XFX Type 01 Bravo Case Review
by E. Fylladitakis on May 16, 2014 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- XFX
- mid-tower
- Case
XFX Type 01 Bravo Exterior
XFX obviously spent most of their energy on making the Type 01 Bravo visually unique. While the rough silhouette may resemble a few cases, there are plenty of other differentiating factors. The corrugated design of the faceplate is the main attraction of this case, which effectively hides the 5.25" bays and even the power on/reset buttons nearly perfectly. Similar corrugated vents can be seen on both side panels and the top of the case. A metallic red band is glued on the lower part of both side panels, with the company logo and case model in silver lettering.
The Type 01 Bravo tips our scale at 10.44 kg (23 lbs.) when empty, which is couple of kilograms heavier than a typical mid-tower case. Strangely, XFX advertises this as a case of "standard mid-size proportions"; however, this could not be further from the truth. Plastic frames form a rounded top and bottom, lifting the metallic chassis about 3.75 cm (1.47") above the surface. With a total height of over 56 cm (22.2") and a depth of 52 cm (20.4"), the Type 01 Bravo is much larger than a typical mid-tower case and is likely to outsize even a few full tower cases as well.
We should also note that although the plastic frames appear to form handles, it would be a terrible idea to use them as such, as they are not designed to hold the weight of the case even when empty, let alone with a system installed inside it. Trying to lift the case by its plastic frame will most likely cause the plastic to crack or snap.
The placement of the front I/O ports is a bit strange as well, as XFX locates them at the top of the case, along the center of the plastic frame. There are two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and the standard 3.5 mm headphone jacks. Placing the ports so far from the front of the case is at the very least peculiar, as they would be hard to reach even if the case is placed beneath a desk, let alone on top of one.
A large filter comes pre-installed at the bottom of the case, covering the PSU intake and the bottom intake vents. The filter is removable from the rear of the case and, due to its length, you would likely need to lift the case up in order to detach it.
The rear of the Type 01 Bravo is all black, and the entire metallic chassis has been sprayed with a matte black paint as well. With the exception of the rear exhaust fan opening, there are no other vents, but expansion covers are perforated for additional airflow. There are four holes for liquid coolers and cables, covered by unique rubber grommets that form "S" like shapes.
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piroroadkill - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Another large, generic and ugly case.I want to see a lot more innovation in the arena of microATX and miniITX.
A good example of an innovative microATX case is the Aerocool DS Cube. Damn nice.
nissefar - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Yes. I don't get why so many mediocre mid towers keeps getting released, when that market is already saturated.For the vast majority of users, there is no need to build anything larger than mATX or even ITX. But the big producers are moving so slowly in this area, basically if you want something that's not huge and doesn't look awful you have to go for custom niche productions like the Ncase M1.
RaistlinZ - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Stick to video cards.sicyo - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
I don't mind the looks but I wouldn't spend $50, let alone $130 on a case that broke so easily in a review.jmke - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
", we mentioned that the plastic top and bottom frames are just a decoration and mishandling them will almost certainly cause permanent damage. We tested that theory by trying to lift the empty case by its rear top plastic frame, which looks like a handle. The result of that test was the snapping of the frame even before the whole case was off the ground. The bottom rear frame shattered when the case landed back on the floor as well. It goes without saying that users need to handle the Type 01 Bravo with extra care."if it looks like a handle, people will use it as a handle. make sure it can support the weight and then some. and you tried it with an empty case, imaging you installed thousands of $$$ and it breaks..
they have to fix this... either remove the handles or make the sturdy.
Good example of handles done right is Coolermaster Cosmos; that one has handles top/bottom, but they support the weight, even when loaded with 10+ HDDs!
lavaheadache - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
what a steaming pile of garbage. I feel bad for anybody that buys that caselmcd - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Not only should the handles work, but the front panel should be covered by a band of thick plastic about 1/3 from the base just to improve the aesthetic (and the logo, buttons, and ports can all go there too). Below the band that I suggest they insert, HDDs should be hot-swap facing forward.Gunbuster - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
It looks like they designed maybe 45% of the case at most and then said aw screw it just ship it out.And that grime/fingerprint magnet finish. No thanks...
Dr0id - Monday, May 19, 2014 - link
Man the grime was the first thing I noticed in the pictures. I thought my glasses were dirty.I appreciate Fyll's technical review, but the $30 looks of this case kind of sour any compliments he could give to XFX.
The whole thing looks like a cheap 80's boombox, with the front looking like the speaker grill, the grimy faded black plastic all round, and the useless rounded flare which looks like it would brake if you stare at it (but would usually be stamped with something witty like "Xtreme Bass.)
Torashin - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Oh god, it's hideous!