Rosewill Armor EVO Case Review

Manufacturer: Rosewill, Inc.
Product Name: ARMOR-EVO
Model Number: 11-147-175
UPC: 898745060928
Price As Tested: $99.99 (NewEgg / Amazon)

Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Rosewill.

Rosewill has a wide range of computer accessories. Anything from tools, fans, cases, external enclosures, keyboards, and printer toner. Primarily Newegg's in-house brand, they've been expanding their product lines and reach; some of their products have recently started to show up at other retailers. I've found many of their products to provide an incredible performance per dollar ratio in the past, as one of my favorite computer chassis of all time is the Rosewill Thor v2. A beast of an enclosure, my only complaint was the Thor was a bit on the large side. When I saw the ARMOR-EVO E-ATX case announced, I wondered if my wish had come true - could the Armor-EVO provide the advantages of the Thor v2 in a smaller package? At Benchmark Reviews, we have a chance to find out.

Lose the fins, the extra "garnishes," and a couple inches off the top - and it would appear at first glance the Armor-EVO is a good follow-up to the Thor v2. Will the same approach to air cooling, with provisions for radiators if necessary, show the same result as a bigger chassis?

While I unfortunately do not currently have access to a 240mm radiator to test the water cooling claims, I DO have access to a Thor v2. I proceeded to build an overclocked, crossfired system into this chassis to compare its cooling performance directly with the bigger Thor. First, let's take a look inside to see what we're dealing with.

Armor-EVO Features

Support up to SSI CEB(12"x10.3")/ SSI EEB(12"x13")/E-ATX(12"x13") Motherboard
Dual Front 120mm fans are equipped with LED on/off switch.
Allow to install front second layer fans to draw cool air deeper.(Internal side of HDD cage)
Support Corsair H100 CPU cooler.
Full black interior.
Advanced cable management design.
Advanced Cooling System :
-Front First Layer 2x 120mm Red LED Fan (pre-installed)
-Front Second Layer 2x 120mm Fan (option)
-Rear 1x 120mm Fan (pre-installed)
-Top 2x 120mm Fan (pre-installed) or 2x 140mm Fan (option)
-Side 1x 230mm Fan (pre-installed) or 4x 120mm Fan (option)
-Bottom 1x 120mm Fan (option)
Screw-less design for 5.25" Devices.
Easy to remove/install front 5.25" bay covers
HDD trays support 3.5" or 2.5" HDD/SSD
Easy-clean PSU filter.
Top mounted IO ports- 2x USB 3.0,2x USB 2.0,Audio out,MIC in.
Advanced Bottom-Mounted PSU Design.

Armor-EVO Specifications

Model ARMOR-EVO
Type ATX Mid Tower
Case Material Steel
With Power Supply No
Power Supply Mounted Bottom
Motherboard Compatibility M-ATX (9.6" x 9.6")
ATX (12" x 9.6")
SSI CEB (12" x 10.5")
SSI EEB (12" x 13")
E-ATX (12" x 13")
Left Side Panel Mesh - 1 x 230mm fan (pre-installed) or 4 x 120mm fan (optional)
External 5.25" Drive Bays 3/2
External 3.5" Drive Bays 0/1
Internal 3.5" Drive Bays 7
Expansion Slots 7
Front Ports 2 x USB 3.0 (internal 20-pin connector to MB) 2 x USB 2.0
Audio In/Out(AC97, HD)
LED On/Off switch (bottom mounted)
120mm Fans
-Front First Layer 2x 120mm Red LED Fan (pre-installed)
-Front Second Layer 2x 120mm Fan (option)
-Rear 1x 120mm Fan (pre-installed)
-Top 2x 120mm Fan (pre-installed) or 2x 140mm Fan (option)
-Bottom 1x 120mm Fan (option)
230mm Fans Side 1x 230mm Fan (pre-installed) or 4x 120mm Fan (option)
Dimensions(L x W x H) 8.62" x 18.58" x 22.40" (WxHxD)(bezel included)
Weight 21.6 lbs.
Warranty 1 year limited

Specifications taken from the manufacturer's product page.

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