INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   After roughly 5 years the time has finally come for us to start upgrading our test rigs (having long and valid databases means we can't use mainboards and CPUs on loan) and so last month we gathered hardware components to replace our secondary one based on the Intel Core i7 6700k (one of those was the RM750X by Corsair which we reviewed a few days ago). Unfortunately although choosing the right hardware components was quite easy (it really took us like 20 minutes tops) we also needed to use a brand new tower (the old one looked very bad) and when you have to place it inside a tight spot with specific measurements you just can't choose one randomly. Well after going through every single PC case we have here the one with the closest measurements and also the one we decided to use was the Narwhal midi tower by RAIDMAX.

   Raidmax was founded in 1988 with the mission of providing the best solutions: specifically, meeting your requirements for innovative designs, excellent performance and quality products. In early 2003, Raidmax was the first to debut the design "Scorpio": an alien eye shape on its general front panel. At the time, it was the best ever hit in the gaming case business and almost every factory had owned at least one similar design back in China. Two years later, Raidmax released another cutting-edge design, Samurai, and people who had seen the case itself instantly fell in love. After numerous global feedback, Raidmax is known all over the world. It is said our company is not only a case designer but also the perfect budget keeper. You can simply spend a little but you receive higher quality than you expect. It has been more than 10 years since Raidmax began its work on its unique product lines and market position. The name of Raidmax is synonymous to gaming design and budget cases. In the United States, Raidmax is considered to be the best second tier brand; in Asia, it is said that only Raidmax can offer the budget cases with great designs; in Europe, with almost no brand management, Raidmax' followers are still showing their loyal support in many ways.

   The Raidmax Narwhal took its name from the Monodon Monoceros a medium sized whale which uses an enlarge tooth protruding from its head as its sonar. Of course the product itself has little to no resemblance to the Narwhal whale but it still looks nice thanks to its "rugged" looks while in terms of space this midi tower has room for mITX/mATX/ATX mainboards (8 expansion slots), 4 optical drives with tool-free locking mechanisms, 6 disk drives (six 3.5" ones or three 3.5" and three 2.5"), six 120/140mm fans (or two 240/280mm radiators and two 120mm fans), graphics cards up to 295mm in length (430mm with the top drive cage removed) and 195mm tall CPU coolers. So the Narwhal may not have the best specifications and features sheet ever but it sounds interesting right? Let's move closer and see if it really is.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Raidmax packs the Narwhal inside a plain cardboard box that has a product drawing at the front.

 

 

The specifications table is placed on the left side.

 

 

All of the product features are showcased at the rear of the box with the help of 9 drawings.

 

 

The case is wrapped inside a piece of fabric and placed between two foam spacers.

 

 

A small cardboard box placed inside the case contains the mainboard speaker, 6 drive brackets, 10 Velcro ties (5 sets, different sized), user’s manual and a small bag with screws and standoffs.

 

 

THE NARWHAL EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can all see the Narwhal looks like something taken right from the military.

 

 

The left side panel extends outwards and has a small clear window at the center.

 

 

The front of the case is almost completely perforated.

 

 

All 4 optical bays feature easy removable covers with air-filters.

 

 

The lower end of the front can be removed to reveal the dual 120mm fan area (240mm radiator) and the cover also features a filter.

 

 

The I/O is located at the top and includes two USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.0 ports, on/off power button and LED, reset button, HDD activity LED and the typical headphones and microphone 3.5" ports (all ports feature plastic covers).

 

 

Moving at the rear top end we find a removable cover right over the top 240/280mm radiator area (or you can fit two 120/140mm fans here too).

 

 

I was surprised to see that Raidmax used plastic covers for the 8 expansion slots (they fall off quite easily however).

 

 

That aside at the rear we also see a 120mm fan and a vertical expansion slot which can be used with fan controllers.

 

 

Just like the left side panel the right one also extends outwards.

 

 

Turning the Narwhal over we see that it sits on four rather tall feet and has two removable air-filters placed beneath two perforated areas.

 

 

THE NARWHAL INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may not be the most spacious midi tower we've seen to date but the Narwhal does have a good amount of interior space.

 

 

The four 5.25" optical bays feature tool-free locking mechanisms.

 

 

Raidmax has placed two drive cages inside the Narwhal (each has room for three disk drives) but only the top one can be removed to allow for installation of the longest graphics cards around.

 

 

The drive trays are also tool-free so you just have to remove the brackets from the sides, mount the drive and then place them back in.

 

 

There are 5 "naked" holes for cable management purposes on the mainboard tray.

 

 

Unlike all of the drive trays the 8 expansion slots are secured in place via regular screws.

 

 

The base has two perforated areas, one for the fan of the power supply unit and one for a 120mm fan.

 

 

Thanks to the design of the right side panel there's plenty of room behind the mainboard tray of the Narwhal for cable management.

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Usually we use this area to quickly place hardware components inside a case to showcase what you can expect in terms of interior space but since this time over the Narwhal will house our 2nd test rig we will build a complete system.

We start with the MSI Z170 Krait Gaming R6 Siege Edition ATX mainboard which looks very nice inside the Narwhal (also leaves quite a bit of space around it).

 

 

Next stop is the SilverStone TD02-LITE (and the Corsair LPX 16GB DDR4 2400MHz modules) which this time over fits like a glove with the mainboard used.

 

 

We had to slightly squeeze the MSI GeForce GTX 960 Gaming 2G inside the Narwhal but since we didn't have to remove the top drive cage all is good.

 

 

Finally we used the RM750X PSU by Corsair (black and white is again a good fit with the mainboard) and the Intel 535 Series 240GB SSD.

 

 

Wish our primary test rig had this few hardware components, that way we'd have the same level of cable management there too.

 

 

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 ontop 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   So what did we think of the Narwhal after even fitting the hardware components of our 2ndary test rig inside? Personally although I do like the design of the Narwhal because of its “rugged” looks I probably would had gone with something larger if I could. Overall it is quite large for a midi tower since it has room for up to six 120/140mm fans or two 240/280mm radiators, six 3.5/2.5” disk drives, the longest graphics cards (430mm) and tallest CPU coolers (195mm) but it just like every other midi tower out there it just can’t compete in that area with a full tower. That being said I did like the 4 USB ports placed at the top front (we rarely see as many with midi towers) with their plastic covers and I did also like the very easy access (always compared to similar PC cases) to both the front and top fan/radiator spots since these can simplify things where we need to place it. Build quality is also very good since the tower not only looks but is very sturdy (the sole exception are the rear expansion slot covers that fall off rather easily).

   The time has come for us to check and see just how much the Raidmax Narwhal midi tower will set you back. Well as I type these lines the Narwhal retails for USD79.99 inside the USA (Newegg.com) and for around 70Euros inside the EU so we all think it’s priced just about right. The only problem is that availability isn’t great so there are just a handful of stores you can get the Narwhal both in the USA and the EU (hopefully Raidmax will fix this soon). Long story short if you’re looking for the most feature-rich midi tower in the market and are willing to pay more for it then the Narwhal may seem to “basic”. At the same time however it’s a good looking and sturdy midi tower with a plenty of interior space and a good range of features and that’s why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Build Quality
- “Rugged” Design
- Room For Up To 6 Fans Or Two 240/280mm Radiators
- 4 Optical Bays
- Two Pre-Installed Fans
- Removable Drive Cage
- Air Filters
- Top I/O With 4 USB Ports
- Space For 430mm Long Graphics Cards & 195mm Tall CPU Coolers
- Price (For Some)

 

CONS

- Availability
- Expansion Slot Covers
- Noise Levels (45dBA+ At Load)