Kingwin K-11-BK-WM Aluminum Case

Need a new case to hold all those goodies? Aluminum is the way to go, and Kingwin is here to put on a show. The K-11-BK-WM is one case worthy of a look, a gander, and a gaze. Read up on the latest offering from Kingwin and see if this case is going to make a new home on your desk.

Introduction

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I don’t know about you, but I love cases. It is the one piece of your PC that you can do the most with and truly “show-off” to the masses. Recently we have had the opportunity to start taking a look at a great case manufacturer that is really making a show for itself. Kingwin makes a variety of awesome aluminum cases for just about any type of user. I have the pleasure to take a look at the K-11-BK-WM from Kingwin and give you a rundown of what I think about it. Lets not beat around the bush anymore, get to reading!

Features

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Why don’t we start off with the features and specifications taken directly from Kingwin’s website.

Features:

• High quality aluminum-mg alloy case with 2 tone black/silver color design.
• Excellent cooling and performance.
• Clear acrylic glass front panel.
• Clear side window w/ led fan.
• 4 front USB 2.0 ports.
• 2 front audio ports.
• 1 front firewire IEEE 1394 port.
• 4 case fans w/ 1 quad led fan.
• Complete tool-less design.

Specifications:

Model:	K-11-BK-WM
Tower Size:	Mid-Tower
Dimension:	18 1/8″(480 mm)D x 7 3/4″(200 mm)W x 16″(410 mm) H.
Drive Bays:	4 x 5.25″, 2 x 3.5″/ 5 x 3.5″
Expansion Slots:	7
Panel Features:	4 x USB, 1 x Firewire,1 x power, reset, led
Power Supply:	None
Material:	Aluminum Alloy
Case Fans:	4
Main Board Types:	Baby AT, Micro ATX, ATX
Window:	1 side clear acrylic w/ quad led fan
Weight:	13 lbs

The case has an awesome black paint job that I have fallen in love with. I have jarred, moved, scraped, and banged this case around already and have yet to notice a mark on it. Not only is the outside painted, but the entire inside of the case is coated with the exact same paint job. Very cool to say the least. The color really adds to the overall look and quality of the case. The coating is pristine and very well done. The front acrylic piece is a sharp add-on to the looks of the case also. It’s easy to remove with the included thumb screws so getting your drives in and out while keeping the cover safe is a breeze.

The window on the side panel is a great window, but I believe it could be better without the “X” pattern. I understand that the center fan needs some support so the “X” is probably the best route to go, but this case would look even better with an unobstructed large window that covers most of the side of the case. Besides the window fan, the case also comes with two front mounted fans, and another case fan in the rear. Helping keep those temperatures down is a priority for Kingwin. I especially like the two fans in the front that help keep my coffee warmers known as hard drives cooler than normal. I haven’t noticed an overall drop in temperatures in the case compared to others, but the fact that my hard drives are getting a little breeze and the case is staying plenty cool is a great thing.

Aluminum…..light, strong, and definitely the way to go with a PC case. I have had a number of PC cases in the past that felt like I was lugging a sofa around to LAN parties and the sort. The K-11-BK-WM is definitely an exception to the norm for me. I can pick this case up with one finger and a minimal sweat-less effort. So far so good, but what else does this case have to offer?

The case has an overall strong feel about it. The only frailty that I could find is the thin side panel with the window in it. When you take it off, make sure you place it aside where nobody can bump it or put their big foot through it. It is very light, and not unbreakable by any means.

Thumbscrews!! I love a case that is at least partially tool-less. The side panels are easily removed with simple thumbscrews. Now why is it that all case manufacturers are not doing this? Do they feel the need to make our lives more difficult? The less you have to use a screwdriver to open up your case, the better in my opinion. Score one for Kingwin on this issue. If you are paranoid that someone might sneak up on you and make off with some of your hardware, a simple padlock can be slipped on the side panel to keep those who think they can get a five finger discount on your stuff away.

Find the BEST PRICE for the Kingwin K-11-BK-WM at PriceGrabber

Installation

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I had relatively few problems when installing my hardware into this case. My first “problem” was the lack of space for the power supply in the case. I had to literally squeeze the PSU in and jam it up to the back of the case. I was afraid that the paint on the inside of the case would scratch, but to my enjoyment, all in without a nick. It seemed a little narrow for its own good.

The addition of drive rails would also have been nice in this case, but I can easily overlook that. The installation is still quite simple and straight-forward for all the components. It is a tight fit though. A couple of extra inches all the way around would be nice, but keeping the relatively small size of the case is a definite plus that helps balance out my issues with it. With everyone worried about making things smaller these days, it’s understandable that Kingwin would make this mighty mid-tower as compact as possible.

Testing

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To somewhat “test” this case out I figured I would use it like I use any other case. I carried it around, moving it upstairs and back downstairs. I put it in my car to see how well it fit in the backseat. I plugged in the front ports to see how they worked. To put it into perspective, I used it.

I wasn’t disappointed one bit with the Kingwin case. This baby is light even when it’s fully loaded with hardware. This case fully loaded feels like some cases I have had that were empty. It’s not clumsy to move around either. I can easily move this to a LAN party across town, or just upstairs to another room. Put a simple PC case strap around this one, and you are mobile.

All of the peripheral plugs in the front of the case work like a charm. The only thing that is really bothering me is that the acrylic front can hinder plugging into them. The acrylic adds extra depth to the front cover that you have to get past to actually plug into a port. If the plug happens to have some extra width or size, the ability to use the front ports may be compromised. I noticed it when plugging a headphone jack into the supplied speaker port. The plug was fairly large and barely fits into the port. I have even had problems with it popping out and leaving me momentarily sound free.

Overall, the case is pretty quiet with all four case fans running. I didn’t have any problems with the noise creating a problem in normal everyday use. I usually watch TV on my PC or listen to music while I work, and I haven’t had to turn up the speakers to drown out a hurricane under my desk.

Final Thoughts and Score

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Well what can I say? This case is a great piece of hardware that any user could love. I love the size, the light weight, and the excellent overall look and feel of the K-11-BK-WM. So far the only thing that has given me any problems was the fact that the ports on the front may be a little hard to get to with the acrylic panel on the front adding a little depth. Other than that, this is a great case. The window and tri-color LED fan add a sweet look to an already awesome looking case. To top it all off, this case isn’t that expensive. For an all-aluminum case of this quality I figured the triple digits would be a modest price estimate. I found this case for right around $75. Now that’s a good price for a great case. I’m a big fan of Kingwin’s products and really look forward to every product they are going to put out. They have definitely made their way towards the top of case manufacturers.

With all this said, I give the Kingwin K-11-BK-WM a 9 out of 10 and the Bjorn3D Seal of Approval.

Find the BEST PRICE for the Kingwin K-11-BK-WM at PriceGrabber