Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
The In Win Dragon Slayer is mainly dark gray; with a lighter, almost silvery, front panel. This is due to the case having a silvery mesh on the main panels. This mesh comes from what the company calls the 'chain armor concept', which is the design theme behind the case. The chassis itself comes with four dark yellow fans that are discretely hidden from view. Each vent comes with dark removable filters behind the metal mesh to keep the dust out. Aesthetically, I still have mixed feelings about the front of the chassis, but it is actually starting to grow on me, just like coffee has during university.
Looking at the front of the In Win Dragon Slayer, you can see a number of great features. By default, there are three external 5.25" bays (The other two are at the bottom) and one external 3.5" bay. Each one is extremely easy to remove with dark gray plastic clips that exhibit a loud click when you press them. It always scares when I hear that noise, since the click sounds like it might break the clips every time, which is certainly something I dislike about plastic clips in general. Each removable panel also has a removable dust filter for convenient cleaning. The In Win logo is presented directly in the middle of the front panel. It has a soft gray color when off, but turns into a nice vibrant blue glow when turned on. I have to say when turned on, it looks very crisp and is certainly a respectable logo.
At the front, you will also find an easily accessible power button. The big issue I have here is the recessed reset button; now, mind you it doesn't need to be easily accessible -- since you honestly shouldn't need to press it very often. That is, of course, assuming you aren't trying to do something crazy to your computer. My issue here is that the reset button is so small and hard to access beyond reasonable levels. It is inconvenient when you do need to press it, and this only adds to your frustration in that situation. However, bent paper clips, pens, and pencils will do the trick with this reset button. Port-wise, the front offers one 3.5mm headphone jack, one 3.5mm microphone jack, two USB 2.0 ports, and one lonely USB 3.0 port. All of the ports are easily accessible, and has a good amount of room around them, so there won't be any issues if you are plugging in multiple accessories.
Next, we take a look at the top of the Dragon Slayer, which has two key parts. The first part is the imprint of the In Win logo. From a distance, it isn't very noticeable. It might just be me, but I feel that having the logo twice on the same computer case may be a bit much. The second key part of the top panel is the vent for the top 140mm exhaust fan. The vent does not share the same color scheme as the other vents. I feel this is a disadvantage; as it takes away from the aesthetic consistency of the case, and makes the top exhaust vent a little bit odd. On the positive side, you do get a dust filter in this location.
The rear of the case is pretty standard. It has one exhaust fan out the back, a nice opening for a standard ATX PSU, five expansion slots, area for the motherboard I/O panel, and three circular openings. Two of them are for water-cooling pipes at the top, while the other one is for the USB 3.0 cable to pass through. The fan on the back is a small 92mm fan, which is appropriate for a mATX case. The rear fan is only meant for exhaust, so there is no dust filter here. The expansion slot covers that come with the In Win Dragon Slayer are ventilated, just in case you feel this case does not have enough ventilation (Play on words unintended). The thumbscrews found on the back are easily removable. However, I found an issue with them. Each screw is only intended for the hole that it was originally put in. Try to swap them, and you will find it is either highly resistive or impossible to screw in for some reason. This is very annoying to me, since I don't really pay much attention to where I took out which screws. It just feels like an inconvenience to fiddle with them. The main access panel is also not easy to remove; this is because it has no grabbing point for removal, despite being required to be slid backwards. Obviously, I want to have the panel easily removable, especially for those who like to switch out parts frequently. If you plan on putting your hardware in and never opening the box again, this might be acceptable. A raised edge will allow the panel to be easily removed. I feel this feature is important, and the Dragon Slayer is missing it.
The right side panel also has a number of small ventilation holes as well. I doubt they really have a major effect on ventilation, and would only provide an entry point for dust into the system. Flip over the case, and you are greeted with another vent at the bottom. This one is also covered with a dust filter. Just in case you live in a sandstorm, I can assure you little dust will get into the Dragon Slayer, minus the venting holes on the right side panel. The bottom panel has four feet with rubber grips. This raises the system above the floor for airflow underneath, yet provides a good grip to ensure your computer will not slide around.
The main access panel on the left side of the In Win Dragon Slayer has a very nice ventilation system. What we have here is a large side vent with a dust filter. The real highlight is the sixteen screw holes with rubber grommets. Now, let me put this out clearly for you, you can install up to four 120mm side fans on this beastly side panel. That would provide you with almost as much airflow as your car's radiator. Okay, not quite, but you get the idea. If that can't keep your configuration cool using four 120mm fans, I think there is something else you need to worry about. Admittedly, this type of design and band-aid cooling is probably not for everyone, so I'll leave this to you. The rubber grommets are great for preventing noise generated by fan vibrations, but they really look like an eyesore to me. This is where I'm questioning if there is any compromise between aesthetics and performance.
The metal chassis is made mainly out of SECC panels; also known as steel electro-galvanized cold-rolled coil. SECC is steel that has been plated with a layer of zinc to prevent corrosion, and then cold-rolled to strengthen the metal. This means is it is cheap to produce, yet provides very high yield strength and high thermal conductivity. Having something that is inexpensive and provides excellent resistance to warping, while allowing for rapid heat dissipation simply makes sense for a chassis. These three properties make this metal a perfect match for computer cases. It is always reassuring to know In Win uses an industry standard metal for the Dragon Slayer. Now, let's take a closer look at what's on the inside.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
