HBT+ Shield 700 Case Review

As I mentioned before the HBT+ Shield is a restyled version of the HBT+ Turbine that I reviewed a few weeks ago.  Shield is designed to be a conservative case with more traditional external styling while still retaining the dual sided interior.  If I was to judge I do like the appearance of the Shield much better however, the wild design of the Turbine will garner more attention so keep that in mind if you are looking for a good chassis to build a mod from.

Shield also was designed with the intent that it could operate “quietly”.  The indirect air intakes force the sound waves change direction and help to kill off some of the higher pitched frequencies.  Likewise the thick aluminum door will cover your external drive bays shields you from a high rpm Blu-ray disk.  In reality these are purely academic partially because the case contains no sound absorption foam and plastic is not a very good sound insulator.

Along with the unique sliding door the HBT+ Shield painted with a very special textured paint that is unlike most cases you can buy.  The surface is not only very smooth but also feels soft to the touch and is much like the radar absorption material that covers the stealth fighter, albeit a little more durable.

From a case modding standpoint I really like the dual sided nature of the Shield.  It makes planning your build much easier since you no longer have to worry about hiding your power supply or routing SATA cables and power wires.  Simply route them through the motherboard tray and you’re done.  The side window comes shaded from the factory giving you a little more freedom in how you place lights and route watercooling lines.    In terms of overall design the Shield is very traditional and follows many of the conventions common with modern computers.  The panels hide all of the internal fans and with the door closed you can hide the fact that you prefer proper 1080p video over steaming movies from the internet.

Traditional Case Design
Dual Texture Panels
Good Construction
Thick Frame Material
Lots of Support for Watercooling
Ample Cable Routing Options
Dual Sided Case Design
PSU Cover

Not many locations for mounting pumps and reservoirs
No reset button
Cleaning front filter requires panel removal