X-bit labs

Anubis – First ATX System Case from Hiper

Category: Other

by Kirill "ALT-F13" Balalin

[ 02/11/2008 | 11:31 AM ]

Today we are going to talk about Hiper’s debut in the ATX system case market. The Anubis is undoubtedly stylish, original and efficient in terms of cooling. It is an ideal playground for a technical modder, but still there are a few things that need to be improved. Read more in our review!

Table of contents:

• Specifications
  
• Package and Accessories
  
• Exterior Design and Functionality
  
• Interior Design and Assembly
  
• Testbed Configuration and Methods
  
• Performance
  
• Conclusion
  

England-headquartered High Performance Group is generally known as the manufacturer of high-quality power supplies, but like any wise company it tries to extend the model range selling very good keyboards, microATX cases for media-centers, fans and cables. The release of a PC system case from Hiper was to be expected, too. Its first serially produced model of a full-ATX case is somewhat surprisingly called Anubis, the name of the Egyptian god of death. I don’t quite grasp the meaning of this naming, but I’ve seen even queerer names for IT products.

In the bottom and medium segments of the market there is toughest competition between dozens of well-known brands and a number of obscure Taiwanese-Chinese factories. The Englishmen from Hiper who have always followed a rather strict pricing policy wouldn’t be welcome there. But in the top sector there is a place for everyone who can offer a high-quality and original product regardless of the price. Shipment volumes are small here, but the margin is high. The market is not saturated, and the release of high-end products has a positive effect on the company’s image. This is why the market positioning of the Anubis (a recommended price of $250) is quite logical. It is in the top-end market sector that Hiper may be competitive.

Specifications

• Type: Middle Tower
• 5.25” bays: 6 external
• 3.5” bays: 4 in the cage + 1 external bay
• Connectors: two USB 2.0, audio-in, audio-out, line-in
• Dimensions: 522x202x475 (L x W x H)
• Weight: 10.7kg
• Material: aluminum 6063 T5
• Supported mainboards: ATX, MicroATX, FlexATX, ITX
• Supported PSUs: ATX, EPS 12V

Package and Accessories

The Anubis comes in a cardboard box painted black and purple.

The box contains quite a lot of accessories including:

• User manual
• Fasteners
• Travel PAK
• Trinket with an Anubis logo and an ID number corresponding to the number at the back of the case
• Brush to clean the system case

Curiously enough, the Anubis comes without a power supply. Of course, it is the norm for expensive system cases, but Hiper turns out excellent PSUs… Frankly speaking, I had expected to find a PSU in here.