Seasonic SYNCRO Q704 Case, 2021 iF and Red Dot Design Award Winner, Cable Management Design to Create Quality & Clean Look, Use with SYNCRO PSU Highly Recommended

Pros: This is an interesting concept. Seasonic has designed a case around a proprietary PSU format with the end goal to reduce cable clutter, improve thermals, and simplify the build process. It reminds me a bit of the long ago doomed attempts of a BTX form factor that never caught on. Although this case does go with the similar upside-down oriented motherboard layout, it is, in the end, an ATX mid tower. What's so special about this case? Its all about the proprietary Seasonic SYNCRO PSU with this case. Just to be clear, this case CAN use any standard PSU but you miss out on some of its unique advantages by doing so. My review did use the 650W version of the SYNCRO PSU made for this case. For my review, I simply swapped all components from my current micro-ATX tower to the Q704. Theres not too much to mention about the build, just follow the instructions. Currently, Im running a Coffee Lake i7 overclocked at 5GHz and an RTX 3070. I really like my old case which has the very common front mesh plus fans setup, but it is a bit cramped for the amount of power it contains. Prior to the tear-down, I tortured it by running FurMark and Prime95 simultaneously and logged the temperatures for an hour. After the swap, I tortured the system again in the Q704. Of course, a larger case will have better thermals, and it did. I was seeing 8 °C cooler CPU and 14 °C cooler GPU max temperatures during the testing. For my situation, it was quite an improvement.

Cons: Although this case is well designed, I do have a few nits to pick for prospective buyers. No eggs subtracted though. First, I did have an issue with the fan control software for my motherboard (ASUS) tuning the front fans. The three front fan cables are combined using an adapter so they can be plugged into a single PWM motherboard header. While running the fan control software to tune the fan speed profiles, the front fans resulted in only 100% full speed as an option and very loud. Changing the PWM header used did not solve the problem. I resolved the problem by plugging only one of the front fans into the header without the adapter, running the tuning software, then switching back to running all three fans from the same header using the adapter. Another small issue I encountered was with the 3.5 HDD bays. The two bays install the hard drives in such a way that right-angle SATA connectors cannot be used. This isnt an issue if you have straight connectors, but my particular motherboard came with SATA cables with one end straight and the other right-angle. They could not be used on the hard drives and they also could not be used on the motherboard end. I resolved the problem by diving into my spare parts bin for cables with straight SATA cable connectors on both ends.

Overall Review: Although you can opt out of using the proprietary PSU with this case, I recommend splurging for one of the Seasonic SYNCRO units. Kudos to Seasonic for thinking outside the box and trying to buck the trend. The case exudes high quality. There are no sharp edges or burrs to contend with and the powder coating is flawless. If it matters to you, there isnt an LED for HDD activity on this case. Beware, it is a heavy case. Build tip: remove the top panel port dust covers during the build process. They kept popping out unnoticed while handling the case during the build and they are hard to find.

Pros: The case is very well packed and secured with big Styrofoam blocks from the vendor; in fact, once the build is 100% finished, I am considering shipping it in the very same box it came in. Lets deal with the elephant in the room right up front the upside down, left-side arrangement of the motherboard and side panels. Frankly, if youve ever longed for a tower sitting on your LEFT, your ship just came in! I have no way to test the touted thermal improvements, but those big GPUs look weird no matter where they end up. Cable management is better, especially with the (intended) companion proprietary Seasonic PSU and cable module, but the M.2 form factor has already stolen that game. Magnetic side door: Some reviewers seem a little unsure of the magnetic side (tempered glass) door. Not me, I love it! The magnetic hold is strong and secure, and the sealing strips are not only functional, they make the whole open-close thing a real treat for the senses. Well done, indeed! Kudos to Seasonic for thinking outside the box; its time to see something different in cases, and overall this is a quality case.

Cons: If a case is designed to hold 140mm fans, why include four 120mm fans? They look stupid, and cheap. Keep the white gloves, send 140mm fans. And while nitpicking, as an old geek, I still find one, on-board DVD drive ESSENTIAL; Ill never get used to not having one. I realize that big, honking 5.25 drive bay kills the aesthetics, but we build and love towers for reasons. This aint a laptop case, so lets quit acting like we want it to be a laptop. Final word on size this may be called a mid-tower, but it is hulking big, heavy, and especially wide at 9-1/4. Not a bad thing for most of us older nerds, but just beware. BTW, the size and metal absorb the fan noise, especially with liquid cooling! A very nice trade off. Screw pack and accessories: Although the white gloves might be a little over the top fluff, the plastic accessory/screw box is especially nice, thoughtful and downright functional. Very nice touch Seasonic! Screws: Some reviewers have commented about several sloppy, loose, & binding screw threads, especially on the right side (back) panel. Count me in that group! What a small thing to be so annoying, but somehow both the DOOR and the CASE have been predrilled to receive both the thumb screws, leaving the whole mess jiggling and loose. Lets not leave this matter of screws without mentioning that the remarkably well-designed and fitted proprietary PSU cable management module is ALSO held on (barely) by the same, teensy tiny five countersunk screws that will have to withstand all the plugging and pulling of numerous PSU cables . . . not to mention that there were NOT five of them holding the cable management cover on in the first place, so I had to use one that would have gone back on the metal tab to secure the side door for traveling. Probably a quality control weakness, coupled with poor design selections (screw size and type), but really noticeable on such an otherwise top of the line case. How strongly do I feel about this whole screw issue? One egg worth, and in all the user reviews Ive written over many years, Ive never removed an egg for SCREWS!

Overall Review: If it matters, Newegg provided me this case, PSU and cable module to review. I tried very hard to not let this affect my rating or comments.

Pros: Very Solid, heavy feeling case with great interior room and airflow, and this case is BIG. Case comes boxed very well and protected. UPS couldn't bend it, and they tried. Case comes packed with accessories in their own box and even include white gloves. Very modern styling with a reverse motherboard mounting, so this case is not for the true amateur builder. A true good build will take more time than normal. Putting the video card at the top helps get rid of heat better Clean Cable routing is very easy with this case design and included proprietary PSU Included non-RGB fans (4) are of excellent qualtiy Review item that I was given came with the matching Seasonic Syncro DPC-850 PSU Syncro DPC-850 is Platinum rated and heavy duty, but not as big as comparable power supplies . The CONNECT module that comes with this PSU makes for a very neat build. Case comes with a 2 year warranty and the Syncro PSU comes with a 10 year warranty.

Cons: Fans are only 120mm instead of 140mm. In this size case, the 120mm fans are too small. Front 3 fans come wired on a common connector. USB connections and Audio connections could be placed more conveniently than they are, as their currently placement (straight up) means debris could enter the slots) Reverse ATX mounting means some of your components may not work, or logos will not orient correctly, making component research for your build critical. Tempered Glass side panel is hinged and held closed with magnets. I would have preferred screws for this but the magnets seem to work (nitpicky on my part yes) Optimal build quality depends on the use of the matching Season Syncro PSU, though ANY PSU will work in the case. SATA cabling for the 3.5" HD bays is such that right angle cables cannot be used. NO HDD LED (what gives here people, why is so hard to include one?) NO CD/DVD exterior mounting bays. Typical anymore but I still like having them. SYNCRO PSU really only outputs 12Volts. The CONNECT modules converts the 12V output of the PSU into 3.3 volts and 5 Volts, making it Proprietary for this case only. Use of all premium parts and large GPU and a good sized water cooler will make this near a 40 pound build (like I said, heavy duty).

Overall Review: This is a very well built, and heavy duty case. A lot of thought went into it's design and being able to work better with a proprietary Syncro PSU. This case/PSU combo makes for a very dramatic build that you will be proud to show off to anyone. Though I don't like the placement of some things like the exterior case mounted USB ports, the build is very good. Perhaps they can fix this in a further refinement of the case. If you don't fnd that you have enough airflow in this case, then something is wrong, as having room for 7 140mm fans is almost unheard of. Using the quietest fans I could find and a good water cooling unit, you literally cannot hear this thing being on. The density of the metal in the construction just absorbs the noise. I am very happy with the way this build turned out. With the cost of the components, and even with NewEgg supplying the case and PSU for review, the build was expensive (mainly due to the ridiculous cost now of GPU's), but no matter, this is one beautiful case. Well done Seasonic, well done.

Pros: This is a preparatory design and then its not. The case is set up so any Standard ATX power supply will work, and it has great cable routing with an included box to secure you cables where the module would normally go if you choose to not use the Syncro PSU. Or you can use Seasonics Syncro design Power supply which has a modular cabling design that is completely new to the industry. This is an upside down ATX Case with an aluminum body, tempered glass and it opens on the left not the right. So, if you need a case to sit on your desk on your left side then this is your case. The build quality? Well its stiff, not quite has strong as the old Antec cases where you could stand on them, but its strong. Very little flex. The finish is a strong powder coating or maybe anodized, the fit is good and everything goes together like its designed. You also get four enterprise grade fans. And these are some nice fans. If you get the Seasonic Syncro power supply you get the Syncro connect module too. The inverted ATX case is a pretty nice feature it keeps the GPU heat away from the CPU. It also has very large magnetic filters for easy cleaning. The case also comes with some nice accessories, badges and Velcro straps

Cons: The power supply is proprietary and will it is questionable whether it will work in other cases. There are some videos out that show using stickers and magnets to put the connect module in standard ATX cases. The white gloves are a nice touch but pretty useless. There was an issue with plugging the fans directly into the module, instead of using the three way splitter. Not sure why. I wanted them to run off the board anyway.

Overall Review: I really like this case and power supply set up. It has a few small announces but the quality and build are superb. Im not a fan of preparatory hardware but I get the objective and appreciate the cable management. I dont think we will be seeing any Mini or ITX cases in this line up. Its kind of a one size deal. Because of the inverted design it may be optimal for a custom water-cooling loop leaving more room for radiators in the top and front. I just watched a video on how to install the modular in a standard ATX case using magnets over the standard cable routing holes. So I guess the Power supply can be used in some cases besides the Syncro

Pros: 1. Reverse-ATX Design: The motherboard mounts in the case upside down (CPU at the bottom, PCIe slots at the top). The motherboard mounts on the left (not the right) side of the case. The Tempered Glass Side Panel is on the right (not the left) side of the case. Seasonic offers custom PSUs for the case with a unique Power Distribution / Cable Management Cover (a.k.a. CONNECT Module Cable Management). 2. Very sturdy, thick metal, no exposed sharp edges. The Tempered Glass Side Panel has a steel frame, and full length Aluminum Handle that matches the Aluminum Front Panel on the front of the case. The Power and Reset buttons are solid. The Power LED is a White Line on the side of the Power button (towards the front of the case). See Cons #4. Dust covers for the top audio jacks and USB ports. See Cons #5. 3. Four included 120 mm fans. Three in the front (intake), and one in the rear (exhaust) of the case. See Cons #3. 4. Lots of Magnets, holding the Tempered Glass Side Panel closed, also holding the Dust Filters, Cable Management Cover, etc. 5. Well packaged in a sturdy oversized box. The case is suspended on both ends by thick foam. The case itself comes in a black fabric bag. Both sides of my box were damaged in shipping (by large punctures). Fortunately the case itself was not damaged. 6. Accessories come in their own cardboard box and includes: the users manual, a plastic "toolbox" of screws, a pair of fabric gloves, a soft cloth, and Velcro cable ties. 7. 10 YEAR WORRY-FREE WARRANTY on the PSU, 2 YEAR WORRY-FREE WARRANTY on the case.

Cons: 1. Expensive, unless you can find a Combo deal (i.e. Case plus PSU). Proprietary PSU. 2. Very Heavy (over 33 pounds with power supply). The Tempered Glass Side Panel alone weighs about five pounds. The PSU is over five pounds (depending on the cables used). The glass door is easy to remove, just swing it open by the aluminum "handle", and slide it upward off the two hinges. However, the glass door needs to be open almost 90 degrees to remove and replace (i.e. you need a lot of room). 3. The three front 120 mm fans come pre-plugged into a 1-3 PWM Fan Splitter Cable. The cable on the single rear 120 mm fan is very short. All four included case fans have "odd" four pin connectors. The polarity tabs are longer than normal. I was unable to connect the four included case fans directly to the PSU CONNECT Module Cable Management fan ports. I had no issue connecting the 1-3 PWM Fan Splitter Cable to the PSU CONNECT Module Cable Management fan ports. I had no issue connecting other three and four pin fans I own to the PSU CONNECT Module Cable Management fan ports. I had no issue connecting the four included case fans directly to my motherboard fan ports. 4. No HDD LED (which I miss). Stupid in my opinion. If you don't want an HDD LED, just don't plug its two wires into the motherboard. 5. The Audio and USB ports are on the top of the case, just waiting to be filled with dust (once the covers are removed). The USB-C cable is too close to the CONNECT Module Cable Management and does not lay flat as you close the Metal Side Panel. 6. The four thumb screws holding the Metal Side Panel and Power Supply Bracket to the case seem kind of cheap, and easy to strip the threads. I believe they are actually designed to remain attached to the Metal Side Panel and Power Supply Bracket when they is removed from the case.

Overall Review: 1. This first thing you need to do is remove the metal retaining bracket that holds the glass door closed. There a two tiny Philips screws, on the bottom of the case, holding the metal retaining bracket in place. I put the two screws back in their holes to prevent from losing them. I put the metal bracket in the accessories box to keep from losing it. 2. The PSU is smaller than a normal ATX PSU. It only generates 12 Volts. The CONNECT Module Cable Management converts 12 Volts into 3.3 and 5 Volts. The PSU attaches to a bracket (with four standard PSU screws). The bracket then connects to the case with two thumb screws. The CONNECT Module Cable Management attaches to the (outside) left side of the case with five small screws. 3. The PSU will not Power On unless all three cable bundle connectors are plugged into the CONNECT Module Cable Management. Its easy to dislodge the smallest connector (the one with no retaining clip); the PSU will NOT even Power On unless it is fully inserted. 4. No place to mount an Optical (CD/DVD) drive, but they are pretty much obsolete now. Conclusion: If you like the look and size, and don't mind the weight or expense, you will probably love it. It's a matter of taste. It wasn't really my thing, but it grows on you.

Pros: The biggest pro with this case is in its biggest gimmick and that would be when you pair the case with one of Seasonics SYNCRO CONNECT Module Cable Management Power Supplies. I was lucky enough to receive the DCP-850 850W model, which is not only the most capable of the available units but carries a higher 80+ Platinum efficiency rating. When used together, the normal excess of PSU cables is alleviated. Instead, a single cable harness exits the main unit and attaches to a power distribution block that mounts into a dedicated section of the case. There is some setup involved with getting this setup, but once you figure it out, it is relatively easy. The power distribution block does a few unique things. First off, it allows the regular PSU cable connections to all of your hardware. The 20/24 pin motherboard connector and the PCI-E power connectors are exposed on the face of the block and when mounted align with cutouts on the back case wall so that very short cables can be connected directly to the motherboard and GPU(s). Up to 6 PCI-E connections can be plugged in, which are the type of the 6+2pin style. The CPU power cables, and any power cables attach to points along the side of the block and can be hidden, routed behind the motherboard tray. Another direction function of the distribution block is that of a fan and RGB controller. The block provides a cable to attach to a 4pin PWN fan header on the motherboard and a cable to attach to a RGB header as well. From there the distribution block has fan/RGB connections around the edge of the block. Positions 1 6 directly correlate to fan mounting positions in the case with 1, 2 and 3 at the top of the case and 4, 5, 6 at the front. There is a 7th fan connection for the rear fan of the case. This allows you to use your standard bios/software to control your case fan speeds with a single connection to the motherboard, making it easy and clean. The case is large and roomy and allows decent airflow. The case front aesthetic appears closed off. However, a single solid piece of angled aluminum stands off the front to give that appearance, while keeping a good gap on three sides to allow good air flow. It is a good compromise from the standard slotted side wrap around grill that you would see from competitors. I am unsure if it is comparable to using a full mesh front, but from observation, airflow seems unimpeded with this design, and you still get a solid front appearance, if that is what you prefer. The case is solid and heavy. Most of the case is steel. The front, the feet and the door handle are all aluminum. Just that small amount gives the overall appearance of aluminum and quality of such. The glass side panel is magnetically latched, making it extremely easy to open with relative ease, yet holds strong enough you do not have to worry about it opening accidentally or rattling due to looseness. It swings out on a hinge, so you do not have to worry about it dropping and breaking. You can fully remove the side by lifting it from the hinge. It comes with 4 pre-mounted 120mm PWM fans. The fans appear to be static pressure focused fans. Three are mounted as intake in the front of the case and one is mounted at the rear for exhaust. The fans are no-frills and can run quietly, and all the way up to fairly noisy. At full speed they do seem to push a good amount of air. In addition to the included fans, 4 additional fans could be mounted as well. Three at the top and one atop the PSU compartment shroud at the bottom of the case. Every fan mounting position other than the bottom one supports both 120mm fans as well as 140mm fans. The front and bottom of the case have slide-in/slide-out filters and the top has a recessed magnetically attached filter. All the filters slide or detach smoothly and seem solid in their construction. The case layout is motherboard inverted, which is a little more unique and useful for anyone wanting a case to sit on your left side and still have the internals visible through the glass side panel. The motherboard tray cut out is quite large, giving a lot of rear access to the back of any mounted motherboard. There are triple 2.5 SSD/HDD mounts on the back that are detachable. A double 3.5 drive rack is also pre-mounted in the bottom of the case just behind the front panel and ahead of the PSU compartment. I did utilize this rack. It is configurable so that you can reduce its size down to a single drive rack. It can be mounted in a second location, under the PSU compartment shroud. I did both modifications to improve the aesthetic layout of the case.

Cons: I want to talk about cost. One factor in buying parts is often knowing that because they fit an existing standard, each part can be sold individually into a market where there is demand for those parts. Because the design and purpose of this case is to have the case and PSU so dependent on each other, you lose that prospect somewhat. Yes, the case can be sold as a stand-alone case that works with any PSU and it will work. But some of the value is in the fact that its design is around the SYNCRO CONNECT PSU and so its value will be depreciated when attempting to sell it later. The PSU has no aftermarket to enter with its total dependence on this case. Perhaps Seasonic will introduce additional follow-up cases that utilize this design. But unless they are very well sought-after cases that propagate into the market, the chance of reselling the PSU later is quite small and probably with some amount of higher depreciation. So that leaves you selling both together. Considering that this case and PSU together get close to a $500 price tag, you can expect to be taking a substantial loss in doing so. So just make sure that if you intend to purchase this case, you are doing so with that in mind. The good news is the 10-year warranty on the PSU, that if you plan to just purchase and keep for 10 years, youll have utilized the value yourself. So that would be my suggestion, to buy with intent to keep and use long term. The included four fans also drive-up cost. Yes, the fans seem like decent fans, and it is nice to have fans preinstalled. However, they are only 120mm when there is room for 140mm. They are not RGB or even lighted. And while that might not be your thing, the fan controller has full support for RGB. Plus, as it comes, its quite dark inside the case and difficult to see your displayed hardware. The fans are PWM, but are noisy above low speeds. There are seven main fan mounts (excluding the 8th 120mm only position). That means three are left unfilled. You will have to spend more to fill the last open positions. I looked for these fans and I cannot find any. So, you will be buying mismatched fans at that point. All this just means that if you want bigger, quieter, lighted fans or just having all positions filled, youll likely be buying 7-8 fans, which is costly. Therefore, I would have rather Seasonic excluded the case fans and further lowered the cost of the case. Some more fan issues were that out of the box, the front three fans were wired into a single harness. An inexperienced user might have connected that single connection directly to a motherboard header. 3 Fans should never be directly powered from a single motherboard header as it can cause damage. The instructions recommend connecting the front fans to positions 4, 5, and 6 on the controller. However, you need to have at least one fan connected to position 1 to get RPM feedback. So, there is a mismatch of where they suggest connecting, where they have installed the fans and how the controller works. So, make sure out of the box if you are using their preinstalled fans that you use positions 1, 2 and 3 instead. The rear fan does not have a long enough cable to even reach the distribution block, so it cannot be connected to the controller out of the box. I had to use a 4-pin fan extending cable (which is not included). Lastly, the 4-pin connectors on these fans were extremely difficult to attach to the distribution block as they just seemed to be made oddly. Other fans I tried attached fine. These had to be forced in at an odd angle and while doing so, felt like something was wrong or would break. I kept second guessing myself while trying. So that was quite odd. All the external screws are thumb screws, but none of the PCI slot cover screws are. I found that annoying having to use a screwdriver to tighten down my video card. The SYNCRO CONNECT PSU has a hybrid mode button on the rear and there is little to no information explaining what it does. However, they do state based on whether you use it you should orient the PSU either with fan up or down. This is all very unclear without some better understanding of the reasons for all this. I investigated a bit and from what I understand, hybrid mode on is one where the fan will not spin unless it gets hot enough to need to. Whereas hybrid mode off, the fan spins always. With hybrid mode turned on, they recommend facing the fan on top, so the natural process of heat rising can occur, with the heat being delivered into the case. The reason to use hybrid mode would be to lower noise and possibly extend the life of the fan. However, the other fans easily drown out the PSU fan, which is near-silent and therefore negate the silence factor of hybrid mode. With hybrid mode off, the fan can face downwards, pulling outside air to cool, while the fan runs continuously. Plus, no extra heat is delivered inside the case while the fan sits idle.

Overall Review: I really like this case and it is a brilliant start for Seasonics foray into making cases that is something new and unique. It was an ingenious idea to leverage their already fantastic line of PSUs and figure out how to extend off of that. The case is of obvious quality and for a startup product, nice to see so much thought and detail put into the design. The use of quality materials is also good. The case only has a few aluminum parts but placed in well-thought-out positions, the case seems like an aluminum case with a tempered glass side panel, despite it mostly being a steel case. I do struggle with stating this case is good value however, at least how theyve decided to sell it. I think a better sales choice would have been to exclude any case fans and instead bundle a SYNCRO CONNECT PSU with the case. I would have found more value in purchasing a case/psu combo with a preinstalled PSU and distribution block and choosing my own fans, than how it is sold today. The case lacks the standard familiarity found in most other cases. And despite the cases well thought out design in how it interacts with the proprietary PSU, I found myself taking longer to build within the case due to the amount of new discovery that was required. The case does support standard PSUs, but it defeats the point of this case. But because you are not required to use their proprietary PSU, they need a filler for the space where the power/controller distribution block needs to reside. When you first get into the case, your presented with a nice shroud that covers this area and provides a really nice chamber to route cables through. In fact, most of the already attached case cables are running through and under this shroud. To use the proprietary PSU this case is designed around, the very first thing you do is remove this shroud and therefore remove the nice clean cable routing chamber and you are left wondering what you are going to do with the cables that happened to be running through it. The removal of the shroud is a little confusing as well. I imagine most people will open the shroud and start removing screws from the backside of the case, upon which youll discover that the shroud also uses magnets to still stay in place, and then even after youve take it apart, find out that instead you should have removed the 4 tiny little screws from within the case front side. Now that may not seem like a con, that removing this part of the case is confusing, considering most people will eventually figure out what to do and they only need do it once. And you can argue, that provided with the case, was some useful instructions, that despite its ambiguous guidance, should be enough to make this process moot or even positive. However, it was all unnecessary. I understand why the cable management shroud needs to exist to fill in the gap of space left behind by anyone not using their proprietary PSU, but I do not understand why it could not have just shipped in the box alongside the case, unattached. To me, if the focus of this case is to get you to buy their purpose-built PSU to which the case is designed around, then I should be rewarded as a purchaser of said PSU by avoiding unnecessary installation steps that are one-time disassembles. I would even go as far as to state that the cable management shroud could be sold separately. This would lower the cost of the case. It would also present to buyers the chance of understanding their two options more clearly and drive sales into the SYNCRO CONNECT PSU. Lastly, it would make the process of installation the same for both those who buy the SYNCRO CONNECT PSU and for those who buy the cable management shroud. As is it today, those who opt for a more affordable PSU (most other options cost less) are rewarded with quicker and more familiar installation.