German CPU cooler and chassis manufacturer Raijintek have a growing reputation for high-quality and effective products for the consumer market, and today they're broadening their line-up by launching a new mATX chassis. Based on the METIS, STYX is a crafted aluminium chassis with uncommon design features that's well suited to high-end components.



Externally, the STYX resembles nothing quite so much as a taller and broader METIS. Simple aesthetics, including an uncomplicated front and subtly curved side panels, complement the brushed aluminium finish that's available in six vibrant colours. I/O ports are located at the very top so they don't mar the elegant front panel, whilst unlike the METIS a slim optical drive bay slot on the side expands usability into the mainstream. Both windowed and non-windowed version are available, so if you have a pressing need to show off your system you won't be impeded.



Raijintek have taking a number of innovative steps to make the very best use of STYX's internal dimensions. Most obvious is the use of a 180-degree rotated motherboard orientation, exceptionally rare even with compact mATX/ITX chassis. This facilitates a pretty much unique mounting point towards the front for a full-size ATX PSU on the floor of the chassis, leaving plenty of space for tall memory DIMMs and high-performance CPU coolers. Lack of space for cable tidying efforts mean that modular PSUs would be an excellent choice for the STYX.



SSDs and HDDs are mounted on a separate bracket affixed to the frame that can be removed to facilitate installation of both drives and other internal components. This bracket includes grommeted mounting points for mechanical drives to reduce noise and vibration, and the chassis as a whole supports up to three 3.5" HDDs or four 2.5" SSDs and one HDD. One slim 5.25" optical drive can be mounted vertically at the front, with the drive facing the right side panel.

Cooling is perhaps where the STYX has had to compromise the most in terms of its design, but even here it still has premium options. The default configuration is for only one 120mm (which helps to keep the costs of the chassis down) but STYX also supports two 120mm fans in the roof (or one 240mm radiator) and an additional 120mm fan on the floor (depending on clearance with motherboard and CPU cooler). A potential snag is a lack of fan filters, necessitating additional purchases if your environment is particularly dusty.



Technical Specs



The STYX is available to pre-order now from Overclockers UK for £64.99 (windowed) and £62.99 (non-windowed) inc. VAT. Shipping dates aren't currently listed.