INTRODUCTION

   Recently i was looking for a special case to use in one of my projects and after a few days looking around (both at locals stores and online) it was all but obvious that design is not something many manufacturers care about. Yes, i came across numerous high quality cases, some of them with spacious interiors and most with a plethora of useful features but less than a handful really stood up in terms of looks. By looks of course i don't mean your typical PC case design accompanied by several ARGB fans and/or LEDs but something somewhat unique that you just don't see often. Well, if anything the POLLUX Alfa Midi-Tower PC Case by AQIRYS certainly stands out and that's what i have on my photo bench today.

   AQIRYS is about IT products and hardware dedicated to gaming. Our solutions are developed and perfected by a passionate team with over 15 years of expertise in the IT & gaming industry, heavily focused on variety, quality, and affordability. We all are avid gamers, some of us even reaching pro levels. Top that with the excitement for PC modding and overclocking that was well established through our parent company about 13 years ago (the first company in our country to receive the NVIDIA SLI certification). The whole experience we amassed from gaming and crafting super high-end PC’s is now put to work in developing the AQIRYS products. Our final goal is to deliver these products in a cool, dynamic way to people who are keen or enthusiastic about PC gaming and modding, making them feel more satisfied than before. Welcome to AQIRYS! The galaxy of gaming tools that will lead you to victory!

   The POLLUX Alfa Midi-Tower by AQIRYS is actually an open-air case made out of 0.7mm SPCC steel that follows a sporty design and features side panels made out of tempered glass. It also comes ready with 3 pre-installed 120mm ARGB fans (probably of the CETUS family - 1800RPM/58CFM/1.3mmH2O/26dBA/16 LEDs) complete with their very own ARGB hub and RF remote, has a total room for up to six 120mm fans and/or four 120mm fans and a single 240mm radiator and also sports magnetic air-filters at the front, top and bottom. Interior space on the other hand is enough for either a single 3.5" or two 2.5" drives, 175mm tall CPU coolers, 175mm long power supply units, and 350mm long graphics cards. Worth mentioning is that the POLLUX Alfa is pretty much identical to the POLLUX line by AQIRYS with the exception of a unique looking RGB plate which can get mounted on the right side of the case (visible on the top picture). So, time to see if the POLLUX Alfa has what it takes to earn a spot next to or on your desk.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

AQIRYS ships the POLLUX Alfa inside a plain cardboard box the front and rear of which is taken by several product drawings.

The product specifications are printed on the left side whereas on the right side we find the features list in 12 languages.

Aside the thick foam spacers the case is also wrapped inside a black synthetic bag.

Inside the box you'll find the special RGB plate, ARGB hub with RF remote, 5 cable ties, 2 extra screws, plastic bag with motherboard and drive screws, thank you note by AQIRYS and an installation guide.

THE POLLUX ALFA EXTERIOR

The POLLUX Alfa is a mid-sized PC case measuring 540mm in height, 615mm in width and 240mm in length/thickness.

As mentioned earlier both side panels are made out of tempered glass.

The fascia is made out of aluminum and has a large cut-out from where you can see the pre-installed 120mm ARGB fan.

Moving further up we find the I/O which includes the on/off and reset buttons, two USB ports (2.0/3.2) and the usual microphone and headphones 3.5mm jacks.

The top has room for two 120mm fans or a single 240mm radiator and also has a magnetic air-filter.

Turning the POLLUX Alfa around we find the other two pre-installed 120mm fans and the 7 PCI expansion slots.

Unlike the tempered glass panel placed on the left the right one seems to be green tinted.

The case sits on 4 round rubber feet and has another magnetic air-filter at the base.

THE POLLUX ALFA INTERIOR

It's clear that the interior of the POLLUX Alfa is far from spacious, still it should be adequate for most users.

The PSU area is located at the base of the case and can accommodate models up to 175mm in length.

Here you can see that only the top 120mm fan mount at the front comes with an magnetic air-filter (obviously because this is the one not visible from the front).

Using two ARGB 120mm rear fans is not a bad idea, although for an open-air case it might be too much (still, 2 look better than 1).

The ATX compatible motherboard tray has a total of 5 cut outs and 3 rubber grommets.

On this plate located just over the motherboard tray you can install either two 2.5" drives or a single 3.5" drive.

There's really nothing to see on the opposite side of the case so this entire area is available for cable routing and the bundled ARGB hub.

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.

To install the PSU, you need to remove the bracket from the base, attach it onto the PSU and then put them back into the case.

Unfortunately, this is an 180mm PSU and even though you can route cables from the front and the sides it's not the ideal scenario.

Using an ATX motherboard takes most of the tray (an E-ATX motherboard may also fit but would cover part if the rubber grommets). I also installed an 240mm radiator at the top but you need to remember that it shouldn't more over 30-35mm in thickness.

With enough room for 175mm tall CPU coolers you could use pretty much any model in the market today.

You can also fit up to 350mm long graphics cards inside the POLLUX Alfa (the GTX590 used here is roughly 295mm long).

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, i use my very own).

CONCLUSION

   Due to its great looks it’s really hard not to like the POLLUX line of PC cases by AQIRYS, especially the POLLUX Alfa which comes bundled with the side RGB plate. As a matter of fact, the POLLUX Alfa is one of my favourite PC cases in terms of looks, same as the CA700 by Sharkoon (they have quite a few similarities after all). Still the POLLUX Alfa falls back in a few areas, as expected really (based on the different price ranges). For one interior space is limited, yes, it may be enough for many users but room for just two 2.5” drives (or a single 3.5” drive), 175mm long PSUs and a single 240mm radiator is not what I’d call ideal. Another issue is build quality and even though for the most part it’s good the base arrived bend from the factory (had to bend it back into shape – in some pictures you can see it doesn’t sit properly). These are not extremely serious issues (the bend base could be an isolated issue with my sample after all) and certainly not enough to keep potential buyers away but they do deduct some points from the POLLUX Alfa.

   At this exact moment the POLLUX Alfa retails for 134.99Euros inside the EU (AQIRYS.COM) a price tag which is extremely balanced for such a PC case (unfortunately, AQIRYS products are not available outside the EU, at least not at the time of this review). Overall, I do think the POLLUX Alfa is a step towards the right direction by AQIRYS and even though it’s not quite what it could had been thanks to its looks and features I strongly recommend checking it out if you’re out in the market looking for a unique PC case, it just might surprise you.

PROS

- Futuristic Design
- 3 ARGB 120mm Fans
- Open Air/Frame (Airflow Levels)
- 10 ARGB Fan Hub With RF Remote
- ARGB Side Plate
- Room For 6 Fans
- Front, Top & Bottom Magnetic Fan Filters
- Price (For Some)

CONS

- Only Available in Black & Yellow Color Combination
- Overall Interior Space
- Open Air/Frame Case (Interior Dust)
- Availability (Outside The EU)