Final Thoughts
Price
The Riotoro CR1088 Prism Mini-Tower RGB Chassis is available now at most major retailers. It’s priced around £75, although we have seen it as low as £70. That’s not crazy cheap, but for a dual-chamber ATX chassis with a few nice features, it’s still pretty competitive.
Overview
The Riotoro CR1088 is a nice little chassis, but it could benefit a lot from just a few minor tweaks. Of course, some of this is subjective and aren’t really deal breakers, but here goes. The side panel window, perhaps I’m just spoilt by the wave of tempered glass hitting the market, but the plastic just doesn’t sit right with me. I think it’s more to do with the large raised section, it looks cheap, and a slightly wider chassis with a flat panel would be better.
The cable routing holes aren’t located quite right. Sure, they’re workable, but some minor tweaks would go a long way to reducing cable trail. Also, the build in LED lighting isn’t particularly bright, which isn’t a bad thing, but reds come out a little pinker, so maybe add a few more lights, or just remove the lighting completely.
Finally, the snap off expansion slot covers. Perhaps they’re of little concern to most, but they really bug me. Having them mixed with reusable ones isn’t ideal either, just pick one type or the other for the product, please.
It’s Not All Bad!
OK, so that seems like I’m being pretty hard on the CR1088, I’m really not, they’re minor issues at best. Overall though, there’s a lot to love about this chassis. For starters, fitting an ATX motherboard in a form factor normally reserved for mini-ITX chassis is no easy task. With that in mind, the tricky cable routing may simply be a compromise for increased motherboard space. There’s room for multiple graphics cards, an ATX PSU, a few HDDs and more. Not bad for a chassis you would chuck under your arm and carry to LAN events.
Added Value
A large side panel window, a few nice quality fans, plenty of dust filters, and some LED lighting go a long way. At £75 the CR1088 is already reasonably priced, but a few little extras help justify the price even more.
Should I Buy One
This certainly isn’t a chassis for everyone, but for those wanting an ATX system in a more compact form factor, it’s certainly appealing. Cramming big hardware in a little box does mean some compromises though. Those with ambitions of massive GPUs and crazy air coolers will want to find a bigger chassis. However, a little planning goes a long way, and the CR1088 can be a real space saver is done properly. A compact gaming chassis at a good price, this could be perfect for your LAN gaming rig!
