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The Okinos Air Cross seems to be their version of the Lian Li LanCool 207. This is not a complaint, just an observation. It would be one thing if it was just direct design stolen, same parts stamped in the same way just with a different logo slapped on. We've seen that with the GameKM Case we reviewed, where design looked straight up stolen. In this, it's different. Lian Li came up with a novel formula for organizing a case that worked really well, and Okinos has clearly taken their own, independent shot at that same idea.
As these are the first two cases with this overall design - that is, PSU in the front bottom of the case perpendicular to the standard orientation, with the traditional basement replaced with extra airflow specially chosen to make sure the GPU gets plenty of air and stays cool - this review will start with significant comparison between the two.
When compared to the LanCool 207, the Air Cross features a concave front panel instead of a convex one, a solid walnut basement front, and a gold colored power button integrated with the wood panel. The cable main management channel is a bit wider and more versatile, but the CPU routing is lesser and it's a bit harder to get a clean line for 12V CPU power. This case also features support for a variety of motherboards with back connect options, an option that was not available on the LanCool 207 and wouldn't have made sense at the time, being that back connect motherboards hadn't much it the market at the time of the release of the 207, but the Air Cross a year later could capitalize on that market.
That out of the way, let's start with the shipping. It ships in a sturdy but only single-thickness cardboard box. The padding styrofoam is on the cheaper end being brittle and cracking during shipping. It was adequate to get it to us here in Alaska without damage, but the box looks like it wasn't handled too roughly on the way. We've seen much more battered boxes arrive in the 49th state, and I wouldn't necessarily trust that this would be undamaged in that condition. We would rate the box and protection as "barely adequate".
That being said, the box itself is very promising. It's got an exploded diagram of the case itself and a full list of specs and features written out plainly. It's rare that we get such public, user-friendly and accessible information on product packaging in this market, so it's a very nice touch.
First impressions after taking it out of the case were very good. Of course the very first thing we're going to inspect would be the novel front wooden panel with the gold colored power button. The oak panel is a solid slab of walnut, and includes a veritable "certificate of authenticity" (found in the accessories box). I don't know why this is needed but it is a nice touch of detail.
Wood accents are in right now and this is a new way of going about it that we haven't experienced before. It's not integrated into the ventilation or frame, it's a solid slab bordering an extra large power button in an unusual location. Wouldn't necessarily call this a pro or a con, just an observation of their unique approach.
As far as panels are concerned, every removable panel on the case is toolless. The front glass and back metal side panels are held on with round rare-earth magnets and locking snaps. Pulled out with a easy access tap at the rear near the I/O. The ventillation at the face above the wooden panel has two push latches at the top; a simple push releases them and the panel lifts up and away, and when putting it back on another simple push locks it in place. The top panel is also secured with locking taps but this time it has no magnets. Likely the designers thought it was not needed given gravity will assist in keeping this panel in place.
When configured in standard form, the front two 140mm intake fans (pre-installed) and the bottom two 120mm GPU directed intake fans (also pre-installed) act as intake, and the rear 140mm exhaust fan (not pre-installed but instead in the accessories box) along with whatever extra fans may be part of your system's AIO or optional case fans will be on top for exhaust. It supports up to a 360mm radiator with 3 120mm fans, or up to a 280mm radiator with 2 140mm fans. This ensures it is maintains a positive pressure environment, even if minimally, which is good for keeping dust out of the system.
The accessories box is stored inside the case, mounted on top of the two GPU fans, and secured with a thick cable tie. It also serves on instructions installing the 140mm rear fan only after your radiator, if using a 360mm AIO.
Within it, you have the mentioned rear fan. You also have the FSC certification card for the walnut wooden panel. Also, there are silicon plugs for the front I/O - two USB-A plugs, one USB-C plug, and an Aux plug. This is a nice touch of extra of theirs. Since the front I/O is on the top, if it's not being used it can collect dust over time and this protects from that fate.
Additionally, there are two GPU support brackets. The brackets are fully adjustable on position and will work for any PCIe socket, but because of their positioning will not be able to support any GPU less than approximately 300mm in length, while the total length supported is 400mm.
Finally, there's a small selection of common things such as screws, cable ties, and extra clasps, plus the case manual. Overall, a good mix of necessary components and some extra luxuries.
Finally, if you turn the case over, you can see the bottom has a simple mesh dust filter with magnetic strips around the edges that can be lifted away anywhere. This provides both fresh airflow to the PSU as well as a little extra airflow to the GPU air fans. While those two fans can also draw plenty of air from the rear, front, and back, as there is more ventillation all around.
It's important to note that the while the front side panel is removable, the bottom dust filter is not easy to access as it doesn't have any handles to be pulled away or reinstalled, so the system must be powered off and turned over to remove it, only accessible from underneath the case itself.
The rear of the case features the power plug in the center. Again, an unusual choice and definitely one that we've not really seen before. Neither good nor bad, just interesting that they choose to do it this way. No clue what it could do, mechanically, regarding airflow through the basement, and none of the testing methodology we have access to showed any noticeable difference.
The rear PCIe slot covers are all removable and replaceable, and are covered by a hinged cover. This cover is unlocked with a single thumb screw and gives access to any PCIe devices, as well as helping secure those devices a bit more securely than just the screws.
The only complaint back here is the extra space for mounting the rear exhaust fan above, with the unused ~30mm of plain metal between the rear exhaust fan mount and the PCIe slot covers. Okinos could have easily extended this to allow a larger range of supported AIOs.
As it stands now, the rear panel only supports the included 140 mm fan with watercoolers less than 55mm in total thickness, fans and radiator included. This eliminates most of the highest performing AIOs, including the Lian Li Galahad II Performance and the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro (pictured here) from being officially supported, as part of why they achieve such quality cooling potential is their thicker radiators. Unless you were to get a separate 120mm rear exhaust fan or a thin 140mm fan, there would be no rear exhaust as you could not properly install the included fan.
Still, by forcing the rear 140 down a smidge it may not align with the screw holes in the lower points, but it does on the upper points. There's nothing but plain metal below, and it could easily have the cutouts extended to accomodate thicker radiators. We tested with the Arctic Liquid Freezer III as pictured and the rear 140mm exhaust fan mounts securely and without issues even if just by the top 2 screws, and it doesn't come close to interfering with any PCIe devices, even when installed into the very top slot.
Finally, let's look at the inside of the case.
With all the side panels removed it is roomy and comfortable to work in. The power extender to reach from the rear input to the front mounted PSU is great, plenty of length and flexible enough to support any PSU regardless of how the input is oriented. The inside of the case has good cable routing options for routing cables above, below, or to the front of the motherboard without anything being too obtrusive.
In the rear, above the power supply itself the main cable channel is easily usable and can accommodate all the cables that may need to be routed there, and plenty of extra room if you were to replace the included black case fans with RGB fans, mount a SATA drive, or other needs that could increase the cables needed.
The biggest downside is the CPU power routing. With so much of the back of the case, especially around the top, cutout to accommodate rear-connect motherboards, standard motherboards still have to route the CPU power connector to the top left. This means there is minimal mounting points to safely secure this cable without it directly contacting the back of the motherboard and risking a short. We would definitely advise investing in a CPU 12v power extender for this case.
Still. All that being said, Okinos has come a long way. From a budget unknown brand a few years ago, to a completely new design based on the ideas of an industry leader in a top performing airflow case.
Really, it's more than I expected from Okinos, and we're proud of them. With a few changes to the frame - namely extend the mounting for the rear exhaust fan and a slightly more thought out decisions regarding CPU power routing, this would be a 5 star review. As it stands, you're still getting a lot of case and more airflow than just about anything else on the market in this form factor
This was $90 at the time we purchased it for review, and it is currently listed at $95; either way it's a good buy under $100 for the performance and amenities you get. It's got a few nice luxuries and is representing the current wood accent trend, if that's what you're looking for, and you can read all about the more technical specs or order your own on Amazon here.
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