So today was the first time we have reviewed a case from Enermax, and this could well be the first time that you have seen an Enermax case altogether. The Hoplite has left a very good impression.

With some very distinct looks, the Hoplite delivers feature after feature that you won't find in many cases of its stature. What makes the Hoplite significant is its media options. There is a hot swap docking port on the outer shell, at the top of the case that allows you to gain access to a drive without the hassle of having to take side panels off and connect cables. Inside the case we have more hot-swap docking for 2 additional drives. But it doesn't stop there, on this docking PCB we also have an additional 2 fan headers that we can take advantage and expand on the case fan cooling within the Hoplite. Couple this with the rubber grommets and routing for cables and the Hoplite delivers a very fluid installation.

Enermax case fans will be pleased to know that the Hoplite comes with a pre-installed Vegas fan which can not only switch between 3 different colour configurations but also numerous lighting sequences too. This is all governed by the touch of a button on the front of the case which incidentally also brings manual control over the RPM of this fan.

I haven't even mentioned the USB3.0 that comes as standard and ability to make use of up to 6 fans. For a midi-tower the Hoplite has lots to talk about, it has lots of elements to get excited about and is in general a superb high-performance gaming case.


Sadly though there are a few slight niggles which I should mention. First of all the PSU mounting space features no anti-vibration mounts. Installing a PSU within the Hoplite will mean metal on metal, and we all know what that results in - scratching! The other item to mention is the expansion slot brackets, they are not interchangeable but instead require you to twist and pull to free up a slot. Once a bracket is removed, it can no longer be installed back onto the Hoplite. So if you move things around in your case you are going to have gaps where previous expansion brackets have been removed. On Enermax's part, this isn't good practise. Brackets once removed are useless and have to be disposed of.

At £90 inc VAT the Hoplite is one of the more costly midi-tower's out there. But there are plenty of features on this case that you wouldn't perhaps find on other cases within its league. It looks great and is crafted to high specification, so if you are looking to upgrade your enclosure anytime soon then Enermax's Hoplite is a good choice to go for.