According to its About Us page, CaseLabs started building PC cases for consumers in 2010 because nobody else was doing it right. And while there’s a multitude of quality enclosures available today, the Mercury S8 is a perfect example of why CaseLabs products are synonymous with premium.
The panels and frame are constructed from heavy gauge aluminum, 2.3mm thick for the frame and 1.3mm thick for the side covers. Aluminum is CaseLab’s material of choice due to its relative lightness compared to steel and its superior ability to dissipate heat. The material is also easier to cut and drill, making these cases favorite subjects for modders. Unlike the flat aluminum panels we’ve seen from other companies, the Mercury S8’s rigid panels have an open box design, with 0.25-inch thick walls of each side. Unlike many cases we see, this one feels solid whether the panels are on or off.
Like other CaseLabs’ enclosures, the Mercury S8 features quick-release exterior panels. Each one has steel pegs in the corners that snap into a series of brackets mounted to the frame, letting you open the case from all sides in a matter of seconds, without tools. This is a builder’s dream. There’s no corner of this case you can’t reach with ease.
The Mercury S8 is a large cubestyle case that features a horizontal motherboard tray. The lower half of the case is reserved for the PSU, storage drives, cable management, and a bevy of liquid cooling components such as a pump, reservoir, and radiator. Modularity is key for CaseLabs; every case comes with a dozens of side panel and accessory options that you can choose when you order. Our unit shipped with a 360mm drop-in side rad mount that can slot-in pretty much anywhere on the right, left, top, or front-right portion of the Mercury S8. Available options include case feet or casters; solid panels or panels with acrylic windows or vents; mounting plates for pumps or reservoirs; tubing pass-thru panels, and the list goes on.
After building a system using the Mercury S8, the thing that strikes us is just how well-made this case is. Everything feels solid, fits like it was born to. The I/O shield, for instance, just snapped into place with the slightest effort. We gave it a little tap and it popped back out. If you’re a frequent builder, you can appreciate why something so seemingly trivial would make such a big impression.
This is a behemoth case and unless you’re installing a custom loop for your CPU and graphics card(s), it may be more than you need. If you do plan to go nuts with liquid-cooling, however, the Mercury S8 will make the job a breeze, and the end result jaw dropping.
Specs
Dimensions: 18.74 x 14.54 x 19.03-inches (HxWxD); Material: aluminum; Motherboard support: E-ATX, ATX, mATX, Mini ITX; Bays: 9 Flex-Bays (5.25-inch), 2 HDD cages (supporting 4 HDD or SSDs each), up to 4 stealth-mount SSDs, up to 6 HDDs (2 stealth-mount); CPU cooler clearance: 260mm; Radiator support: 120, 240, 140, 280, 360mm); Ports: 4 USB 3.0, front panel HD audio, Power/reset buttons