A while back I was in need of a new case for my Unicorn Orgy build. I’d tried cramming all the hardware into a Corsair Carbide Series case but it was all a bit cheap and plain looking.
I took myself off to Nehru Place where I found the excellent Deep Cool Matrexx 55 case for 4000 INR (around £45). Frankly, at that price, this case is an absolute bargain, and a quick look at several online retailers shows that you can expect to pay the same or slightly more depending on where you live.
Overall the case has a very minimalist look, with full tempered glass panels to the front and side allowing an excellent opportunity to showcase your build. My unit didn’t come with any fans, but it’s worth noting that it’s shown online featuring either a single exhaust fan, or a full bank of front LED fans, depending on where you live (price points seem to track accordingly).
While the features of this case are far from extraordinary it does come with all the modern expected features. On the top you’ll find a single USB 3.0 connector along with dual 2.0 connectors, audio connectors, power/reset buttons and an additional RGB button which you can hook up to your controller of choice. This is a nice feature, and apt considering how the Matrexx 55 is designed to show off RGB in all it’s ungodly forms. The buttons themselves feel nice, with the power button having a fair amount of travel, and the top fascia itself feels of a reasonably high quality.
In fact, all surfaces of the Matrexx 55 feel very well made and of a decent quality, in spite of the low price tag. In my unit I found no flaws in the finish or build/fitment issues at all, it’s highly impressive at this price point.
Inside the case you have space for up to an ATX motherboard, along with two mounting positions for 2.5″ SSDs and a cage for housing a further two traditional hard disks. To the front you have fitment options for fans and radiators up to 3 x 140mm fans, in addition to two further 120/140 mounts at the top and finally one at the back.
There’s a good amount of clearance at the top for a 240mm radiator, with my Deep Cool Gammaxx unit sliding in without any clearance issues with the motherboard or RAM.
Cable management and access holes are adequate, though the spacing is not the most elegant for the 24-pin ATX connector. I found that with my choice of motherboard the cable had to awkwardly twist from a slot slightly above the ATX connector which made cable management difficult. It’s also disappointing that there’s no PSU shroud to speak of, which makes hiding cable management sins incredibly difficult given just how on show your components will be.
For my build I ended up fabricating a makeshift shield from black acrylic which sat astride my PSU and prevented the rats nest underneath being visible. While this is a cost-effective solution it would have been nice if Deep Cool had included a shroud, the vast majority of customers would have been happy to pay a little extra for the privilege.
Speaking of cable management, the Matrexx 55 has a decent sized gap between the motherboard tray and the outer casing, allowing you to hide a decent amount of slack inside, along with a fan/RGB controller if you need to. I was able to hide the slack from my PSU and cable extensions without causing any issues, and there’s a surprising amount of space back there should you need it.
In use I found the Matrexx 55 good enough for a mid-range build without any cooling issues. I did initially have some concerns over the airflow available at the front due to the glass panel, but the vented panels at either side were enough to allow a decent amount of air in and keep all components effectively cool. In addition, the side panels on both sides have a built in mesh which should keep larger dust particles away from your internal components, though after a few weeks use I did notice some smaller particles building up on top of the hard drive trays and on the mesh itself.
Overall this case is a fantastic budget unit from which you can construct a visually stunning build. The flexibility in terms of cooling options, along with the larger gap behind the motherboard tray and extra headroom at the top allow a great opportunity to showcase relatively high-end hardware without spending a fortune on your enclosure.
Deep Cool have successfully shown that some of the features of high-end cases can be made available at lower price points without compromising on looks, although the lack of PSU shroud will result in many dropping the Matrexx 55 from their shortlist.
If you can tolerate this or are willing to put in a little extra work fabricating your own shroud then the Matrexx 55 is an excellent case and you should definitely consider it.
If you’re interested you can check out the Deep Cool Matrexx 55 on Amazon here.