Cooler Master’s sneaker-shaped PC cases have been around for a while now. When I recently stumbled across them in our range, I decided to take a closer look.
Click the gear icon in the video above to add English subtitles.
The Sneaker X product description begins rather poetically with: «[it] isn’t just a piece of hardware; it’s a conversation starter, a visual delight and a reflection of your individuality.» If you’re a sneakerhead, you’ll definitely think the case is nice to look at. It’ll also reflect your personality. And there’s no doubt it’ll be a conversation starter. The question that’d kick off the conversation would just be: what are you talking about?
The Sneaker X is huge. Source: Aline Piazza
The product description also says «the fusion of cutting-edge technology and timeless sneaker artistry» breaks «the stereotype». Just what that stereotype’s supposed to be is unclear. What is clear, however, is my opinion of the PC case as a giant stereotype. In fact, at 81 centimetres long and 51 centimetres tall, the Sneaker X is giant in the most literal sense. Even so, it’s only suitable for mini ITX mainboards, i.e. those used in small PCs.
Mind you, it does have space for a relatively large graphics card. It’ll accommodate a GPU that’s up to 30 centimetres long and six centimetres thick. I installed an RTX 3070 from EVGA that I had lying around.
Although the case only has room for a mini ITX mainboard, there’s still space for a relatively large graphics card. Source: Aline Piazza
You don’t need to worry about getting a CPU cooler or power supply unit. The case comes installed with an 850-watt power supply unit and Cool Master’s all-in-one water cooling system (AIO) with three 120-millimetre fans. Given that the AIO’s on the bottom of the case, the large radiator surface is sorely needed. Incidentally, the distance between the base and the fans is just under one centimetre. This usually isn’t enough for the fans to draw in air efficiently and cool the liquid in the radiator well.
There isn’t enough space between the fans and the base. Source: Aline Piazza
Added together, the AIO and the power supply unit have a value of around CHF 350. So, if you subtract this, the case costs 550 francs.
Promotional price aside, that’s still a hell of a lot of money for «the embodiment of elegance and functionality». Especially when you consider that the materials used to make the case aren’t of especially high quality. All the panels that give the sneaker its shape and colour are made of plastic. It’s only the frame that’s made of steel and aluminium. Installing the components isn’t enjoyable either, and it’s pretty fiddly.
The panels are all made of plastic. Source: Aline Piazza
Despite all the marketing BS and the mediocre-quality case, I have to hand it to manufacturer Cooler Master. It takes courage to produce a small batch of such extravagant cases. In fact, other brands would do well to take a leaf out of Cool Master’s book.
Personally, I’d never buy the Sneaker X. As someone who only ever wears barefoot shoes, I really can’t get on board with the sneaker design. And that’s before I even get started on the case falling short of my standards. Basically, it’s a collector’s item at a collector’s price.
