Aerocool Aero-800 Mid-Tower Chassis Review
Peter Donnell / 8 years ago
Introduction
Aerocool is one of my favorite chassis manufacturers, as time and time again they’ve delivered unique, stylish, versatile and affordable products, and that’s something a lot of consumers can enjoy. Their latest chassis, the Aero-800, may be an affordable mid-tower, but it promises to give you plenty of great features in return for your investment, making it appealing to a wide range of system builders, not just those on a tight budget.
- Specially designed top metal cover with extended depth to easily install 240mm water cooling system.
- Front panel also supports the installation of either 240mm/280mm water cooling system.
- Bay covers are designed with a simple flip mechanism for easy removal of bay cover without removing the front panel.
- Support hi-end graphic cards up to 390mm.
- Supports max. CPU cooler height of 155mm.
- Supports max. PSU length of 180mm.
- Magnetic metal mesh sheet on top panel is easy to remove for cleaning and adds style to the chassis.
- Removable PSU dust filter for easy cleaning.
- Supports up to 2×3.5” HDD and 3×2.5” HDD/SSD.
- 2xUSB3.0+2xUSB2.0 / HD Audio + Mic.
- Large acrylic side window for clear viewing of chassis interior.
As you can see, it’s got a pretty well-rounded specification, with support for (up to) ATX motherboards, a good range of storage devices, 7 expansion slots, two pre-installed fans with optional water cooling support, and room for extra-long graphics cards.
A Closer Look – Exterior
Frist things first, for a chassis that costs under £50, the Aero-800 looks stunning! As you can see, we obviously have the white edition, which comes with some nicely contrasting black trim on the front and top, and with that huge side panel window you can really show off your new hardware in style.
The right side panel is just a blank panel, and both side panels are held in place with thumb screws for easy access.
Around the back, a pre-installed 120mm fan at the top, seven expansion slots below that, and the usual ATX PSU cut-out at the bottom.
One thing that I do like to see is these elongated screw fittings for the rear fan, as it allows you to adjust the fan/radiator height to prevent conflicts with the motherboard.
The front panel has a nice clean look to it, with the I/O tucked away at the top, two 5.25″ drive bays below that, and a nice big ventilated section for the front mounted fans/radiators.
the I.O has all the basics covered and plenty of connectivity, while the 5.25″ drive bays have clip-in and easily removable covers.
The top panel has more fan/radiator mounts and comes with an externally mounted magnetic filter for easy maintenance.
On the base, two large and full-width feet provide a stable base, while four small rubber grips help keep it firmly in place. There’s some ventilation at the rear for the PSU, which also features a small dust filter for clean airflow.
A Closer Look – Interior
The interior of the Aero-800 is very nicely laid out and comes with a neat and tidy black paint job that contrasts well with the white finish of the exterior. As you can see, there is a good-size CPU cooler mounting cut-out behind the motherboard, mini-ITX stand-offs are pre-installed (extras included in the box), and there are numerous cable routing cut-outs around the motherboard area, so the installation process should be nice and easy.
In the rear, you’ll find a pre-installed 120mm exhaust fan, although you could easily swap this out for a water cooler if you felt the need.
All of the expansion slots feature reusable covers, which is great on a cheaper chassis, as budget cases often feature snap-off covers here.
Another huge perk for this price range is the PSU shroud. It’s fixed in place, but don’t worry, as you can access the underside from the right side of the case.
One thing I really like is that while this chassis does have 2 x 5.25″ drive bays, the feature a minimalistic mounting bracket, so if you’re not using them, they’re really not going to get in the way of your build.
There are a couple of 2.5″ hard drive mounts right on the backplate, giving you a great way to mount and show off your new drives.
Finally, another pre-installed 120mm fan, although this one is different as it features blue LED lighting to give the chassis some added visual flair.
Around the back, you’ll find a fairly slim amount of space for cable routing, but since we have that PSU shroud to hide excess cables, that’s really not going to be a problem for those worried about cable management.
A third 2.5″ drive mount is found behind the motherboard, giving us three in total.
You’ll also find 2 x 3.5″/2.5″ drive mounts below the shroud, which are tool-free for 3.5″ and screw fit for 2.5″. The PSU mounts from this side, and there are some rubber mounts in there to help prevent any vibrations from the unit.
Complete System
First things first, I installed my PSU by simply sliding it in from the right side and screwing it in place at the back. There’s a good amount of room remaining behind the PSU too, so fitting cables and storing excess shouldn’t be a problem.
On the other side, we can really see the benefit of having that PSU shroud, as with the PSU, some hard drives and a lot of cables hidden out of sight, the build looks super clean and tidy.
There are two cable routing holes in the top of the PSU shroud too, meaning you’re not trailing GPU and motherboard cables too much.
CPU cooler clearance is excellent, with enough room in the rear or top for slim radiator designs or AIO coolers.
Seven expansion slots mean that there’s easily room for two or three large expansion cards.
A small cut-away at the end of the PSU shroud means that if you want to install more fans or a larger radiator, you shouldn’t have any conflicts with the case.
The SSD mount is a nice touch, putting it up on display for all to see and taking up less space than a conventional drive mount.
With the side panel back in place, the build looks pretty slick and the heavy tint on the window means that while all the black details such as the fittings and cables are virtually hidden, the highlights of your components shine through nicely.
I must confess that it was easier to see through that pictures would suggest, but it was pretty bright in here today and the camera was having a hard time of things.
If I get up close, you can certainly see a little better, as well as a nice reflection of my wall, sorry about that.
Final Thoughts
Price
The Aerocool Aero-800 can be picked up from most major retailers, although we found it at Scan.co.uk for a very reasonable £38.98, which is amazing value for money given the quality and features the Aero-800 has on offer.
Overview
I must admit that I’m very impressed with what Aerocool has achieved here. The budget-friendly part of the market is no stranger to competition and for years, there has been a lot of products from a huge range of brands for anyone to pick from. However, the Aero-800 is by far one of the best very chassis I’ve seen in this price range and that’s great news for consumers.
When it comes to picking a chassis for your build, you’re going to want something that looks great and in my opinion, the Aero-800 fits that bill perfectly, both inside and out. The front panel has a neat and tidy design, there’s plenty of ventilation without looking too “extreme” and there’s a large and tinted side panel window. Overall, it would look just as comfortable sitting in an office as a workstation, as it would be fitted with a pair of GTX 1080’s and a water cooling system in someone’s bedroom.
Build quality is pretty robust too, with a good thickness to the steel panels, nicely finished plastics and a good quality paint job throughout. The addition of cable routing, a PSU shroud, and dust filters certainly sweeten the deal, as do the two pre-installed 120mm fans. Overall, you’re going to have a hard time finding anything better for this kind of money.
While this is an affordable product, I’m pretty confident that it’ll prove a hit with those who are aiming for more expensive system builds too. The quality is good, the design is smart, and it’s got some nice features. What money you save on your budget with this chassis can always be put towards a faster graphics card or more powerful CPU.
Pros
- Excellent value for money
- Stylish design
- Available in black/white
- Large and tinted side panel window
- PSU shroud
- Good cable management
- Dust filters
- Low-profile 5.25″ drive bay mounts
- 390mm GPU support
Cons
- None
“Aerocool has done it again, delivering one of the best value for money chassis on the market today. Not only does the Aero-800 have an affordable price tag, but it also ticks all the right boxes for features, style, and quality.”