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Hiper Anubis Mid-Tower Case Review

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SKYMTL

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Hiper Anubis Mid-Tower Case Review






Manufacturer Part #: HTC-1K614-A1
Price: About $220 USD
Availability: No resellers in Canada. Now in the USA
Warranty: 1 Year
Colors Available: Black
Manufacturer Product Page: HIPER--ANUBIS



Hiper is a company we really have not seen much of here in North America (Canada in particular) but they are well on their way to changing the marketplace’s perception of their company. With brand new power supplies and their flagship Anubis case, they are well on their way to blazing a new path into the North American and world market.

In this review we will be looking a little closer at their new Anubis case which seems to be causing some quite significant ripples through the industry. Even though this is Hiper’s first case, the buzz it has received was enough for us to hear it all the way here in Canada where Hiper’s presence is next to nil. It is not every day that a company with Hiper’s long history decides it is time to branch into unfamiliar territory by releasing a new product range. To hear Hiper’s reps talking about it, you wouldn’t be blamed for thinking the Anubis is the closest thing possible to having a front seat to the Second Coming. They have set up an entire website just for this case with wallpapers, 3D views and tons of other extras which bring their marketing message home. This is without a doubt their flagship product.

When you take a step back from all the pomp and hoopla surrounding this case you begin to see what is really being marketed: a mid-tower case that is as expensive as it is unique. Its list of features reads like a laundry list of exactly what many people’s dream case would look like but its price is almost heart-stopping. For the cool price of $220USD you get an all-aluminum case (3mm thick no less) with custom welds and the ability to have upwards of 100kg placed on top of it without any ill effects. With the amount of marketing lingo which accompanies this case, you would think it is built like a tank and is exactly what everyone will be asking for come Christmas. Is it really that good? Can anything be that good?

With all of this talk of new products from an internationally-renowned company, I could only rub my greedy little hands in anticipation of its arrival; and arrive it did in a complete state of disrepair.
 
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Gav

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Packaging

Packaging

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When you receive a box that looks like this, you have to seriously wonder (and pray) about the wellbeing of the precious case held within. From the looks of the box; it seems someone used a donkey to drag it across half the continent before it got to my door. Then for the heck of it, the donkey looks to have taken a few bites out of the box since there are some gaping holes here and there. Not only did the delivery company see fit to destroy and retape the box but to add insult to injury they also left it on my doorstep…in the pouring rain. It should be said that this is not Hiper’s fault but rather serves as an example why shipping insurance is a must these days.

Other than my rant, you can see this is a box….with the features written on it…and some nice pictures…and it weighs an absolute ton…ok enough of that, let’s look inside and see what the damage is.

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Upon first glance it looks like the Anubis is hail and healthy and that first observation holds true as it is unpackaged. Whether it is because of the advertised ruggedness of this case or the fact that there is plenty of foam padding, there is not even a scratch to be seen. Count me stunned because the last time I received a case where the packing box was in this kind of condition (my old Sonata II) one of the side panels was dented and two of the feet were MIA. Anubis: 1, delivery company from hell: 0.
 

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Mounting Hardware & Accessories

Mounting Hardware & Accessories

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With a mid-tower case costing this much, I hoped that Hiper would include a bunch of extras and I was not disappointed when I opened the box. In a small pencil case-like bag Hiper includes all of the mounting hardware which is in separately labeled Ziploc baggies. This approach of not mixing up all the screws in the same bag is absolutely brilliant and it takes a lot of the guesswork out of deciding which screw is for what when installing hardware.

Hiper has also thought ahead and included a dust brush for the fins on top of the case (which you will see later) since the gaps between them seem like dust magnets. The last accessory deserves a little closer look…

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Some people may find this a little corny or out of place but I think it is downright cool that Hiper has included a keychain with their Anubis case. Each keychain and case has an individual number which gives the Anubis a certain feel of exclusivity even though it is not a limited edition product. Looks like we got case number 1608.

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This is the first case I have seen with a single page instruction manual and it works surprisingly well by detailing all of the installation steps with easy-to-understand pictograms. There are a few steps where additional details could have been added but it is good to see straightforward instructions for once.
 

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Exterior Impressions

Exterior Impressions

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Once the back-breaking work of hauling the Anubis out of its box is done, you are greeted by an imposing black mid-tower case which just reeks of class and high-end quality. The front carries a fin-like design and a faint Hiper logo stamped into the lower air intake. The overall size of the Anubis lies somewhere between that of a full tower case and that of a mid tower case which means you should be getting a good amount of interior space for your money.

The uppermost floppy bay and all of the front 5.25” drive bays are hidden from view by a pivoting door which swings away on heavy-duty hinges and is held in place by a pair of magnets. In all there are six 5.25” bays which provide enough space for nearly any drive combination you can think of. Interestingly, even though there looks to be enough space, the top 3.25” bay cannot be removed in order to fit a 5.25” device (DVD drive, fan controller, etc.). There is also a bottom mounted fan grille which can be used to mount an optional 120mm fan.

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The side of the case contains a perforated black aluminum panel which acts like a kind of window into the case. Unlike most cases out there with this same feature, Hiper has added a clear acrylic sheet directly behind the panel. This gives you the best of both worlds: you can still see into your case without having a gaudy side window while the acrylic panel prevents dust from entering.

The Anubis uses neither thumb screws nor regular screws to secure the two side panels. Rather, a pair of metal latches adorns each side of the case that allows you to press down on them and remove the panel. Not only does this give you fast, easy access to the innards of the case but it also gives the Anubis a very sleek appearance. There is however one small problem with this latch system: it relies very much on guesswork the first few times you reinstall the side panels. Basically, you will have to position the panel in exactly the right position before depressing the latch to secure the panel into place. After the first few times closing the side panels, the whole system becomes second nature to me and I have to wonder why more manufacturers don’t use this brilliant system.

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The other side panel also holds a pair of latches for easy access to the opposite side of the case behind the motherboard tray. These come in handy for wire routing but let’s take a little closer look at the back of the case as well…

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On the back of the Anubis there is a pair of grommets so you won’t have to take a Dremmel to this beautiful case if you wanted to water cool some of your components. There are also the usual 7 expansion slots which we see on all of the mid-tower sized cases.

Like we have seen with other manufacturers Hiper has left out the completely redundant rear I/O plate since it is next to impossible to design one with a one-size-fits-all mentality due to the shear variety of motherboards on the market. There is also the standard fan mount but Hiper has gone a very interesting route with the one on the back of the Anubis. Since they have not included a rear 120mm fan like so many other manufacturers are doing, they have provided mounting holes for 80mm, 92mm and 120mm fans.

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The back of the case also has an engraved production number on it which is the twin to the number etched on the keychain. All in all, it is pretty cool to see which number you have. I wonder who has #000001….

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The entire top of the Anubis is adorned with equally spaced fins which are definitely something unique to this case. The fins serve next to no practical use since the heat conducted by the aluminum of Hiper’s flagship case is quite minimal even with a pair of 8800GTS cards working for all they’re worth. It would be very interesting to see Hiper offer an optional package containing heatpipes to transfer heat from the processor or the graphics card to these fins. At least then they can to more than look pretty and they would also provide a pretty good passive cooling solution.

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Hiper has repositioned the I/O connectors which are usually found on the front of the case to the top of the Anubis. This keeps the front panel clear of clutter but also locates the power button and the reset button to an area which may not be suitable for some people. Everything here has a quality feel to it with all of the connectors situated in perfectly-cut openings and the buttons making a satisfying “click” noise whenever they are depressed.

With the two water cooling grommets on the rear of the Anubis, I was hoping to see space for a pair of 120mm fans in the top of the case to mount a dual-fan radiator. Unfortunately, Hiper has designed this case with a single lonely top fan mount which is populated with an anemic 120mm exhaust fan.

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The feet on this case are plastic with some aluminum finishes and are manually leveling just in case you will be installing it in a room which is not entirely level. There is no rubber protecting the undersides but this makes it easier to drag across a floor…which is what you will be doing considering its prodigious weight.

After our whirlwind tour of the outside of this impressive case there is hardly anything not to like. Yes, it would have been nice to have seen a pair of top-mounted fans or some practical use of the topmost fins. But make no mistake about it: the Hiper Anubis is one beautiful case. So much so, I think it is a work of art and very near the pinnacle of mid-tower case design.
 

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Interior Impressions

Interior Impressions

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After the side panels are flipped down, I was greeted with an absolutely stunning interior. The first thing I noticed was that even though the Anubis is quite an expensive case, it is without a removable motherboard tray. This is a pretty big no-no in my opinion since this has become a must for cases in this price category. I have to applaud Hiper for not finishing the entire interior a drab grey like we have seen so many times in the past from other manufacturers. Rather, the finish on the drive cage continues the exterior’s black finish to great effect. The motherboard tray and the rear panel are both finished in a bright silver finish which really catches the eye. All of the drives can be in installed through the use of thumb screws and we can also see that there is no cross-brace so installing a power supply should be done without a problem.

The area behind the motherboard tray does not hold much in the way of options for cable routing but there is a large gap between the main drive cage and the side panel. This area can easily be used to rout cables away from prying eyes.

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The power supply is held in place by an aluminum lip that has a small rubber stopper which is supposed to absorb any vibrations caused by the fan inside of your power supply.

The rear expansion slots pose a bit of an issue to me but I will get more into that during the installation section. Thumb screws are used to attach any cards you may have installed. You can also see in this picture the simple process used to identify where you should place your motherboard standoffs; each standoff location has a numerical location which is referenced through an easy to understand diagram punched into the aluminum of the motherboard tray.

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The 120mm top fan is supplied by Young Lin Tech which should operate at 1200 RPM while displacing 35 CFM of air. It does not have a 3-pin motherboard fan header but its proximity to the power supply ensures easy access to a needed Molex connector. Unfortunately, its location and the way it is installed make it extremely hard to replace with a better exhaust better fan.

Even though there is a rat’s nest of connectors stemming from the top I/O plate, there is no way of removing them if you want to take care of some of the cable clutter in the Anubis. Luckily, the I/O plate is right above the top floppy drive bay so all of these cables can be stuffed up there if need be.

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The hard drive rack can be easily accessed by removing 4 thumb screws (2 on each side of the drive) and then sliding it out through the front of the case. There is place for 4 vertically mounted hard drives which sit on rubber rails and are secured in place by yet more thumb screws. There is also the space for a front 120mm intake fan which uses the perforated front panel as a dust filter of sorts. Unfortunately, there is no real filter installed here so this fan could potentially cause some dust problems inside of the Anubis. Once again, the build quality here is top-notch.

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Interestingly, because all of the 5.25” drive bays are interchangeable, it is possible to locate the hard drive cage anywhere you want…except in place of that top floppy bay. Even though the Anubis has absolutely no problem accommodating even the longest graphics cards, this gives you an extra dimension of options when installing components into this case.

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Here is a closer look at the windowed side panel which is adorned with “Warranty Void if Removed” stickers. These stickers cover some of the screws which would need removal if you wanted to take out the clear acrylic panel. The latch system for attaching this side panel is built with longevity in mind with each latch consisting of a heavy-duty spring mechanism and metal clamps.


A little note about fans in the Hiper Anubis

Throughout our little interior and exterior introduction to the Hiper Anubis you have probably been wondering where all the fans have gone inside this case. “A case this expensive should come with a full complement of pre-installed 120mm fans, shouldn’t it?” is the first thing that popped into my head. Hiper may be thinking that you will want to add your own choice of fans into the case and decided that pre-installed fans were redundant. Well, they are wrong in that regard. As long as a manufacturer includes quality pre-installed fans that move respectable amounts of air while remaining silent, the consumer will most likely not replace them. Antec does this with their Tri Cool fans as do other manufacturers with their own units. Hiper has committed what can only be described as a sin against the consumer who shells out $220USD for the Anubis by not installing at least one more case fan.

On the bright side the single 120mm fan which is included moves so little air, I guess we should be happy that Hiper didn’t stick more of these things into the Anubis.
 

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Installation

Installation

Are you fed up with seeing case reviews that omit the most important step; that of actually installing components? Well, we here at Hardwarecanucks are drawing a line in the sand and all of our case reviews have a full installation done so we can get you all the gory details of sharp corners and bruised egos during the sometimes long and arduous installation process. In our opinions, a review of a case which doesn't cover the ease or lack thereof of installing components is like having a graphics card review without the game benchmarks.

That being said, you will notice this installation section is quite short when compared to some other cases we have reviewed in the past. This is because installing a system into the Hiper Anubis is nothing short of a dream come true. All of the directions are laid out on a single page instruction sheet and there were hardly any speed bumps encountered. To make a long story short, installing everything into the Anubis took less than 20 minutes with a bit of cable routing included. There was however some highlights which should be made.

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What you see above and to the left is the floppy drive cradle that slips into the top part of the front panel. While it is easy to take out, it proved to be a near impossibility to fit back into the front of the case. It must be lined up JUST right in order for it to slide back in.

Another minor design annoyance for me was the fact that of the two DVD drives we tried, (one Samsung and one Pioneer) neither of them would have their face plate sitting flush with the front panel of the Anubis. This is only a minor caveat but with an enclosure as sleek as the Anubis, this seems to be a bit of a design faux pas.

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The hard drives are a real joy to install since most of them slide right into the drive cage without any hassle. Notice I said “most”? Of the three types of drives I had on-hand, the Seagate Barracuda and the Western Digital Caviar had no problems with fitment while the lone Samsung Spinpoint 250GB drive nearly didn’t fit. The only way it could be installed into the cage was by pushing it with more force than I will comfortably put on a drive for fear of it being broken. When a hard drive was installed, the rubber rails within the cage proved very capable of absorbing any vibrations from the drive.

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Here is an area which I alluded to before and it presents a bit of an annoyance to me again and again. For some reason, Hiper has decided to go with break-off expansion slot covers. Basically once they come off, they will not be reinstalled short of some duct tape, epoxy or a few spot welds. I have to say this is a disappointment for a case which costs this much. The problem is that if you switch graphics cards from one with a dual slot cool to a single slot affair you will be left with a nice hole in the back of your case which is an open invitation to dust. Maybe there is some way for these expansion slot covers to be reinstalled but for the life of me, I couldn’t find a way.

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And here is the final product!! There is more then enough space to fit my 8800GTS card with plenty of room to spare if I wanted to install something longer like an 8800GTX or HD2900XT. You can also see that cable routing is pretty easy with a ton of nooks and crannies to hide all of the cables. Granted, we used a modular power supply which simplifies the whole process but I wanted to see how a longer than normal power supply fit. All in all, the installtion process was a breeze and the final result is no less stunning than the exterior of the case. Indeed, you can see here that the Anubis is massive for a mid-tower case.
 

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Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance

System Used:

AMD X2 3800+ @ 2.6Ghz
Arctic Cooling Freezer 64Pro
2GB Corsair XMS @ 520Mhz
DFI Lanparty SLI-DR Expert
EVGA 8800GTS (stock)
Samsung Spinpoint 250GB
Silverstone Decathlon 850W

Room Temperature: 24.2°C

With some recent additions to our testing equipment, we have now rationalized and added to our testing methodology when it comes to case reviews.

The room temperature is now kept at a constant 24.2°C (+/- 0.3°C) at the beginning of each test phase and allowed to rise as the tests are run. All of the tests are run with the side panel closed and with only the stock cooling fan(s) installed.

The Idle test was run with the computer running the Windows desktop over the course of 1 hour

The Load test was run using Orthos to stress the processor while the ATItool spinning box was used to stress the graphics card. This test was run for 1 hour as well.

All of the recorded temperatures are the maximum temperatures seen over each 1 hour test period.

In addition, the case was kept in its stock form without any additional fans installed

The following tools were used:

Rivatuner for GPU temperatures
Rivatuner for System temperatures (as reported by the motherboard temperature sensor)
Core Temp for the CPU temperatures
CompuNurse digital temperature probe for ambient temperatures installed in front of the 5.25” drive bays


Idle & Load Performance

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We already figured that the single 120mm top fan was insufficient and the numbers attest to this since my components hit some record high temperatures. The 600Mhz overclock on the processor was no longer stable after the 2 hour mark of the Orthos CPU test and our previously cooler running 8800GTS hovered around 80°C. It is a crying shame that Hiper has not included at least a single intake fan to get some air circulation going in this case. When it comes to a case of the Anubis’ finesse and poise, choice be damned when it comes to fans…just give me ONE MORE. Give me pair of asthmatic rats blowing into the case for all I care, at least it will be worth more than a lone, weak, top mounted fan.
 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

This may be Hiper’s first case but with the Anubis, they have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to case manufacturing and design. We have reviewed quite a few cases here on Hardwarecanucks and I am happy to say that the Anubis lies head and shoulders above anything that has passed through our greedy little hands. From the stunning design to the ease of installation to virtually every other aspect you can possibly think of the Anubis is pure enclosure nirvana. I have no doubt that the rolled and welded 6063 T5 alloy skeleton can actually hold its claimed 100kg of bone crushing weight to back up Hiper’s claim that this may be the toughest case on the planet. I can write about why I love this case until I wear my fingers down to the bone but words and pictures just cannot convey how good this case really is.

Finding some negative points is a bit of a chore but there are a few areas which aren’t really faults but rather should be picked as necessary additions to the Anubis. First and foremost is the need for an intake fan; the exclusion of a single (cheap) 120mm intake fan is next to unforgivable considering the price of this case. The only small oddity centers around the odd choice of break-off expansion slot covers that cannot be reinstalled.

Now we come to the subject that causes some people to gasp in awe because they see an almost stratospheric and slightly terrifying $220USD price slapped on the Anubis. For that money you get what I feel is one of the best designed and highest quality cases on the market which also happens to look just so darn sexy. When push comes to shove, I think the main question here is if I would pay the kind of money Hiper is asking for this case. Would I? The answer is a resounding YES. Just please start including some more case fans, will ya Hiper?

With too many qualities to mention and only some trivial faults, the Hiper Anubis gets the Hardwarecanucks Dam Good Award and a huge amount of respect to Hiper for building one hell of a case.

Pros

- Amazing build quality
- Plenty of interior space
- More than enough cable routing options
- Sleek design
- Easy installation process

Cons

- Price
- Only one pre-installed fan


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Special Thanks to the Hiper Group for sending us this sample

 
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