Cougar Spike Mini-ATX Case review
Testing
Taking in mind that this is a compact case for Micro-ATX hardware, the installation went pretty smooth but things are obviously quite tight due to the small form factor of the case. You can get a pretty decent heatsink in there if you give up on the side fans and there's also room or a somewhat larger power supply, but it'll have to be a modular one.
The tool- free mounting mechanism didn't work too great though, and depending on your hardware, large coolers may block the 3.5" bays and RAM clearance may also be a bit of an issue if you have large 5.25" devices.
Once everything is in place, you'll also notice that cable management is pretty non-existent, you can tuck away some cables in unused drive bays but other than that the case is just too compact to properly route cables.
If you really want to, you can mount two 330mm long graphics cards in this case, but its cooling potential may be a bit too limited if you're going to install a lot of power-hungry hardware. Up to four fans can be mounted in the case, but only one is included.
Conclusion
With a retail price of around $34.99 the Cougar Spike delivers a very good price/performance ratio. It's a great budget case for anyone seeking to build a compact Micro-ATX gaming rig - it's affordable but doesn't feel too cheap. Spike is not particularly feature-rich, but offers a good overall build quality and most of the features you really need.
The Good Stuff
- Good value for money
- Compact design
- Room for 330mm long graphics cards
- Fits long PSUs
- Relatively sturdy build quality
The Bad Stuff
- Very limited cable management options
- Tight fit
- No cut-out for easy CPU swappping
- Poor tool-free mounting mechanism
- No dust filter for side panel vent
DV Hardware gives the Cougar Spike a 8/10 and our Seal of Approval award.
Previous Page (3/4)Added: July 30th 2013
Product reviewed: Cougar Spike Mini-ATX Case
Reviewer: Thomas De Maesschalck
Score: 8/10
Page: 4/4
