PC Components

Kolink Observatory Review: Showcase Housing Almost for Free?

With the Observatory and the Stronghold, Kolink has announced two low-budget housings (we reported), which will also appeal to enthusiasts. The Observatory offers a lot of glass as well as bling and bling for the small purse. We will tell you in our test whether the case is suitable or only usable as a transition case.

Design

Narrow, compact design combined with a lot of display space. This is what the Kolink Observatory offers with its generous front and glass side panel. Of course, the four pre-installed RGB fans are an eye-catcher, no question, otherwise it is a box with glass elements and fans. Simplicity should also have its charm. At the front there are air inlets on the sides for cooling, if these really bring something – good question, more later.

In the interior, however, there is not so much space. Yes, there are already four pre-assembled fans and there is enough space for an E-ATX mainboard. A 240 mm radiator would also find its place in the front and on the lid. But there is not so much space available for hard disks. Two data carriers can be installed. Either use the space for two 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch HDDs and SSDs, or a combination of both, and you’re done.

The highlight of the case are the RGB fans. These can be controlled with the supplied remote control – at least the colour setting. There are different color modes, such as rainbow, in which the fans alternately glow in the color of a rainbow. Of course, you can also simply set a constant color and brightness.

Scope of Delivery and Workmanship

The workmanship is fine. The glass parts are perfectly sealed with the housing so that no edges are created. The varnish on the right side part is “pimply”, i.e. not cleanly applied. This is not only noticeable, but can even be seen on closer inspection. Unfortunately the unevenness of the varnish is not to be recognized on the pictures. The two dust filters are easy to remove and are well processed.

The scope of delivery is typical. A package with screws and a few cable ties is of course always included, even if we missed the screws for the 2.5 inch data carriers. Of course there is the fan control and a remote control to adjust the LEDs.

Technical Data

Housing type Midi Tower
Dimensions (W x H x D) 201 x 435 x 435 mm
Net Weight approx. 6.8 kg
Color Exterior & Interior : Black
Material Steel, tempered glass
Optical drives
– In cage
2x 2.5/3.5 inch
Fan, pre-installed back:
1x 120 mm RGB fan
Front:
3x 120 mm RGB Fan
Extension slots 7
Motherboards Mini ITX, Micro ATX, ATX, E-ATX
I/O Connections 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, HD audio
Power supply unit Standard ATX PSU (optional)
Fan support Front:
3x 120 mm
Lid:
2x 120 mm
Back side:
1x 120 mm
Radiator Support Front:
max. 240 mm
Lid:
max. 240 mm
Clearance cooler height CPU:
up to 160 mm
Graphics card length:
380 mm

Inside Construction of the Kolink Observatory

The internal structure of the Observatory is kept simple. The hardware is installed in the rear area, the fans are in the front area and there is also the possibility to install the radiator. The power supply unit is separated in the same way as the area for the data carriers. There isn’t much space between the mainboard tray and the side panel, you can just pull the cables through there. A few centimeters more and you could have used more media.

The area of the power supply could also have been more generous. If you don’t have a modular power supply, you already have trouble and need to accommodate all cables. In addition, we can only install a total of two data carriers. So you should worry about your data if you have more than two hard disks or SSDs installed at the moment.

In addition to the mainboard, there are inlets for cable management. The openings are not protected by rubber rings, so the cables simply lie on the sheet steel. There is also no guide for the cables, only fastenings for the cable ties – somewhere you have to save money.

In the test system is a Ryzen 5 1400* and a Gigabyte GTX 1060 with 6GB from Aorus*. The MSI B360 PC Mate Mainboard* has 16 GB RAM from Ballistix* plugged in. When installing the graphics card, we more than bent the PCIe slot bezel of the case. The slot bezels are still firmly connected to the housing when delivered and must still be removed. Only with a lot of power and the corresponding bending of the slot could we finally install the graphics card.

Conclusion on the Kolink Observatory

With the Kolink Observatory you get a case to look at, but you shouldn’t take a closer look. As already suspected, the number of features and the price are reflected in the quality. Thus the workmanship is not to fullest satisfaction, since the lacquer was not applied for example well. Furthermore, the PCIe slot bezels could not simply be removed, so we bent the bracket a bit.

But you have to keep Kolink in good mind that for about 70 € you get a case with a front and a side part made of glass. Likewise, four RGB fans are pre-installed, which can be controlled via a supplied controller and a remote control. For the money definitely a reason to buy, if one can refrain from the other shortcomings.

We can only give a limited purchase recommendation, especially in terms of quality Kolink could put a scoop on it.

Kolink Observatory

Workmanship
Design
Features
Damping
Cooling
Value for Money

The RGB fans with the included controller and remote control in connection with the glass elements make a lot of difference. We can't say that about the workmanship.

Simon Lüthje

I am co-founder of this blog and am very interested in everything that has to do with technology, but I also like to play games. I was born in Hamburg, but now I live in Bad Segeberg.

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