Xigmatek Elysium Review - Page 1/6 | techPowerUp
Overclock3D :: Review :: Xigmatek Elysium Video Review :: Xigmatek Elysium Video Review <-overclock3d's video review
Xigmatek has made a name for itself a few years ago, by presenting a CPU cooler with so called "Direct Touch Heatpipes". They made a big splash and put the manufacturer on the map for people to notice. Their line-up has grown considerably with a full range of coolers, power supplies and case fans along with a flurry of mid-tower cases. The Asgard is one of the best selling cases for quite some time, as it offers a nearly unbeatable price/performance and is especially interesting for large system integrators. The latest chassis - the Pantheon, which we reviewed in the past was one of their new cases after a quiet period around the company. All these cases in the past have been ATX or E-ATX enclosures, but Xigmatek is now jumping into the big-tower fray with the Elysium. This chassis can hold XL-ATX and HPTX boards, making it one of three such cases on the market today.
As with most cases from Xigmatek, the Elysium is available in multiple configurations. Either with black or silver Aluminum strips on the front in combination with a solid or windowed side panel. This means you have four different cases to choose from.
Features
Support HPTX super big M/B and 10 PCI slots for four graphic cards.
Hot-swappable 2.5/3.5” SATA HDD docking on top panel.
Two USB 3.0 super-speed ports on top panel with dust-proof cover.
Both side screw-less ODD holders.
Dual PSU possible on the top and bottom.
360/420mm water cooling radiator possible.
Fully external twelve 5.25” bays with two “4 in 3 HDD cage”.
3.5” HDD anti-vibration rubbers inside of 4 in 3 cages.
Anti-vibration rubbers and bottom dust filter for PSU.
Aluminum on the front mesh panel with removable dust filters.
Xigmatek packages their new chassis in a full color carboard box. As you can see, our sample was treated badly during the shipping process as the package took quite the hit. Nonetheless, all is fine as you will see later on. In the front you have an image of the massive case, while the backside goes into some detail about the feature set. Both sides hold images of the Elysium as well, along with specifications.
Contents
You will receive a basic set of contents with a few zip ties, a bag of black screws, four casters and an informative manual. I would have liked to see extension cables for the 8-pin PSU adapter or a 3.5 inch bay adapter so that one could install a card reader or small fan controller for example.
The chassis is available in four versions and we got to take a look at the variant with silver Aluminum strips and side window. This is also the coolest in my humble opinion, but the all black one is pretty darn classy as well. Xigmatek has kept the design of the Elysium pretty straight forward and functional. Such a choice is by no means a bad thing, on the contrary, it goes well with the massive HPTX form factor.
Looking right at the chassis, it becomes apparent that the entire front is filled with drive bays - twelve to be exact. The Aluminum strips bend across the bottom and top of the chassis and are held in place by cool looking screws. This is a nice touch and gives the case a few nifty details to look at. Turning things around, we have everything where we would expect to see it, considering it is an HPTX chassis - more on this further down.
Turning our focus to the rear of the case as promised, the bottom is the primary PSU bay. You may install the power supply with the fan facing upward or downward as there are two sets of holes. Above that are the ten mainboard expansion slots, so you can easily use an EVGA SR-2 or XL-ATX mainboard and four dual height graphic cards within the Elysium. This makes the chassis one of three HPTX capable cases on the market. Five water cooling holes allow you to route tubing out the back to an external reservoir or radiator if you wish. Above that is the opening for the mainboard backplate and a 140 mm exhaust fan. The very top allows you to install an 80 mm fan or a secondary PSU if you wish. This may be of interest for those who want to separate the power supply of mainboard/CPU and graphics subsystem.
In the rear is a large metal mesh cover, with the Xigmatek X on it. This has been placed above the top vents which can be used for fans or radiator of up to 420 mm size.
A Closer Look - Inside
Assembly
Installing the optical drive does not require any tools but I did encounter a small problem, as the very top slot cannot be used for a drive. Looks like the power and data connectors of the SATA hot-swap bay are in the way. Having these angled with the cables running horizontal instead of vertical would instantly solve this issue. Maybe Xigmatek can implement the change in the retail case. As it stands now, the top slot is only viable for card readers, fan controllers or the likes, but not for a traditional ODD.
Installing the PSU within the Elysium is straight forward and there is plenty of space for it, which means that even the longest units in the market will fit with room to spare.
Finished Looks
Value & Conclusion
Value & Conclusion
The Xigmatek Elysium will cost you 159.90 Euro for the windowless version (black or silver stripes) and 169.90 Euros for one with a side window. This means that the Elysium is the most affordable HPTX chassis on the market today.
YAY!
Affordable - so you can spend your hard earned cash on that SR-2 you always wanted
HPTX compatibility
Two openings in mainbard tray - perfect for EVGA SR-2
Hot-Swap bay included
Can fit two separate radiators with up to 420 mm
Twelve 5.25 inch bays
Can hold up to eight hard drives
Two PCBs to power up to twelve fans with just two Molex connectors
Simple but effective interior layout
2x USB 3.0 connectivity
Four fans included (2x 120, 1x140 and 1x200 mm)
Large power button
Plastic/metal locks work surprisingly well
Ten mainboard expansion slots
Rubber mounted hard drives
Casters included
Possibility to install second PSU
Excellent cable routing and hiding possibilities
Informative packaging
NO!
Fans are a bit loud
No 3.5 inch adapter for external drive bay
No USB cable adapter to connect USB 3.0 internally to USB 2.0 port
No extension cable for 8-pin Power cable
No separate 2.5 inch bay with the case
The Xigmatek Elysium shows once more what is possible - especially for the price. While any case with a HPTX compatibility generally comes at a price or with a price premium due to the materials used, Xigmatek once more focuses on a very effective feature set at a price which none of the other cases of this size offer. Sure, there may be steel HPTX cases in the future with a similar price tag, but - if history is any kind to proof to go by - they will most likely not offer the feature set of the Xigmatek Elysium. A hot-swap bay, USB 3.0, little PCBs for up to twelve fans, two openings in the mainboard tray and the ability to install multiple, extremely large radiators make for one potent chassis. Along with the cable management you can be sure that all cables are hidden and the interior stays tidy - no matter what you fill the Elysium with.
That said, Xigmatek has only supplied the minimum in terms of contents with the nice bonus of four plastic casters, but considering the fact that the chassis only costs $159.90 or 169.90 Euro, what else do you want? Now you can go and use that money you saved when buying an excellent case on fast components. Xigmatek has named their first HPTX chassis "Elysium" which is the final resting place of the of the souls of the heroic and the virtuous - in this case your hardware - rightfully so!
9.6/10 -Great Value!
Editor's choice!
Case review: Xigmatek Elysium
Been drooling about this case since it went out. Too bad drool ra kutob..hihihi! 
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