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日本In Win 904 Black quick review – simplistic, stylish, and distinguishable
At the Computex 2016 event, we observed some awesome In Win computer cases turned into very pleasing creations that can surely be a beautiful part of our everyday lives. Even though they were modified by some professionals in the sphere of modding, the engineers from In Win, too, have done a great job with the cases they offer for the end users.
The subject of today’s discussion will be In Win 904 Black. We would like to examine what motherboards are supported, to what an extent can you hide the cables for aesthetic purposes, as well as the case’s build and style. All this shall be looked at in great detail in this review to see if the chassis is worth it.
If you are interested in In Win 904 Black, you can check its current price and availability here: http://amzn.to/2aPJmAJ
Contents
Video presentation
Retail package
Even though most cases come in a conventional cardboard package, which is opened from the top, this is not the case with In Win 904 Black. This computer chassis comes in a relatively big and heavy box which has the 904 number on it plus the specs sheet of the model. As it was mentioned, the unboxing process is not the typical one. In Win 904 has been inserted in the box horizontally, which means that you will have to remove the side scotch tape. After opening the package, you will see the lying chassis covered by a black “cloak”, which protects it from fingerprints (continue reading to see why this is needed). To make sure that you will receive an undamaged product, the manufacturer has added two styrofoam pads.
Apart from the chassis itself, you will find a big package with many small parts that will be needed (not all of them) for your system installation and cable management. We were delighted to see that there has been included an additional power cable. So if you happen to have a short power cable for the motherboard, you can use the one provided in the package (as an extension). Unfortunately, it has not been sleeved and if the case design is important to you, you may not enjoy the multi-colored cables.
Also provided in the package is an 8-pin power connector for the GPU. Fortunately, it is colored in black and yellow, and won’t be as distinguishable as the motherboard cable. The last bonus In Win have included is the USB 3.0 to USB 2.0 adapter. Additionally, there are a few cable ties that have proven their efficiency for better cable management and tidiness inside the case. Because the choice of materials in In Win 904 is a bit different from the usual (we shall discuss its design a bit later), the manufacturer has provided a microfiber cloth, too. The remaining contents of the package include the needed screws for the motherboard installation, as well as a detailed user manual.
In Win 904 Black on the outside
As it was already noted, the choice of materials is unconventional. Yes, most contemporary cases offer a transparent lid but only on one of the sides, so that you may enjoy what you’ve put together. In Win 904 has two tempered glass panels, or, in other words, the machine has both attractive looks as well as high quality. Perhaps this is the reason why the Taiwanese company has added a microfiber cloth. Maybe one of the reasons that motivated us to go for this case for our configuration was namely this.
Another reason is related to the case’s design. Not only is it unconventional, but it is also simplistic and does not stand out too much with additional elements that might result in an irregular form. Aluminum is the material used for the chassis, although this is not the lightest we’ve tested. On the front, the brushed aluminum surface has its red badge saying “In Win”. It is written in the typical unconventional font and glows when you turn on your computer.
Before turning to the back, we would like to go back to the sides with tempered glass. On one of them (the one that reveals your configuration), there is a sticker reminding you of the rigidity of this glass – it may be tempered but it’s not armored, and could be broken if you hit it harder. To reduce the chance of this happening, In Win have added four bolts that hold the panels tightly to the chassis. Fortunately for all of us, this does not ruin the quality in any way, as there are dedicated holes for those bolts. Even though the front has a regular form, the sides are an exception.
In the lower right corner, you can see a “hole” that seems to break away from the design language (at least at first sight) – a very good decision on behalf of In Win, which keeps the design language simple. If you look closely, you will notice a bolt that holds a small aluminum plate that covers the 5.25-inch opening. Yes, that’s right – this where you mount your optical drive. Those of you who think that CD/DVDs are in the past – think again about the hardware copies of the games you play (e.g. GTA V that comes on 7 discs)
If you lift up your eyes a bit, you will notice four USB 3.0 ports, a headphones jack and a microphone jack, along with the on/off button. Additionally, you may also notice a filter meant for dust protection in case you decide to install a fan above it. It’s attached to the chassis with the help of magnets, so when you decide to remove it, don’t be that gentle. All this is located in the lower right corner, so the case has to be somewhere near you, and not on the floor (unless you want to bend down each time you want to start the computer, change cables, or use some of the ports). This is one drawback that this computer box has. On the other hand, the positive side is that computers suck dust like vacuum cleaners when on the floor or (what’s worse) on the carpet. Due to its unconventional design, In Win 904 has to sit near to you, so that you can enjoy the view of its internals, without having to frequently clean it.
The last surprise hiding in In Win 904 is the back part. At first sight, this section’s design is a bit more contrasting because of the openings in the aluminum where you can install a 120/140 mm fan or liquid cooling for the CPU. This is actually the second and last place where you could install a fan – despite it being a higher end computer case, you can use only two fans.
As far as the second opening is concerned, it is located slightly below the first and, to be honest, we are not entirely sure what its purpose is. Perhaps, it ensures better airflow or just for the sake of more interesting design. Those of you who want their case to have an irregular form, we have some good news – a good part of the aluminum panel on the back is removable so that you may access the smaller plates, which get in your way when installing a GPU, and the 90mm opening where you could install a smaller fan.
Fortunately, the plates, which we remove when adding a GPU to the system, are attached to the chassis with screws and are not meant to be disposed of after you remove them – you won’t be left with a whole if you remove the graphics card. The last opening on the back bottom section is meant for the PSU. We shall touch upon this a bit later in our review. Also available on the bottom are two rubber feet that keep the case in one place and protect it from unwanted scratches.
In Win 904 on the inside
Now that we’ve completed our detailed examination of In Win 904’s exterior, it is time to discuss its internals. As it was already mentioned, the tempered glass panels are firmly held into place thanks to four bolts. To get inside, you will have to unscrew them and remove the glass panel – do not worry the glass is also held by the bolts’ threads if the case is placed vertically (still, it’s good to be more careful). Once you’ve removed the side, you will be presented with a matte finish which doesn’t retain fingerprints or smudges – no, its texture is uneven and hard-wearing.
We begin with the position of the motherboard. If you want to fit an E-ATX motherboard, this won’t be possible with In Win 904. The case comes with pre-installed fasteners meant to help you place the motherboard into one position – this is the first time we’ve seen such a useful move on behalf of the manufacturer. Of course, as we mentioned in our “Retail package” section, In Win have added some additional such elements in case you happen to need some. Additionally, we can see some openings for better cable management and overall design.
Under the motherboard, there is a dedicated spot for the PSU, which is a bit unconventional. Apart from being slightly raised, under it is located the DVD optical drive (of course, they are separated). Furthermore, there is a sticker that reminds us to install the PSU with the fan placed upward. Since there is a dedicated place for the power supply unit that has to be not bigger than 268 mm. Next to it, you will find another opening again for the sake of tidier cable arrangement.
Going up again, on the right of the motherboard. It is there that you can observe the 3.5-inch HDD slots (there are three of them). They are really convenient to use thanks to the available trays that are quite useful for the installation of the HDDs. The same applies to the rivets mounted on the trays where you install the hard drives – the rivets are there to make sure the drives won’t wobble. What’s more, the trays allow you to install not only 3.5-inch units but also 2.5-inch SSDs – this applies for the three slots. When you remove the base, you will see SATA connectors that have been pre-installed and sleeved, which is a good feature for quick installation and better design.
Below the HDD slots are located the SSD trays. Yes, apart from being able to install such units in the slots above, In Win 904 gives you the chance to add two additional SSDs thanks to the small metal constructions. In other words, you can use up to 5 SSDs in this chassis. Taking a look at the same level on the other side (left), we can see eight small metal plates screwed to the construction. This means that you can install up to four graphics cards if their length does not exceed 36 cm, and their width fits within two slots. Considering the size of 27-8 mm of contemporary GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, it is very unlikely that you will have problems fitting the card. On the other side of the box (the second glass panel), In Win 904 Black may pleasantly surprise you with its LED lights.
Specs sheet
| Type | Mid Tower |
|---|---|
| Choice of materials | Aluminum and tempered glass |
| Motherboard support | ATX, micro-ATX |
| Optical drive | 5.25-inch |
| HDD/SSD | three 3.5-inch slots and two 2.5-inch |
| Features |
|
| Dimensions | 490mm x 192mm x 490mm |
| Weight | 12.3 kg |
Verdict
At the end of this detailed review, we seem to be even more unhappy that the MSI X99A Godlike Gaming Carbon motherboard is of the E-ATX type. Unfortunately, In Win 904 can’t fit this model, and as an alternative for our test we used In Win GR One. We shall touch upon this one in the next couple of dates, and now we would like to conclude our review of the awesome Taiwanese computer case. One of the very good reasons that made us choose this chassis was its design. In Win 904 has a tidy enough interior that can fit all essential components – long GPUs, liquid CPU cooling, a good number of SSDs and HDDs, as well as quality PSUs.
One’s eye is immediately drawn to the brushed aluminum back, and the tempered glass sides make In Win 904 even more refined and innovative. We can’t miss mentioning the position dedicated to your DVD optical drive (in the lower part of the case). There aren’t that many computer cases out there designed in a way that is both simple and intriguing, and with great attention to detail. Thanks to the pre-installed SATA cables, you can effortlessly achieve a RAID configuration with HDDs or even SSDs, since the slots support both 3.5-inch and 2.5-inch units.
Unfortunately, apart from the inability to mount an E-ATX motherboard, ou won’t be able to install a fan taller than 140 mm because the chassis’ width is 192 mm. With the purchase of In Win 904, you won’t get any fan, which can also be considered as a small downside, although the Taiwanese company has included a microfiber cloth, a motherboard power cable extension.
If you are interested in In Win 904 Black, you can check its current price and availability here: http://amzn.to/2aPJmAJ
Pros
- Attractive and exquisite design
- High build quality
- Tempered glass on either side
- Easy installation of storage devices
- Option for liquid CPU cooling
- Supports 36 cm long GPUs
Cons
- Supports only ATX and micro-ATX motherboards
- CPU fans can be only 140 mm high
- Inability to use 240 mm radiator (or bigger)
