Inter-Tech Elektronik Handels GmbH is a company based in Germany and was founded in 1996. Since then the main focus is on a Europe-wide distribution of OEM and retail hardware for PC systems. Originally, the portfolio mainly consisted of PC cases and power supplies. But in the meantime it has been extended by numerous divisions (fans, peripherals, hard disk enclosures, etc.). In October 2020, Inter-Tech introduced numerous new cases for the narrow wallet. These include the IT-8816 POLLUX.
Behind this cryptic name is a very simple midi tower with a focus on low price and solid hardware compatibility. As an additional feature, there is also a USB 3.0 type-C connection in the front and space for up to three external 5.25″ drives. How the Inter-Tech IT-8816 POLLUX performs, you can read in this review.
Technical Details
| Model: | Inter-Tech IT-8816 POLLUX |
| Case type: | ATX |
| Dimensions: | 187 mm (W) x 420 mm (H) x 450 mm (D) |
| Weight: | 3.88 kg |
| Material: | steel, plastic |
| Color: | black |
| Front connectors: | 1x USB 3.0 type-C, 1x USB 3.0 type-A, 1x headphone, 1x microphone |
| Drive bays: | 3x 5.25″ (external) 1x 3,5″ (external) 5x 3,5″ (internal) 2x 2,5″ (internal) |
| Extension slots: | 7x horizontal |
| Form factors: | ATX, mATX, Mini-ITX |
| Ventilation: | front: 1x 120 mm Back: 1x 120 mm |
| Radiators: | back side: 1x 120 mm |
| Max. CPU cooler height: | 160 mm |
| Max. graphic card length: | 390 mm |
| Max. power supply unit length: | 170 mm |
| Place for cable management: | 10 mm |
| Price: | € 10.99 * |
Scope of delivery
The packaging of the IT-8816 POLLUX corresponds to the estimated purchase price. The box is plain brown and has been printed with a schematic drawing of the case and numerous technical data. Inside the box, the IT-8816 is wrapped in normal polystyrene and a thin plastic film. Due to the low weight of the tower this should be sufficient to prevent damage. The supplied accessories are in a plastic bag and were fixed inside with a cable tie. All necessary screws to install the components and a mainboard speaker are included. An assembly instruction is unfortunately not enclosed with the case.
Outside impression
Externally, the Inter-Tech IT-8816 reminds one of a simple midi tower as it was frequently used 10 years ago. The black front panel is completely made of plastic and has a very discreet design. Compared to many other midi towers, however, there is room for up to three external 5.25″ drives and one external 3.5″ drive. To loosen up the design a bit, there are also two small strips on the side in carbon-look. If you pull off the front, you can still see a mounting place for a 120 millimeter fan behind it. The recessed grip of the front panel is also the only possibility for fresh air.
The I/O panel of the IT-8816 is classically located in the upper part of the front. There are two buttons for power and reset, two sockets for connecting a microphone or headphones and two USB ports. This is the first special feature in this price class. One of these connectors is type C, but terminates inside at the same connector as the USB 3.0 type A port. A look at the cover area does not reveal any special features. It is completely closed and offers no possibility to mount radiators or fans.
Both sides of the IT-8816 POLLUX are made of steel and unfortunately only offer borderline stability. The right side part is completely closed. The left sidepanel has a ventilation opening through which the graphics card or the CPU cooler can get fresh air into the interior. The elements are fastened with simple knurled screws. Unfortunately there is no pull-out aid on both sides.
The bottom and rear sides of the IT-8816 reveal even more savings measures. The steel body was not painted black. The bottom of the tower is completely closed and has simple plastic feet. The rear side also has a layout that is rather untypical by today’s standards. So the power supply is mounted on top in this case. Underneath there is space for an ATX mainboard, a 120 millimeter fan and room for up to seven expansion cards.
As mentioned in the beginning, the Inter-Tech IT-8816 reminds us of a case that would have been modern 10 years ago. The low purchase price is noticeable in the workmanship as well as in the look. The use of thin steel and the abandonment of a completely black paint finish make this midi tower look rather old-fashioned.
Inside impression
As mentioned in the previous chapter, Inter-Tech uses the classic, but now outdated, ATX layout for the IT-8816. So the right side panel can be removed, but behind the mainboard tray there is neither much space nor are there any other features worth mentioning. Therefore we quickly take a look at the front.
In the right front area there is a large cage for various drives. Three external 5.25″ drives can be mounted on top and one external 3.5″ drive below. The mounting is done with normal screws. The lower part of the cage allows the installation of up to five 3.5″ hard drives. There is also space for two 2.5″ SSDs. The HDD cage has a modular design in the middle. So the rear side can be removed to create space for a long graphics card. Cooling of the HDDs can be ensured by an optional 120 millimeter fan in the lower area.
According to the layout there is no division between the power supply and the other components. Under the power supply built into the lid there is space for a normal sized ATX mainboard and up to seven expansion cards. The corresponding PCI slot covers have to be broken out and are therefore not reusable.
There is actually not much more to say about the interior. It is also unpainted and has some thin material in places. At least there are no sharp edges where you could cut yourself.
System construction at Inter-Tech IT-8816 POLLUX
Now we come to the system installation. As hardware we use an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 on a MSI B350 PC Mate with 16GB Crucial Ballistix Sport LT grey DDR4-2666. The Ryzen is cooled by an EKL Alpenföhn Matterhorn Pure and is overclocked to 3.8 GHz (1.25V). For the image output a GTX 1060 6GB from Gigabyte AORUS is responsible. The power supply is handled by the fully modular LC-Power LC550 V2.31 Platinum with an efficiency level of 80 Plus Platinum.
Due to the layout of the IT-8816, the components should definitely be installed in the correct order. If you plan the installation of a large CPU cooler, there is not enough space for the power supply if the mainboard including the cooler is installed first. Fortunately the mainboard has a cutout for CPU cooler backplates. But if you follow the order, the installation of the components is finished quite fast. Only when installing a longer graphics card you have to play a bit of Tetris. But the removable cover in the HDD cage is very useful in this case. But the IT-8816 is definitely not a space miracle.
A little trickier with the Inter-Tech IT-8816 is the cabling. The manufacturer has almost completely eliminated cable management openings in the layout. There is an opening at the height of the power supply unit, but it is relatively small and the space behind the mainboard tray doesn’t allow for thicker cable bundles. We tried hard, but the end result is not as tidy as a tower with a modern layout and more cable management options.
The space for hardware is fine. Officially, CPU coolers up to 160 millimeters high and graphics cards up to 390 millimeters long are supported. Depending on how deep the GPU is, however, cabling could be difficult if the power connections are on the side. The installation of a water cooling system is not an issue in the IT-8816. Only a 120 millimeter all-in-one water cooling system could be installed in the rear.
Finally, we come to the temperatures reached in the Inter-Tech IT-8816 POLLUX. During the load test, Prime95 and FurMark were run at a room temperature of 20°C for 15 minutes. In addition, the test was carried out with two different fan constellations (series, 2x 120 millimeter fans) and in the third scenario completely without front panel.
Scenario |
Temperature |
| CPU: 50% PWM (1050 rpm) GPU: 50% PWM (1650 rpm) no fan (standard equipment) |
CPU: 89 °C GPU: 78 °C |
| CPU: 50% (1050 rpm) GPU: 50% PWM (1650 rpm) 2x Arctic P12 to 50% PWM (1050 rpm) |
CPU: 78 °C GPU: 68 °C |
Without a fan, the Inter-Tech IT-8816 is expected to get quite warm. However, very critical temperatures can be prevented by the ventilation openings in the side panel. If, on the other hand, the two free fan slots are equipped with a 120 millimeter fan, the temperatures for CPU and GPU drop by almost 10 degrees. This still achieves top values, but there is no need to fear a heat death of the components.
Conclusion on the Inter-Tech IT-8816 POLLUX
Let us now come to the conclusion of the review. To give a rating for the IT-8816 POLLUX is a bit difficult. The simple design, the possibilities to mount several external drives and the, for this price range, rather untypical USB 3.0 type-C connection in the front speak for this midi tower. The cooling of the components is sufficient, but is most likely at the expense of the power supply mounted above.
But with the exception of the last feature, one could think that Inter-Tech brought the IT-8816 to market about ten years too late. According to the price, the chosen material thickness is quite thin in places. In addition, the use of the old-fashioned ATX layout results in quite limited space and the complete renunciation of a black varnish on the steel makes this midi tower look quite old-fashioned.
The Inter-Tech IT-8816 can accommodate the hardware of an entry-level gaming PC and also cool it sufficiently, but optically you should not put any value on the system. Here you can get even from our own company optically more appealing cases at a similar price. Only if the budget is low and you absolutely need a USB 3.0 type-C port and several external drives, you could take another look at this midi tower.
Inter-Tech IT-8816
Workmanship
Structure
Features
Cooling
Value for money
71/100
Although the Inter-Tech IT8816 offers space for external drives and a USB 3.0 type-C connection, it is not possible to install a USB 3.0 type-C port. But apart from that it reminds of a case from 10 years ago.
