In Win Ironclad review

In Win IronClad Review

Manufacturer:In Win
UK Price (as reviewed): £89.05 (inc VAT)
US Price (as reviewed): £109.99 (Ex. Tax)

While In Win mightn’t be the first name that comes to mind when it comes to PC cases, it’s actually a huge company when it comes to OEM cases, shifting hundreds of thousands of units a year. The requirements for a good enthusiast case are quite different to those of a low cost mass produced model though, so we were interested to see how the Ironclad measured up.

The Ironclad thankfully isn’t made from the wrought iron of its namesake (shipping charges would be an issue), and is instead comprised of a steel chassis with a plastic front fascia. It’s a large case as far as midi-tower chassis go, measuring in at a hefty 225 x 566 x 550mm (W x D x H), and is supported by four rotating plastic feet in the base that are best deployed at right angles for stability.

The exterior panels are painted with a rough-feeling black paint, and the core chassis itself feels reassuringly solid when the case is assembled. The plastic front fascia feels flimsy though, finished in cheap looking faux-brushed aluminium, and sits notably proud of the rest of the chassis instead of merging smoothly into it.


Aside from the unpleasant-looking front fascia, the Ironclad’s exterior is dominated by a huge meshed section in the right hand side panel. This allows air to easily flow in and out the case, being assisted by a large 220mm cooling fan blowing air directly onto the hardware inside. Alternatively, the side panel can be reconfigured to allow up to six 120mm fans to be installed; this should give an indication of just how large the meshed section is. Sadly the side panel mesh also crucially lacks any kind of dust filter, so will inevitably leave a coating of household detritus over your hardware after a few months.

As well as the 220mm fan on the side panel, there are also two 120mm fan mounts in the roof of the case, although they’re irregularly spaced so as to not be compatible with dual 120mm-fan radiators. One of the roof mounts is occupied by a day-glo yellow 120mm fan, as is a third fan mount on the rear of the case. A front 120mm intake fan, sat behind the fascia and below the silver In Win branded panel, completes the Ironclad’s cooling, although this front mounted fan is, somewhat bizarrely, the only fan on the case that is fitted with a dust filter. With so much un-filtered mesh elsewhere, it’s pretty redundant and we wonder why In Win made the effort without fitting dust filters elsewhere.

Specifications

• Dimensions (mm) 225 x 566 x 550 mm (W x D x H)
  
• Material Steel, plastic
  
• Colour Black (also available in grey)
  
• Weight xxx
  
• Front Panel Power and reset switches, 4 x USB 2, 2 x eSATA, FireWire, stereo, mic
  
• Drive Bays 5 x external 5.25in drive bays (one convertible into external 3.5in), 6 x internal 3.5in drive bays, 1 x internal 2.5in drive bay
  
• Form factor(s) micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX
  
• Cooling 120mm front fan mounts (fan included), 120mm rear fan mount (fan included), 2 x 120mm roof fan mounts (1 fan included), 6 x 120mm fan side panel mounts (1 x 220mm fan included)
  
• CPU cooler clearance 145mm
  
• Graphics card dimensions supported 340mm
  
• Extras Toolless drive bays, toolless expansion slots, water cooling grommets