EVGA is getting into the chassis business. The graphics card maker is starting small—literally. Its first design is a Mini-ITX enclosure that measures just 6.6″ x 12″ x 12″. Dubbed the Hadron Air, this mini case is designed to accept enthusiast-grade hardware, including double-wide graphics cards up to 10.5″ long.
According to EVGA, the Hadron Air is “compatible with many aftermarket CPU air coolers.” The compatibility FAQ lacks specifics about which air coolers will fit, but compatibility may depend partly on the position of the socket relative to the boundaries of the motherboard. EVGA is pretty emphatic that the Hadron Air won’t work with water coolers, though. A Hadron Hydro model is coming for the liquid cooling crowd.
In the Hadron Air, cooling is provided by a pair of 120-mm fans in the top panel. There’s also at least one tiny fan associated with the power supply that lives in the bottom of the chassis.
Although the PSU keeps a low profile, it’s not short on power. The 500W unit can pump out up to 480W on the 12V rail alone. 80 Plus Gold certification suggests the PSU is pretty power-efficient, too. That 80 Plus designation mandates an efficiency no lower than 87%.
I think I can just see the Hadron’s drive cage through the windowed left panel. The dual-bay cage accepts 2.5 and 3.5″ drives. You can also squeeze a slot-loading optical drive behind the front bezel. The loading slot peers out the right side of the bezel along with pairs of USB 3.0 and analog audio ports.
EVGA’s online store has the Hadron Air priced at $190 with a September 11 ship date. That may sound expensive, but keep in mind that the PSU is included. 500W units with equivalent 80 Plus Gold ratings run at least $80 at Newegg. Speaking of which, this low-profile Seasonic model has nearly identical specifications to the Hadron’s PSU. Hmmm.