turn out to be a pile of scrape metal.
Specifications:
Installation: I found the installation of all the computer components to be a bit of a pain. This is probably because the Ninja 2 does not have the screwless assembly that I have grown accustom to. However, many of the cases that feature screwless assembly are in the $75+ price range. For a savings of $25 or more, I think I am able to live with having to use screws to hold all the components in place. At first, I was a bit surprised when I first opened the case and noticed that the standard brass stand offs were not required to mount the motherboard. XG instead opted to incorporate raised mounting points for the standard ATX motherboard into the motherboard tray. However, the Ninja 2 isnApril 10, 2006d plastic stand offs are included with the case so motherboards of other form factors can be used as well. One thing that defiantly made the assembly of my computer a lot easier was that the Ninja 2 featured a removable motherboard tray. All you had to do to remove the tray was take out two screws. This is a feature that I have come to appreciate and look for in a case. It is a lot nicer being able to attach the motherboard to the tray without having to work around all the other parts of the case. Probably the hardest part of the whole installation process was getting the side panels back on. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the side panels to stay flat. Everything would be lined up perfectly and as soon as I would attempt to slide the panel shut, one of the sides would pop out of alignment. Finally after about 7 minutes, I was able to get both side panels closed properly. Test Bed:
The Case:
The Ninja 2 is nothing special in terms of looks but I defiantly liked the LED light effect on the front of the case. The light from the LEDs shined all the way up to my DVD burner. This was defiantly a smart move on XG’s part, considering that most computer enthusiasts will add some sort of lighting to their cases. Before I even booted up my computer, I was expecting to have a significant jump in temperatures, as the Ninja 2 only has two fans compared the five that were in my Chieftec Dragon. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my temperatures only jumped up by seven degrees Celsius. After I finally took the time to straighten out my mess of wires, I was able to get the temperature difference down to five degrees Celsius. Typically I am not too fond of having a door that covers the 5.25” bays but XG did a nice job with the design of the door on the Ninja 2. While the door does cover most of the bays, there is a hole for the top bay. This way I did not constantly have to open and close the door in order to switch out CDs. Usually the door covers all the bays on other cases. After awhile the door would just be left open and it would usually end up being accidentally broken off. One thing that could defiantly be improved is the ninja star on the side panel. The star design is simply raised out of the side panel. As a result, it isn’t very noticeable from a distance and even at short range isn’t very noticeable. It would be nice if the star was painted a different color than the rest of the case or made of mesh like the center of the ninja star is.
The PSU: I was a little disappointed when I opened the case and saw the “massive 400 watt power supply” was only a generic power supply. This is defiantly not the mental picture I had received from the press release, which made it sound like one of XG’s higher quality power supplies were included with the case. The power supply did supply stable voltages but I personally wouldn’t trust it to run my computer for any length of time. One thing that was unique about the included power supply is that it had three fans. Most other power supplies I have seen have only had one or two fans. This probably helped the airflow of the case.
Conclusion: For the price, the Ninja 2 is an awesome case. It features a nice LED light effect, an effective cooling system, and a removable motherboard tray. While the case does require screws to assemble and have hard to close side panels, these problems are relatively minor. XG’s Ninja 2 would make an excellent case for those who are looking for an inexpensive yet functional case.
Pros: + Nice LED light effect
Cons: - Requires screws to assemble
*Specifications taken from XG’s web site |
|||
