This is probably the first time in my career that I will be reviewing a PC case whose review will be for everyone but THOSE who actually agree to buy it. Because the Cougar Cratus is so unique in almost everything, it has such a narrow but demanding audience, that she probably won’t watch the review. She’ll just buy this case.
Market positioning
Because the Cougar Cratus, a flagship mid-tower open-top case, costs as much as I can build a mediocre gaming PC for with OLX hardware. On an ASUS RTX 3060, a 6-core AMD Ryzen with 16 gigs of RAM and an SSD on board. And all this plus or minus will fit into the price of a single case. The obvious question is why such a price?
Specifically, $550. And it was especially incomprehensible to me, because I had a VERY similar case, Blazer Essence, under review, and it cost three times less. The more you know about Cratus, the less you want to compare it with Blazer…. Or anything else for that matter.
Supply package
Let’s start with the packaging. The case comes in the best quality packaging I have ever seen. Plus there is a manual, which I recommend to study in detail, and additional accessories. For example, screws and a plate for mounting the video card vertically. This will help us in the future.
Cougar Cratus exterior
The first thing you notice in the design of this beauty is the metal tube bent all round as ribs of strength. The feeling specifically of this design conjures up an association with some strange bicycle a few thousand dollars that has unique everything, starting with the frame – but in it, somehow, you still recognise the bike.
And in addition to the curved elements we have three “handles” on the body in different places. And it helps so much when assembling that you can’t imagine! Because further I am talking about the weight of the case, and at one time I assembled a PC of almost similar weight – but there was just a box without handles, and it was so hard to carry and turn it that it is impossible to describe.
Other details also boast an industrial design. From the decorative elements, metal and perforated, to the curved glass on the front. The curved glass, I guarantee you, costs, on its own, like almost a quarter of the case. It is very difficult to produce, especially in this size and in small batches.
Technical specifications
In no particular order, I note other unique features of the Cratus. The components inside will be tilted by about 17 degrees, which the manufacturer claims will improve airflow. Logically, hot air is always drawn upwards.
This affects the fact that with the Full-Tower dimensions of the case itself, you’ll have as much space inside as a Mid-Tower. A simple comparison with the giant Fractal Design Define 7 XL. Cratus dimensions are 635×636×283 mm and weighs almost 15kg. The Define has 604×566×240 at 16+kg.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t fit anything inside, on the contrary. Motherboard compatibility here ranges from Mini ITX to E-ATX and CEB, the maximum length of a video card is up to 460 mm, the maximum height of a cooler is 190 mm, the maximum length of a power supply unit is 200 mm.
The latter will get much more fresh air because the casing is tilted. But there is a nuance – it will be installed OUTSIDE the casing, at the bottom. And will be deprived of any air filter. As, indeed, will all other components of the system. On the other hand, if you have purchased this enclosure, it is unlikely to stand on the carpet.
Peripherals and fans
Then there are the power and reboot buttons right in the RGB strip. The RGB stripe is incredibly cool, the number of USBs on the front is also impressive – no USB 2.0, just four 5-gigabit and one Type-C.
By the way, the backlight is able to synchronise with the motherboard by pressing the corresponding button for 5 seconds.
There are three fans as standard, but you can install up to 9 fans in total. Up to two on the front, up to three on the top, one on the back and up to three more on the side. As standard, two 120mm RGB models come standard on the front and one 120mm goes on the rear. Compatibility with 140mm turntables is also there, up to two on top and up to as many in front.
Plus – there is a separate pre-installed hub for fans, which contains six 3-pin plugs for fans and the same number of plugs for ARGB. On the one hand, if you want to have 9 fans in total – the hub won’t be enough. On the other hand – I don’t know if there are hubs for 9 positions for both turntables and RGB.
Storage devices and cable management
I note two slots for 3.5-inch drives and 3 slots for 2.5-inch models. PCIe slots are 7, plus up to 4 vertical slots. Which is cool, as very few Mid-Tower models have more than three vertical slots. However, I don’t recommend putting HDDs on 3.5-inch slots, because they interfere with the fans and have no vibration dampers. At all.
And cable management. On the one hand – we have a sufficiently large number of cable slack holes and even a magnetic plug on the side, which does not harm the RGB-hub, although it should. On the other hand – it is because of insufficient length of some cables that compatibility with heatsinks is not fully realised.
However, you need to remember that any Mid-Tower with a claim, even Define 7 or Cratus – they all require compromises. Want 3.5″ hard drives, for example? Forgo the side fans.
Disadvantages
The main issue I had with Cougar Cratus was and still is its compatibility with cooling systems. Yes, of course, mid-tower format gives its advantages, and the number of fan slots is incredible – that is, the airflow both thanks to them and natural convection will be almost the best in this class.
But there is no compatibility with 420mm water cooling systems, either top or side. And due to the tilt of the system, I’m not sure if the case is fully compatible with gravity coolers like the IceGiant ProSiphon Elite, as they require vertical positioning, and horizontally doesn’t really work.
Also – I haven’t rebuilt my PC in the case to show plus and minus how it looks – because, spoiler, in one Sunday exactly I’ll have a virtual build coming out in this case. And the components I’ve chosen are hardly the exact opposite of what I have now.
Conclusions
The main disadvantage – compatibility with cooling systems – is not crucial in the case of the hero of the review. It is in fact the only open-type mid-tower of its kind. The most unconventional and expressive among the flagships available in Ukraine.
I can’t compare it to the Define 7 XL, or the NZXT H9 Flow, or the Azza Pyramid because they are too different from a pragmatic standpoint. You don’t build a PC in this case just to run it. You’ll build it because you’re fed up with simple metal boxes and want something that will make even seasoned PC masters’ jaws drop.
And the financial audience of Cougar Cratus is obviously minuscule. But if you are a fan of this form-factor, have experience in PC building and wish to have a case not only unique but also functional – well, and have 20 thousand for a case, then I certainly recommend it to you. Otherwise – Blazer Essence or even Conquer 2 is at your service.
Video about Cougar Cratus
You can look at the beauty in dynamics here:
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