If you’ve heard of iBuyPower, you know that the company builds solid gaming PCs, but it also makes some nice cases. Very rarely will the company sell these cases to the public without a system installed in them, and it just so happens that I have one of these unicorns on the test bench today.
The case in question is the Revolt 3 and is sold under the company’s new lifestyle brand, Hyte. I’m not sure what I think of the new name, but I was excited to get some hands-on time with the Revolt 3 – and it’s been a long time since its announcement in January. So without further ado, let’s see if it’s any good or deserves a spot on our best PC cases list.
Specifications:
| Type | Mini ITX |
| Motherboard support | Mini ITX |
| Dimensions (HxWxD) | 16.1 x 7.0 x 9.9 in (409 x 178 x 253 mm) |
| Maximum GPU Length | 13.2 inches (335mm) |
| CPU Cooler Height | 5.5 inches (140mm) |
| Maximum PSU Size | SFX-L |
| External coves | |
| Internal Bays | 1x 3.5 inch |
| 2x 2.5″ | |
| Expansion Slots | 3x |
| Front I/O | 2x USB 3.2 Gen1, USB-C |
| Microphone/Headphone Combination | |
| Other | |
| Front fans | |
| behind fans | Up to 2x 140mm |
| top fans | |
| bottom fans | |
| side fans | |
| RGB | New |
| damping | New |
In its clean base variant, the Revolt 3 costs just $129, which is great value for money. Add a 700W SFX 80+ Gold PSU to the mix and the price jumps to $249, which is still excellent value. But to entice buyers to the more expensive of the two models, iBuyPower 230 Special Edition Revolt 3 kits are throwing out the door — if you’re quick and order the version with the power supply, there’s a chance you’ll get a unit delivered right before your door. in flight case and with extra copper-coloured front filter. But, like Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, you won’t know until the package arrives and you unpack it whether you have a Special Edition or just the regular Revolt 3 and an SFX PSU.
Functions
If you circle around the chassis you’ll find it’s remarkably simple with just a simple, rectangular design. The panels are all painted steel, so we’re not looking at a premium aluminum finish case here, but the paintwork is very nicely done – this might only be a $129 case, but it sure looks more chic than the last. price you would think.
One of the highlights of the case are two headphone holders, one on each side, with a push-in push-out mechanism. And there’s a handle on the top that also pushes down to sit flush with the chassis when not in use – a really nice touch.
The Revolt 3’s front IO keeps things simple, with two USB 3.0 ports, a USB Type-C port (which connects to the motherboard’s rear IO with a Type-C port instead of an internal header ) and a microphone/headphone combo jack – an adapter to split the signal is included in the accessories box.
The main IO of the case is placed on the bottom, with a cutout on the back, and the power cable for the PSU is looped through internally – although it’s funny to see an on/off switch on this extender.
The inside and cooling of the Revolt 3
Removing all the panels from the Revolt 3 is a breeze, as the rear, side and front panels all come out with a yank – although you’ll need to remove the side panels before you can grab the front panel. The top panel is secured with four screws, but there isn’t really any reason you would want to remove it.
Opened up, you’ll see there’s room on the underside for an ITX motherboard, with the IO facing down, and the GPU then slides right into the PCI-Express chapter without the need for an expansion cable – that’s an easy way to ensure PCIe 4.0 support.
The best way to cool the Revolt 3 is to use a large (up to 280mm) all-in-one liquid cooler, which mounts to a bracket that, once detached, swings out on a hinge.
If you opt for the variant with the included 700W SFX-L 80 Plus Gold power supply, it comes pre-installed and all cables pre-routed to the correct locations. This is even a strong reason to choose this version. The cables are also all just the right length and there are exactly as many connectors as there are devices to fit in the chassis.
For storage, place up to one 3.5-inch drive next to the power supply, along with two more 2.5-inch drives on the side of the case, in the front.
Now that all that is out of the way, let’s move on to building a system on the next page.