Enermax Steelwing Review
Category : Cases
Published by Luca Rocchi on 16.03.17
With the Steelwing, Enermax has a new case in its portfolio that features an eye-catching design and it's made out aluminum and tempered glass. Although this case is very compact, the Steelwing is compatible with micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards. In addition there is enough space for high-end graphics cards and with some compromise you could even install a custom water cooling loop.
With the Steelwing Enermax is trying to push into a new and different direction and already having had a first glance at this case we believe that moving away from the standard basic black case with plastic details and sheet metal body is always a good idea in the case of this vendor. The Steelwing itself is a very compact case while being compatible with mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards. Measuring 387 mm (W) x 300 mm (H) x 176 mm (D) this case is easy to carry around. Unlike all the cases Enermax had introduced in the past years, the Steelwing offers a completely different and eye-catching design. This case is entirely made from aluminum and all the non-anodized parts are sandblasted which minimizes the visibility of finger prints and makes for a beautiful and smooth surface. The side panels are interesting as well. While the left side panel is nothing more than a huge tempered glass panel, the right one is made from aluminum and available in two different colors. In this case you can choose between a green side panel or in red/raspberry colored one. Furthermore the build quality is simply excellent.
From the cooling point of view, the Enermax Steelwing does not offer a lot of options. There is only one slot and it's placed in the front part of the case. Included in the bundle you will find a pre-installed Enermax 120mm LED fan. Depending on the length of the graphics card that you’re going to use the installation of a 120mm radiator in the front of the case would be possible. Apart from that the Enermax Steelwing is compatible with low profile CPU coolers measuring up to 80mm in height.
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Preview
Specifications
| Model: |
Steelwing |
| Case Type: |
Mini tower |
| Dimensions: |
387 mm (W) x 300 mm (H) x 176 mm (D) |
| Material: |
Aluminum, Tempered glass |
| Color: |
Gray, Red |
| Drive Bay: |
5.25": |
0 |
| 3.5": |
2 |
| 2.5": |
1 |
| Expansion
slots: |
3 |
| Form factors: |
mATX, mini-ITX |
| Cooling: |
Front: |
1x 120mm (1x 120mm included) |
| Rear: |
/ |
| Top: |
/ |
| Bottom: |
/ |
| Side: |
/ |
| Watercooling |
Front: |
120mm |
| Rear: |
/ |
| Top: |
/ |
| Link to the product: |
Enermax Steelwing |
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Features
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Aluminum chassis
The entire external structure of the Enermax Steelwing case is made from aluminum of different thicknesses. This choice, not only gives strength and durability to the case, it also contributes largely to the exclusivity of this case. |
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Watercooling ready
The Enermax Steelwing isn't a big case and there aren't too many spots for fans or radiators. However, in the front there is a slot for a single 120mm fan or radiator. Here you can easily install a 120mm radiator for a custom loop or a more simple AiO cooler. |
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Product overview
Overview |
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| The Enermax Steelwing is a very compact case, which is compatible with mini-ITX and micro-ATX motherboards. Looking at images of this case online might suggest that it’s quite a bit larger than what it actually is. In reality the Steelwing really is a small chassis, which can be carried easily. Unlike all the models introduced by Enermax over the past years, the new Steelwing offers a completely different and eye-catching design. Speaking about design, the front features several "wings" while both the top and the back come with a more classic and less extravagant look. Also at the front there are I/O connectors providing two USB 3.0 ports and the usual audio panel. Enermax makes the Steelwing entirely from aluminum and all the non-anodized parts are sandblasted, which creates a beautiful surface. The side panels are rather interesting as well. While the left side panel is basically a simple, huge piece of tempered glass, the right panel one is made from aluminum and available in two different colors: green and raspberry red. Furthermore we want to underline, that the build quality of this case is simply excellent. |
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Installation
Overview |
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The Steelwing from Enermax is amongst the smaller mini-ITX cases we have tested so far. Despite its compact dimensions there is quite a lot of space available on the inside. The motherboard is placed vertically with the sockets facing upwards while the power supply is mounted parallel to the board and covering it. As far as storage is concerned, you can equip the Steelwing with up to two 3.5" HDDs and one 2.5" device. All HDDs are positioned on slides which can be fixed to the bottom and to the front of the case. The first slide is placed in the bottom left corner while the second is located at the front and it’s not removable. The non-removable right slide can be used for three different purposes, since it can hold either a hard drive, a 120mm fan or a 120mm water cooling radiator.
Measuring 387 mm (W) x 300 mm (H) x 176 mm (D), the Steelwing allows installing high-end dual or even triple-slot graphics cards. Due to the size of the case, it is necessary to use a low profile CPU cooler or a 120mm radiator. The installation is not as easy as with an ATX case but putting the components in place is still reasonably simple. For our system we used a full modular Enermax power supply and we managed to hide all cables. Our test setup features a Phanteks PH-TC12LS cooler placed on a MSI Z170I Pro Gaming AC motherboard and a MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card. Unfortunately we were not able to place the standard fan on our cooler since it is too big for this case. After having built a system with an air cooler we would suggest to use an all-in-one liquid cooler, since it allow for more efficient usage of the internal space.
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Ventilation options
Overview |
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< |
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| From the cooling point of view, the Steelwing does not offer many options. There is only one slot and it's placed at the front. Inside the bundle you will find a pre-installed 120mm Enermax LED fan. Depending on the graphics card that you're going to use, you can also install a 120mm radiator in the front of the case. As mentioned on the previous page, the Enermax Steelwing is compatible with low profile CPU coolers of up to 80mm height. |
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Temperatures
Overview |
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For testing purposes we're using an MSI Z170I Gaming Pro AC motherboard, an Intel Core i5-6600K CPU, which receives cooling through a SilentiumPC Fortis 3 HE1425 MCE cooler as well as a MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G graphics card. To put the CPU under full load, we're running prime95 for 10 min and in the case of the GPU we use Furmark also for 10 minutes. After these ten minutes, we're going to write down the temperatures. The ambient temperature is close to 24°C. |
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All noise dampening panels installed |
Idle (°C) |
Full (°C) |
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Intel Core i5-6600K |
35 / 38 / 36 / 36 |
- |
| MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G |
46 |
66 |
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Less is better |
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Conclusion
Rating |
| |
Cooling |
Features |
Layout |
Build Quality |
Value for Money |
| Pros |
+ Good
compatibility for watercooling
+ Up to 80mm height CPU cooler |
+ Tempered glass
+ Dust filters
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+ Interior
space |
+ High quality materials
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| Cons |
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- Only 3 expansion slots
- Difficult cable management |
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The Enermax Steelwing is an all-aluminum chassis with a tempered glass side panel for users who want a small case that looks different. As far as the design is concerned, we are not big fans of eye-catching cases but this is definitely a subjective aspect and therefore a matter of individual taste. This case is compatible with micro-ATX motherboard however we suggest to use it in combination with a mini-ITX motherboard which leave a little more empty space to work with. Storage wise you can equip it with a total of two HDDs and one SSD.
Luckily there is space for a discrete graphics card and you can build a powerful and compact gaming PC. Another aspect we came to appreciate is the compatibility with the custom water cooling loops; although the size of the case might not help, you can create -with some compromise- a sweet water cooled setup. The basis for such an endeavor is the spot for a 120mm radiator. Nevertheless you’d have to keep in mind that this is not recommended in the case of a high-end CPU and GPU, which are to be cooled. On the air cooling side, the Steelwing is compatible with CPU coolers measuring up to 80mm in height. The cable management could be better and there is no panel where cables can be hidden and tempered glass side panel makes everything visible.
The Enermax Steelwing is listed on Geizhals with prices starting at 145 Euro. In our opinion, the price is rather steep although the case offers a very good build quality and an interesting design. The Steelwing is a new direction for Enermax and we always like it when manufacturers come up with something that is completely new. Overall the Enermax Steelwing is a good case that has the potential of being a great mini-ITX case with some refresh or modification. The Enermax Steelwing receives 4 stars out of 5.
