In the crosshairs today is the Enermax CS-527 case, a.k.a. the 'Black Knight'. Not an original name, but fitting, nonetheless. This case has a number if interesting features that may or may not be helpful to the case mod enthusiast, and we'll be discussing these later. First, let's check out the specs of this black beauty.

Features

So far there isn't a specs page on either the Maxpoint or Enermax website. One of the only places I was able to find a listing for this case was at NewEgg here.

These are the features I immediately noticed on this case:

• Gloss coating
• Steel chassis, .8mm thick
• Front I/O panel with 2x USB, 1x Firewire, audio out and mic in
• Pre-mod window with integrated 80mm blue-LED fan
• Pre-installed blue neon light
• Thumbscrews for side panels
• Space for 120mm fan in front, 2x 80mm fans in rear (fans not included)
• 350w ATX Power Supply
• No sharp edges; all are rolled

Package

The case was received from UPS without incident; the packaging was intact. However, when I opened the box, the styrofoam holding the case was destroyed. Clearly there is not enough styrofoam in there to adequately protect the chassis during shipping.

I think I was lucky though, because the only damage the case sustained was at the rear, where the left side panel is held by the thumbscrew at the bottom. This area was dented in about 1/8". It doesn't affect functionality or aesthetics at all, but it is a real pain to reinstall the side panel, as you have to screw the thumbscrew in cock-eyed. Here's a pic of the damaged area on the panel (I couldn't get a pic of the case illustrating the dent there; it just wouldn't show up on the camera!):

Enermax also included a complement of screws and zip-ties for installation of your hardware, and basic wire management. The light seems to be glued in place; I couldn't remove it without the risk of breaking it and even more unfortunate, it seems to be glued in crooked.