Anidees AI Crystal
A tempered glass crime scene
GOOD LORD, the foam packaging surrounding this case is impressive. No, seriously— hear us out. Chassis come wrapped in all sorts of nonsense, depending on the price. That can be a combination of staticshock-inducing velvet bags (looking at you, Corsair), hard polystyrene, designed to take a hit and break, or intuitively folded cardboard, providing about as much protection as a chihuahua in a knife fight. So, why is soft foam packaging better? Unlike hard polystyrene, it doesn’t break on impact, and it provides far better protection and absorption than cardboard ever could. But, at the same time, it isn’t used very often because of the higher costs involved in production. OK, good, we’ve got that out of the way.
The question, then, is: If soft foam packaging does so much more, why aren’t other manufacturers using it? And if they aren’t using it, why is Anidees using it here? The answer, you’d think, would be obvious: it’s the tempered glass, clearly? The chassis itself is littered with it. Both the front and the side panels feature that smoky-looking reinforced stuff, ready to take any computer hardware and make it shine. At least, that’s the theory. And with other manufacturers’ cases being more durable than solid panels of glass, there’s no need for it with those.
Out of the gates, the AI Crystal looks impressive. From a chassis manufacturer that hasn’t been in the game for the last few years, the overall internal layout is great. You have a full-sized PSU cover, SSD mounts on the back of the motherboard, support for three 120mm fans in the front, subsequent airflow ventilation for them thanks to those nifty inch-long spacers between the side panel and the glass front case ( glass isn’t permeable, after all), plenty of room for cable management, and even a cable cover to hide those unsightly wires. Sounds good, right? A classy new aesthetic, solid internal layout, good modern-day features? Well, sort of. It’s only when you start to take the case apart and examine it further that you begin to understand what sacrifices have been made to accommodate all of this at this price point. CHOPPED CORNERS The case we received for review had an interesting journey to our offices, which highlighted some of the corners cut. Our sample took a hit to the front-right side during transport, and although the glass remained intact, the grilled section designed to allow air into those front three fans shattered, leaving broken plastic fins everywhere. Then, while carefully removing the front panel, the two lower pins securing the front panel to the chassis broke off as well. On top of that, there’s no tool-less drives here—everything is screwed down. The hard drive cages, made from thin steel, feel flimsy, and scratch as they slide in and out. The SSD mounts on the back of the motherboard tray are a similar affair. And the cable cover is a shiny, not-so-glamorous gloss polymer. Couple that with the basic fans, with transparent and exposed working motor, and the general sensation is one of disappointment. Everything is just a little too cheap, a little too cut back. The thought is there, the design features have been integrated, but corners have been cut to meet that price point, detracting from the very point of those premium glass panels.
That said, perhaps we should be approaching this differently. For the price, with the inclusion of the tempered glass and modern-day design aspects, this case is exceptional. It would be easy to build a beautiful system in here. Replace those stock fans with some aftermarket LED
versions, slap an AIO cooler in there, a decent PSU with a custom cable kit, and some subtle lighting, and you’d be on to a winner. So, if you can live with the caveats and the frailty, the AI Crystal is a fine chassis. If you can’t, well, you may want to look elsewhere. –ZAK STOREY