Raidmax Scorpio-668, Continued
After removing the Scorpio-668 from its shipping box, Raidmax's clear attempt to produce a very good looking, interesting finish struck us. The aluminum chassis is painted with a brilliant blue, metallic flake finish. This finish is a flat, non-high gloss finish, but it is a cut above the finishes found on other cases. While it will not compete with the automobile paint finishes that we have seen on many high-end, modded cases, it still is a refreshing change from the usual black and beige.
Looking inside the Scorpio-668, it is obvious that we have seen this configuration and design before in units from other vendors.
The case interior is done with a polished aluminum finish. Coupled with a large, side panel window and a user purchased cold cathode light, it is possible to get some nice lighting reflections bouncing around inside this chassis. The edges of this case are rolled and U-seamed, depending on the location within the case. Raidmax uses two rails that sit just under the power supply, extend from the rear to the front of the case and are riveted at six different points to help provide good stability for the case. This methodology reduced the amount of twist to the case and helped reduce the flex, as well. While the Scorpio-668 did exhibit some slight twist and flex, it was somewhat less than that exhibitied by the Aspire X-Superalien reviewed above, which has a similar design. Some of this difference can be attributed to the X-Superalien's use of a slide out motherboard tray where the Scorpio-668 does not.
Our test case came with three 80 mm lighted fans, two in the rear of the case and one on the window that features a snazzy, chrome plated grill. It was puzzling to us that Raidmax did not equip the two included 80 mm front fan holders with fans. For our testing purposes, we used two fans in these locations and our cooling results were above average. However, in the stock configuration that Raidmax shipped to us, the lack of these two 80 mm fans in the front of the case allows for no air intake from the front of the case. Obviously, this will reduce the cooling potential of the Scorpio- 668 significantly.
