Metallicgear Neo Micro Aluminum Case Review

Case cooling is handled by a single 120mm fan which is included with the case and this is done mostly to keep costs down.  When you think about it you’ll be adding at least one more fan for your AIO watercooler leaving very little reason to add anything more.

Keep in mind this is a small(ish) form factor chassis and while an RTX 2080 Ti will fit inside I’m here to say that that if you are buying this case to hold such an expensive video card someone should kick your arse.

Case venting is handled by two sets of screened vents on either side of the front bezel.  You can view and clean these vents by popping the panel off and using a little compressed air.  Of course the question of cooling capacity will inevitably be brought up and I’m here to say that the venting is adequate for the amount of cooling this case supports, namely two 120mm intake fans. 

Keep in mind there is a 100% chance that you can overload the cooling capacity of this case (or any case for that matter) either by installing internally cooled video cards or failing to install an exhaust fan.

The Metalligear Neo Micro featured in this review is actually quite nice.  It features tempered glass side panels and block out graphics to hide things like your PSU and cable runs in your build.  The top and front panels are made from thick aluminum panels with a sand blasted finish.  To gain access to the front hard drive bays you'll need to remove the front panel to gain acces.  While the front easily pops away the top panel is quite solid and part of the chassis.  Inside the case you’ll find places to install up to three 120mm cooling fans, four storage drive locations and fully supports Micro ATX motherboards.

I found the case to be very well constructed and an extremely good canvas for modding.  The large panels are constructed such that if you wanted to open them up for increased cooling there is plenty of room to do so.  While the side vents will support whatever fans you plan to install there are some that will find adding "more" cooling will be necessary.   Other mods might include custom paint and the normal barrage of “go fast” stickers, random splashes of soda and RGB LED lighting. 

Like other cases that have left the Phanteks drawing board the Metallicgear Neo Micro supports all of the major RGB LED lighting systems including ASUS Aura, MSI Mystic Light and GIGABYTE RGB Fusion.  Of course you can use your own system and even install a DIY watercooler for even more coolness.

With the lack of top venting AIO radiators will be limited to 240mm up front and 120mm in the back.  The case comes with a single cooling fan so it might be a good thing to consider an AIO cooler with your build or install a second fan up front.

Thick Aluminum Panels
Dual Tempered Glass Side Panels
RGB Lighting Support Built-In
Inexpensive
Available in Two Colors

Externally accessible expansion slots
Limited radiator support