INTRODUCTION

   Regardless of target group consumers always look for four things when out to get a brand new PC case, design, build quality, interior space and of course price (the only thing that really changes from consumer to consumer is their order/importance). Design actually didn't become an important factor until just over a decade ago when the very first really special looking towers made their debut (who doesn't remember the Cosmos by Cooler Master?). Fast forward to today and there's not a single PC case in the market that doesn't focus on design and as we've pointed out many times in past reviews thanks to the introduction of materials like tempered glass and features like RGB lighting we're at a whole different level right now. Aerocool has released a good number of Mid-Towers lately and the Playa which we have here with us today is without doubt among the best looking ones.

   Aerocool is a Taipei-based, global computer components company with an outstanding record in product design and innovation. Driven by the mantra ‘Be Cool, Be Aerocool’, Aerocool strives to provide innovation in design yet deliver an affordable solution to PC users worldwide. For more information on Aerocool, please visit http://www.aerocool.io/.

   The Playa is a rather unique looking mid-tower not just because Aerocool chose to use tempered glass panels for the right side and the fascia but also due to the vertical RGB LED strip located at the center of that fascia (features a total of 13 manually selected lighting modes - 6 flow and 7 static) and the RGB lit I/O also located on the right side. The Playa also features a dual chamber design and has enough room for two 3.5" and two 2.5" drives, six 120mm fans (or 2x140mm and 4x120mm - unfortunately it only comes fitted with a single fan) and/or two 240/280/360mm radiators, top magnetic air-filter, 159mm tall CPU coolers, 376mm long graphics cards and up to 180mm long power supply units. So, the time has come for us to get close and personal with the latest Playa RGB Flow Mid-Tower by Aerocool.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Playa RGB is placed inside a plain cardboard box that has two partial product drawings at the front right next to the company logo and an RGB sticker.

On the right side you can see the included side panel type, whether or not the case is bundled with a PSU and of course the color (black/white).

Printed on the left side are the main product features in 12 languages.

Yet another product drawing is located at the rear of the box right next to the company logo and the specifications table.

As always, the tower is wrapped inside a plastic bag and placed between two foam spacers.

Along with the Playa RGB Aerocool has bundled just the user manual and a plastic bag with screws, spacers and standoffs.

THE PLAYA RGB EXTERIOR

Measuring 480mm in height, 432mm in depth and 211mm in width the 5.76Kg heavy Playa RGB is a medium sized mid-tower.

As with most similar cases the entire right side panel is made out of tempered glass.

What also stands out from the right side is the RGB lit I/O which includes the On/Off power button, RGB mode button, two USB 3.0 ports and the typical headphones and microphone ports.

The fascia is primarily made out of plastic but the lower right side actually features a small tempered glass panel (there's also a RGB LED strip at the center).

You can of course remove the fascia by pulling it from its base to access the interior fan/radiator area.

Here you can mount up to three 120 fans and/or a 240/360mm radiator.

Most of the top area is covered by a magnetic air-filter beneath which you can install two 120/140mm fans and/or a single 240/280mm radiator.

At the rear of the case we find an 120mm exhaust fan, 7 PCI expansion slots and the PSU area.

A removable air-filter is located underneath the PSU area (unfortunately not a magnetic one).

THE PLAYA RGB INTERIOR

Thanks to the lack of drive cages interior space levels are very good.

At the front of the Playa RGB you can mount up to three 120mm fans along with an 360mm radiator.

Unlike previous towers by Aerocool there's nothing keeping you from mounting an 360mm radiator at the front right from the get go.

The PSU cover used in the Playa RGB (dual-chamber design) is made out of steel and can be removed.

You can install ITX, Micro ATX and ATX sized mainboards inside the Playa RGB (unfortunately there are no rubber grommets on the mainboard tray).

Taking a look from the other side of the case we find two vertical 2.5" drive mounts, 8 holes that look like they could be used for drive trays, drive cage with room for two 3.5" drives (slide-in method) and the PSU area.

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

As always, the purpose of this section is not to build a functional system but rather to showcase what you can expect from the case at hand in terms of interior space.

We decided to also showcase how the case looks with the PSU cover removed (which is also why we forgot to take a picture of the PSU inside the case).

There's plenty of room inside the tower even after we mount our ATX sized mainboard.

With room for up to 159mm tall CPU coolers you may need to be somewhat cautious since some high-performance models may exceed that.

As you can all see from the above picture you can even mount an 56mm thick 360mm radiator at the front of the Playa RGB.

At the top we used a 280mm radiator but as expected there are clearance issues with such a large model (still you may be able to go with low-profile fans).

Even if you do place a radiator at the front with fans there's still enough room for 320mm long graphics cards.

NOISE LEVEL TEST

After giving it much thought we decided on performing noise tests with each PC Case we receive by placing our ExTech HD600 vertically on top of each case to measure the noise levels emanating from the pre-installed fans at both 50% and 100% with the help of a fan controller (if the case doesn't have one, we use our own).

CONCLUSION

   Even though Aerocool has released quite a few good-looking towers lately (including the TOR Pro and Cylon Pro) the Playa RGB really stands out mainly because of its tempered glass RGB fascia. Of course, even though not something new the side tempered glass panel always makes for a great addition not only in terms of looks but also build quality. As for interior space although certainly not the largest mid-tower still with enough room for two 3.5" and two 2.5" drives, six 120mm fans (or 2x140mm and 4x120mm) and/or two 240/280/360mm radiators, 159mm tall CPU coolers, 376mm long graphics cards and 180mm long power supply units it should cover the needs of most consumers out there. Unfortunately, the Playa RGB only comes with 1 pre-installed fan at the rear which also happens to lack RGB lighting so in that regard we feel that Aerocool could had done even better in the looks department had they added two forward RGB fans just past the tempered glass section.

   The Playa RGB Flow Mid-Tower by Aerocool currently retails for USD49.78 inside the USA (Amazon.com via Amazon.co.uk) and for 53Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which actually justifies the why this case comes without any RGB fans. With that in mind we really have no complaints about the Playa RGB, it looks great (even without forward RGB fans), build quality levels are good, interior space is more than sufficient and it also carries a very tempting price tag which is why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Looks (Tempered Glass Side & Front Panels / Front RGB LED Strip / Side RGB Lit IO)
- Radiator Space (Top / Front)
- Interior Space (159mm Tall CPU Coolers / 180mm Long PSUs / 376mm Long Graphics Cards)
- Top Magnetic Air Filter
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- No Forward Fans
- “Plain” Rear Fan
- Current Availability