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Chenbro Gaming Bomb XpiderReview Date: January 18, 2004 Reviewed by: Chad Rose Sponsored by: Chenbro.com One of the several most important things to consider when you are building a new computer is the case, because that's what people will see first when they look at your PC. You want plenty of cooling and expansion space for sure, and you have a vast array of choices these days in all shapes, colors, and sizes. The choices today are only limited by your imagination; of course actual hardcore modders would have something to say about that. We have before us today, the Chenbro Gaming Bomb (Xpider). What we will find out during this review is if it's a proverbial bomb or a choice selection for pc builders. I honestly hope for the latter, because it does appear to be an excellent case.   Click for larger view. About Chenbro: Established in 1983, Chenbro Micom Co., Ltd. has been specializing in the development of IT products, with the core business focus on PC cases, Server cases and Rackmount cases. They have set up offices in North America, Europe, Mainland China and Japan, with a team of over 700 servicing staff all over the world. Specifications:
If you have ever read any of my other reviews, you will know that I am a stickler when it comes to product packaging. This case was packaged to withstand a delivery to your front door by any of the top punters that UPS or FedEx has to offer. Nah, just kidding. It was packaged extremely well though. It had the standard styro-foam end wrappers, the case plastic wrapped, and it was also double boxed. The only thing I spotted immediately that made me laugh a little, was that the protective covering for the case side window was on the opposite side of the case that it was intended to protect. That made little to no sense to me and I imagine whoever it was that did it didn't have enough coffee that morning.  Click for larger view. Anyhow, behind most cases are a thoughtful design. What they were shooting for with this one I presume is simplicity and a one of a kind look. I think they covered all these areas in the construction of this case. Also, almost all the edges are rolled over or situated in such a way that endangered digits aren't exposed too much risk. They didn't stop there as seen later on in this review.   Click for larger view.  Click for larger view. Photographs do not do this case justice; it has to be seen in person. It has what seems like a gigantic front panel and the inside is cavernous. The case is curvy and has a lot of appeal to the eyes, so most gamers should be envious of this case. 
 Click for larger view. Getting to the cooling end of this case; it is apparent right away that they were thinking very seriously when designing this case. There are several options available for fan placement; either a 80mm or 92mm up front and from 80mm to 120mm in the back. That will certainly help stir up some gail force winds inside. There are also fan filters in the front cover to keep the dust, dirt and critters out. A must have if running UV lighting or living in Oklahoma. Once inside the case you will become very appreciative of the design. The harddrive rack is easily removable, and the PCI card slots have neat little plastic holders that easily slide up and down securing the cards in. It seems that there was little testing done after production of this case because the wires running to the front panel had issues, which Dwayne resolved by simply re-routing them. Before, they were just smashed and the pin connectors bent by the cage when placing it back into the case. 
 Click for larger view. Another honorable mention for this case is the use of drive rails. The included rails are marked to prevent confusion during assembly, although I could tell pretty much which went where to begin with. This case comes complete with enough parts to mount everything a person would want to install.  Click for larger view. One of the few drawbacks to this case we received was the fact it didn't come with a power supply. Now I am not whining about it because I receieved it this way, I am just saying that all cases these days should come with one regardless. I personally wouldn't order it without unless I already either had one waiting for it or had the necessary funds to buy one myself. Knowing how some people are with their budgets, because mine is tight too, they would most likely buy another case at the same price with one included just to avoid the extra expense. 
 Click for larger view. Installing Components: I started my installation by mounting the motherboard. This turned out to be pretty easy with the provided clip type mechanism. I simply snapped them into the tray and mounted the board and it was a done deal. Next, I mounted my video card which was too easy considering that I simply had to turn and raise a lever, mount the video card, and then turn and close the lever to secure it in place.   Click for larger view. I then installed my cd-rom drives using the provided clips. As I said earlier, I was able to tell right away which clips were used for what, but the component names are stamped into them for reference. They have also provided enough drive rail mounts for every external slot available. 
 
Click for larger view. I installed my hard drives next. You have to mount these the old fashioned way, but the good part is that, as you have seen earlier, the hard drive cage is removable. This makes it exceptionally simple to mount them. 
 Click for larger view. 
Click for larger view. Once completed, I double checked all my connections and prepared to power back up. I hit the power switch and everything was back to normal. The installation turned out to be a very smooth process. Every additional piece of hardware provided for assembly turned out to be durable, and precise engineering made it possible to not have to modify anything prior to assembly. 
  Click for larger view. Conclusion: Initially I had my doubts about certain aspects of this case, but this case has one job on its mind. That is to go to LAN parties and whoop it up, not only in style and functionality but in aesthetic appeal. If your friends aren't even slightly envious and inquisitive you will have to show them all the capabilities that this case has to offer. It has tons of potential for only costing $45USD! That's not a bad price to pay for the high quality craftsmanship that was put into it. The biggest disappointment is that Chenbro doesn't provide a power supply as part of the package deal, but that doesn't take away the extreme coolness of this case. So here is the outcome: Pro's: Con's: I would recommend this case to anyone that is either planning to build a new rig or wanting a fresh new look. Overall I give the Chenbro Gaming Bomb Xpider a solid 4 X's for quality design and engineering! This is one kickass case!  
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