The custom case scene is a growing one and, with the likes of Parvum Systems carving a small but popular niche for unusual enthusiast-orientated cases, UK-based Hex Gear has now joined the fray too with its new R40.
Now, though, the case is readily available to everyone via Hex Gear’s website for a slightly eyebrow-raising sum of £200 inc VAT. However, when you pick up the box, you immediately understand the price. The case sports a huge amount of aluminium – an expensive material, which makes up the side panels, several internal fittings plus the four large curved profile sections. Just the latter weigh in at 3kg, while the case in total weighs a hefty 14kg.
It’s extremely sturdy as a result, although you have to build the case first – as with Parvum cases, the R40 is flatpacked and will require a few hours in DIY mode. Thankfully, the instructions are excellent, although there are numerous screw types and sizes, as well as 24 fairly involved building steps, so it isn’t for the faint-hearted.
You start by applying foam tape to some of the panels to prevent vibration, then you build the motherboard tray before installing the large top and bottom fan/radiator mounts, securing the aluminium profiles and finally adding the front and rear sections. The side panels are screwless and simply slot into place for easy removal, and the end result is a fantastic-looking chassis.
The case is customisable too. It uses accent packs – acrylic inserts that sit between the main chassis and front and rear sections that add some colour. These accents are available in eight colours, and you can also get reverse ATX designs if you want to position your motherboard upside down with the window on the opposite side. The case includes nearly every part you need to build a PC, including a vandalproof power switch and clear acrylic stands to lift the chassis off the desk by an inch or so for better cooling.
There are a few omissions, though, compared with a regular case. There are good allowances for cable routing, although the holes lack grommets and you’ll need to find ways of anchoring the cables behind the motherboard tray. There are no dust filters or USB ports, and while the case sports six 120mm fan mounts, the screwholes aren’t big enough for standard fan screws, as they’re designed for use with water-cooling radiators. In fact, the entire case is very much water cooling-orientated, although Hex Gear says it can be equally suited to air cooling too. For the moment, you’ll need to acquire appropriately sized screws and nuts for air cooling, which isn’t ideal, but Hex Gear is working on being able to supply the right bits, plus offering panels with fan holes big enough for standard mounting screws.
In terms of hardware, there’s space for either three SSDs or two hard disks in the standard mounts, or two SSDs and a single hard disk in a mount behind the motherboard tray, keeping the main chamber as clutter-free as possible. The PSU mount is located at the front of the case in a vertical position, and includes an angled riser to route the cables inside the case. There’s essentially no limit on PSU or graphics card length, although the PSU mount can end up in front of the GPU, limiting the graphics card length to 370mm. Likewise, a customisable plate that sits to the right of the motherboard, allowing for the installation of reservoirs and pumps, could also restrict the length of graphics cards. The plate itself offers a convenient place to mount your pump or reservoir, though, with Hex Gear offering optional plates that are compatible with various EK components.
Despite its size, the R40 is limited to micro-ATX motherboards, but half-height radiators can be used in the roof and base with room for double and triple 120mm-fan radiators respectively. The rear fan mount makes up the sixth fan location, although again, you’ll need to use screws and nuts here to counteract the small holes, plus the 7mm-thick acrylic and aluminium. Fans aren’t included either – the R40 is definitely a blank slate.
Performance
Using our standard micro-ATX test kit, along with single Corsair SP120 fans in the roof and rear as exhausts, the R40 managed a CPU delta T of 47°C, while the GPU delta T at 50°C sees the R40 prove itself to be a capable air-cooling case. The CPU result matched the Fractal Design Arc Mini R2, while the GPU result was level with Phanteks’ Enthoo Mini XL. For such a small case, there’s clearly a good amount of cooling headroom for water-cooling enthusiasts, but it’s good to know the R40 can also perform well as an aircooled case.
Conclusion
The R40 is expensive and lacks basic features you’d expect from a case costing a quarter of the price. However, it’s targeted at a very niche segment of the enthusiast market The audience is made up of people who want an exclusive case and are prepared to pay for it – one that’s customisable, water cooling-friendly and well made – and the R40 delivers on these points very well indeed. The fact that Hex Gear opted for micro-ATX means the case is compact but allows for two-way GPU systems all the way up to Intel’s X99 platform, plus there’s room for all the water-cooling gear to accommodate such a setup too.
We’d like to see easier fan mounting, though, plus USB ports and dust filters should be standard inclusions. Hex Gear does have some of these features in the works, but we’d like to see the case become a more attractive prospect for people other than diehard water-cooling fans with sizable wallets. As it stands, the R40 is a blank canvas for which you’ll need to source some extra components to get it up and running. However, if you’re an enthusiast looking for a well-designed water-cooling chassis, the end result is definitely worth it, even for £200. ANTONY LEATHER
VERDICT
The R40 is expensive but a great piece of design. It’s a perfect case for enthusiasts looking to build a watercooled micro-ATX system, although it has a few caveats.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions (mm) 241 x 483 x 415 (W x D x H)
Material Acrylic, aluminium, steel
Available colours Black or white with red, blue, green, orange, purple or pink plate options
Front panel Power
Drive bays 3 x 2.5in or 2 x 3.5in
Form factor(s) Mini-ITX, micro-ATX
Cooling 1 x rear 120mm fan (fan not included), 2 x 120mm base fan mounts (fans not included), 3 x 120mm roof fan mounts (fans not included)
CPU cooler clearance Approx 165mm
Maximum graphics card length 370mm