Installing equipment in the case:

About the only complaint I have with the HX08 surrounds the placement of the RAID expansion rack. When that expansion rack is full, and the 5.25" bays are also full things can get a bit tight between the two. The mass of power and signal cables effectively clogs up that whole area and any hopes of good airflow are pretty much quashed. It would have been nice to see the RAID expansion rack dropped back a few millimeters to give those drive some extra leg room.

Another complaint I have with this case surrounds the knockouts. The case metal is 1mm thick, so this makes removing the knockouts difficult. Added to that, the bezel is at such close tolerance that it is difficult to twist the knockout out as it tends to bind into the bezel's plastic.

Conclusions:

Overall I would have to say that we are very happy with this case. Little features you don't notice (until they don't get in your way make this case a pleasure to use). For instance, back by the expansion slots, the metal is beveled inward so someone installing a slot card can easily get their screwdriver in, without having to come in at an angle.

The front bezel has power and reset switches which are easy to operate and don't require a pen, like some other cases we've seen in the past. The case itself is cavernous and well built, using 1mm thick steel, with care taken during the manufacturing process to round over the corners. All in all a very good server case, and an even better high-performance case.