This build isn't complete yet, as I don't have a CPU (holding out for Ryzen 2). But now that most of the bits are together, I can provide some impressions. (I would hesitate to call it a "review" because I don't really have anything to compare with.)
First of all, any paint defects that the eagle-eyed may notice are my own. I requested the case unpainted, although I ended up painting the chassis itself black anyway. If I were going to do it again, I would specify the standard black finish for the chassis, and handle the panels myself. (sergiiua did offer some paint colors, but since it's hard to predict what a color will finally look like from an Internet photo, I decided not to leave it to chance.)
Anyway, in terms of overall quality: If I hadn't known that this was a boutique-manufactured piece, I might not have guessed it. Everything seems to fit very well for the most part (the case was shipped assembled, so I did see it all together before I dismantled it for painting). A bunch of extra screws, zip ties, etc. are included, which is thoughtful. Nothing feels flimsy (I believe that all the sheet metal is 2mm), my fingers didn't notice any sharp edges, and all of the mounting holes are within expected tolerances for mounting components.
Speaking of components, I paired an MSI GTX 1070 Aero ITX graphics card with an Asus ROG STRIX B350-I Gaming motherboard. The fit is tight--particularly with the graphics card--but that's to be expected in a case a little over 4 liters, isn't it? Because the graphics card installation is fussier than the motherboard, I opted to do that first. I had to remove the rear bracket from the card to be able to clear the case edges during installation, but all can be reassembled
in situ once the card is in position. It's also easier to connect the power and PCI connectors to the card before screwing everything down.
On the CPU side, the tale is not yet complete. The motherboard fit is snug (which, again, is the whole point), but once in place, there appears to be adequate space for the necessities (though these are yet to be installed). I have a Noctua NH-L9a-AM4 cooler ready to go, and I have seen at least one build pairing this heat sink with the larger (but still low-profile) NF-A12x15 fan, so I figured I would give this configuration a try. I'll report on that once the system is fully assembled.
There were just a few items to note, and they're really all just nitpicking. None of these would stop me from buying the case again:
- On the underside of the case, the power supply mounting screw holes are not countersunk. They are slightly elongated, presumably to allow for slight differences among power supplies, and this probably precludes countersink machining. This means the screw heads sit proud of the case bottom rather than flush, but this is not a big deal once the feet are attached.
- I ordered the case with a front-mounted 16mm power button. The hole for this appears to have been hand-drilled, as it is the one place that I found a rough edge. Not a big deal as this will be completely hidden by the installed button.
- Despite the front-mounted button, there is still a 12mm hole in the stock location on the rear panel. I will merely populate it with a second button, which I will either leave as a dummy or perhaps connect it to the motherboard reset pins.
Again: really, really minor stuff.
To summarize, this is a very well-executed piece that I have no hesitations about recommending--and for a desktop, I think it's the ideal form factor. As long as sergiiua keeps building them, it's well worth the wait!