INTRODUCTION

   Interior space, design/looks, build quality, features and of course cost are the things that really matter when looking to get a brand new PC case/tower. Still even though interior space and build quality have always been the two most important things for me it's no secret that looks and cost are what the majority out there cares most for and that's clearly why the market is currently filled with low-cost models (usually by new and OEM manufacturers) that depend solely on their looks to attract potential buyers. Luckily there are quite a few companies out there trying their best to "balance" things and one of those is CHIEFTEC which late last year they released the Scorpion 3 Mid-Tower which is also here with me today.

   For over 25+ years CHIEFTEC has been a world-wide renowned Brand, associated with high-quality PSU, PC cases, 19” IPC cases and Accessories manufacturing for the computer industry, servicing the global OEM, ODM and distributing (consumer) segments. With our manufacturing plants located in Asia (China and Taiwan), we cover the entire production scope beginning with the in-house R&D, including the final assembling and ending with product distribution, marketing and positioning in the respective markets, segments and channels worldwide.

   The Scorpion 3 is one of the best looking towers (part of the Gamer Series) to be released by CHIEFTEC to date, not only because of its tempered glass side and front panels but also because of the 4 pre-installed A-RGB Rainbow Tornado fans (1200RPM/16dBA/53CFM/16 addressable RGB LEDs - compatible with ASUS Aura Sync, MSI Mystic Light Sync, RGB Fusion and ASRock Polychrome Sync enabled mainboards). The Scorpion 3 however is not just a good looking mid-tower, it’s also quite a spacious one since it has enough room for 4 drives (2x2.5” and 2x3.5”), 6 fans (6x120mm or 3x120mm and 3x140mm) and/or two radiators (front/top 240mm), 166mm tall CPU coolers, 220mm long power supply units and 349mm long graphics cards. Also, worth noticing is that the Scorpion 3 comes ready with a magnetic ARGB Control Module (supports up to 6 fans - low/high speed buttons), removable top/bottom air-filters and a partial PSU shroud. So, let's see what CHIEFTEC has to offer with their latest Scorpion 3 Mid-Tower.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The Scorpion 3 arrived inside a plain cardboard box that has a single product drawing at both the front and rear.

The country of origin (shipping) along with the serial and part numbers are all printed on both sides.

Along with the Scorpion 3 CHIEFTEC also bundles an RF remote control (for the fans), motherboard speaker, 3 cable ties, Tornado fans manual and a large plastic bag with screws, spacers and standoffs.

THE SCORPION 3 EXTERIOR

Measuring 436mm in height, 505mm in depth and 202.5mm in width the Scorpion 3 should have a somewhat spacious interior.

The left side panel is entirely made out of tempered glass and unlike the majority of towers out there it gets removed the all-time classic way (slide backwards).

CHIEFTEC has used a fascia also made out of tempered glass.

Unfortunately, there's no air-filter past the fascia, just three 120mm ARGB Tornado fans which can be replaced with two 140mm fans and/or an 240/280mm radiator.

The I/O is located at the top of the tower and includes the reset and power on/off buttons with their activity LEDs, headphones and microphone 3.5mm ports, a single USB 2.0 port and two USB 3.0 ports.

Most of the top area is covered by a magnetic air-filter beneath which there's enough room for either two 120mm fans or a single 240mm radiator.

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

At the base of the tower, we find two removable air-filters, one under the PSU area (slide back type) and one under the internal 3.5" drive cage.

THE SCORPION 3 INTERIOR

In terms of interior space, the Scorpion 3 lands right in the middle of similar towers.

Behind the forward intake fans, you can mount an 240mm or an 280mm radiator.

The PSU cover/shroud keeps most of the hot air coming from the PSU from reaching the top half of the case (not to mention it does miracles for cable management).

There are 5 openings on the motherboard tray (six if we count the CPU cut out) and a rubber grommet on the PSU shroud.

Turning the Scorpion 3 around we see two 2.5" vertical drive mounts (far left - not mentioned in the specifications sheet), two 2.5" vertical drive trays, bottom dual 3.5" drive cage (can accommodate both 2.5/3.5" drives - again not stated in the specifications sheet), fan ARGB controller and the PSU area.

Even though the vertical drive trays are made out of aluminum the ones in the cage are made out of plastic.

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.

Since the drive cage is fixed you can only mount PSU's up to 220mm in length (1KW output).

Not much room left after you mount the motherboard but still more than enough for even the thicker radiator (240/280mm) at the front.

With enough room for up to 166mm tall CPU coolers you should be able to mount most high-models currently in the market.

Even though at the top there's only room for an 240mm radiator (or two 120mm fans) what's impressive is the amount of space CHIEFTEC has left between that and the motherboard (so there's little chance you will have clearance issues here even with thick radiators).

349mm for graphics cards (as long as you don't mount a radiator at the front) is again enough for most current high-end models around.

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

     The Scorpion 3 Mid-Tower by CHIEFTEC may not be quite unique (far too many similar cases out there) but it does combine sufficient interior space with good looks, very good airflow levels and good build quality. As a matter of fact, the sole drawback of the Scorpion 3 is its somewhat limited radiator space since even at the front you can only mount either an 240mm or an 280mm one. Yes, this may not be a huge deal for casual users who may not even mount a radiator but if you were planning on using an 360mm one the Scorpion 3 is clearly not for you. I was somewhat surprised to see that the Scorpion 3 actually has room for up to 6 drives (4x2.5” and or 2x2.5/3.5”) instead of the 4 listed in the specifications page so that too is a plus.

   The Scorpion 3 Mid-Tower by CHIEFTEC currently retails for 84.90Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is quite good especially considering that the 4 ARGB Tornado fans alone retail for roughly 35-40Euros. So even though the Scorpion 3 may not be the most spacious mid-tower out there it does represent a very good choice for people on a budget which is why it deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Looks (Tempered Glass Side & Front Panels)
- Airflow Levels (4 Preinstalled Fans)
- Radiator Space (Top / Front)
- Interior Space (166mm Tall CPU Coolers / 220mm Long PSUs / 349mm Long Graphics Cards)
- ARGB Fan Controller with Remote Control
- Removable Top & Bottom Air Filters
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- 240/280mm Radiators Only
- EU only