HBT+ Turbine 700 Case Review

Building a custom computer can be a challenging task with component selection being the most frustrating.  For instance, choosing the right motherboard to match your processor might seem easy but often hardware availability and cost play a deciding factor.  The same is true when choosing a computer case.  As a casemodders I know that the internals of a case were rarely a concern since a Dremel and Drill resolved them rather quickly.  However, when casemodding went mainstream so did case designs and what was once a simple choice of beige or beige became a long search for the perfect combo of color choices, noise level, compatibility and layout.

In this review we looked at the HBT+ (HonBonTec) Turbine 700 Mid-Tower case.  The case features a very prominent and unique style in the form of large louvers to aid in case venting and curb appeal.  These vents can either be intake or exhaust depending on your fan configuration and have a good amount of airspace behind them to limit fan induced noise.  Beyond the louvered shape you will find a single external 5.25” drive bay, four USB ports and analog connections for headphone and mic. Inside is a good number of hard drive locations including two hidden below the external 5.25" drive bay and even more under the power supply cover.

The Turbine comes with three 120mm case fans but can be expanded to support up to six 140mm fans as needed.  Fan placements have been optimized for watercooling radiators but favors AIO coolers due to the interior separation and front fan locations.  I did note that the front two fans are best served for case venting due to the bottom most fan being split between the lower hard drive rack and upper motherboard location.

A unique feature of the HBT+ Turbine 700 is that the interior is divided into two physical sections.  The front holds the electronics including motherboard, video card and cooling while the back allows access to power supply, cable management and storage.  Not only does this help in case cooling but also gives the aspiring modder a much larger canvas to work from. 

Overall I really like the Turbine.  The outward style does take a little getting used to given that the louvers appear to be facing the wrong direction however, the intended style is to show you the venting which doesn't work if they are facing the other direction.  I really like the two-sided design but would have liked to see a better separation at the front that didn't split the incoming airflow.  Visually the current design works and does open up a plethora of modding opportunities. 

I did note a few annoyances.  First there is no reset button meaning you'll be stuck powering the system off by holding the power button.  I might be alone in my thinking but, full sized PCs need to have a reset button.  Second, the front fan filter cannot be removed without removing the front panel.  The process is easy enough however the panel is stuck on very well and the pinched parts under the louvers doesn't offer much support.

Traditional Case Design
Large Intake Vents
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