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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dstarr3 - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
I've noticed that you rarely include full photos of the cases you review on the first page. I'd really appreciate it if you'd change that, as, no offense, I'd really rather not read the review of a case that I'd never buy based on looks already.E.Fyll - Friday, May 16, 2014 - link
Good point. The appearance after all is the most important factor when selecting a case. This can be arranged.dstarr3 - Monday, May 19, 2014 - link
Thanks. :-)Haravikk - Saturday, May 17, 2014 - link
This is one ugly, over-sized case! While I admire an effort to go for a unique look, I don't think the horizontal bars are attractive at all; maybe if the front of the case weren't a uniform flat-surface it might look better. I also think that the main body should be in a different colour, one of the pictures looks like there is a silver/grey bodied version which might look a bit better. Even so, the plastic top "handles" are incredibly disappointing; it wouldn't take much to make them strong enough for carrying (just needs some curved and reinforced steel through it that fits securely onto the chassis) which strikes me as a huge failure on attention to detail.The size is also bewildering; personally I think the case could have looked a lot better with a concave front (curving inwards at middle height), sticking out enough at the top for an optical drive, and at the bottom for housing two (3.5") to four (2.5") hard drives down in front of the PSU. This would have improved the visual appearance incredibly, at which point the horizontal bars could even look good, while giving good airflow. Maybe even flatten off the curve toward the middle to give a space for a 5.25" bay fan controller (but not a full 5.25" bay) since those are fairly common in gaming cases.
Being able to fit a 200mm front fan is nice, but personally I'd be fine with a slimmer case and two 140mm fans instead, especially since that would give you more airflow to both the GPU(s) and CPU as standard.
The main plus points seems to be the excellent cable routing spaces and the ability to fit three side fans (or a huge radiator), but I'm not sure how much those are worth given the other problems.
edmoncu - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link
If not for the huge XFX logo, this would've been one ugly case!poordirtfarmer2 - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link
Agreed! The thing looks like the engine case of my toy tractor when I was a kid. And a rounded top - heck, where's the cat going to sit?masterpine - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link
This thing needs to be taken out behind the barn and shot. I know style is subjective, but quality seems to have been a low priority which is pretty poor for this price point.hassaqbear - Sunday, May 18, 2014 - link
Front reminds me of the xps 720 dell