With its racecar-inspired design, the Raidmax RX-9 looks snazzy, and makes for an overall impressive enclosure, despite the presence of a couple questionable features.

The front bezel is made from “tinted” plastic. A gentle push on the bezel door allows it to open, revealing five 5.25-inch bays. Above the bays is a fanbus with a miniscule LCD display.

The display also contains the power button and the sensor for the included remote control. Whazzatt? Yes, an included remote about the size of the iPod Nano lets you turn the system on or off and control fan speeds remotely. Of course, we wonder why you really need a remote for this? The whole concept is ridiculous.

The interior is fully tool-less, which makes for a hassle-free building process. Preinstalled clips secure up to three 3.5-inch drives, as well as all of the 5.25-inch bay devices. The clips are easy to use and provide a secure hold. There are even idiot-proof clips for PCI expansion cards. Cooling is more than sufficient, with a 12cm intake fan, a 12cm rear exhaust, and an 8cm side intake fan that’s lit with blue LEDs.

Overall, the RX-9 has what it takes, where it counts. The plastic shell is a bit flimsy, but it covers the basics and looks good doing so.

Month Reviewed: April 2006

+ CASES: Solid cooling; easy install; racy looks.

- BRACES: Useless extras and lots of plastic.

VERDICT: 8

URL: www.raidmax.com

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