Alphacool Apex Pro Skeleton Carbon, schwarz, Glasfenster

Those looking at the Alphacool Apex Skeleton are likely not the type of customer who prioritize a price tag over the uniqueness of the chassis. At the MSRP of 650 or 1000 Euros, it is obvious that the Apex Skeleton series of enclosures is meant to be an extravagant case to go for because of the material mix and open frame design. Given the target market, I am surprised Alphacool did not officially make this a limited edition run, with numbered cases. That said, with its price tag, it will be a bit of a harder sell, simply because the case doesn't offer some of the things users with deep pockets may be looking for. On one hand, if you spend that kind of money, which is the equivalent of buying a car worth 300 grand vs. 30 grand, you can absolutely expect a beautifully coordinated delivery and unboxing experience. While Alphacool does try to do so with the use of the branded cloth bag, the rest of the initial experience doesn't live up to the expectation. From a manual that is actually geared towards the Pro version, to the lack of all the tools or screws needed, to the lackluster presentation of bagged accessories. It simply doesn't feel like you just unboxed a case of this price point. On the other hand, the case itself cuts some corners, which will simply be dealbreakers for that affluent use base. Using OEM style, blue USB 3.0 ports on a case that otherwise has detailed tooling and is hand-assembled for you, while skipping the modern USB-C port can't be explained away. Similarly to that, the fact that the case can only hold a singular storage drive for which Alphacool does not supply the screws for in itself may be a dealbreaker, as users may want to install large capacity 3.5" drives for example, but simply can't. At that point, smaller pain points like the non-functional cable management clips, which are so rigid that one cannot use them for any wiring are just annoyances, as you may pivot to using the supplied Velcro strips instead. What makes the case unique is the material mix of real carbon fiber tubing and fan/radiator mounting plates in combination with the CNC-milled aluminium components holding it all together. In that regard, the Apex Skeleton clearly manages to outshine other cases of this style. Another upside is the simple, but surprisingly effective covered motherboard tray, which allowed us to hide most of the wiring, something other enclosures of this format seem to struggle with more. The Apex Skeleton has that uniqueness going for it, and Alphacool has to be commended for investing and offering something as special as this. But overall, it doesn't end up providing the overall experience or level of functionality needed to give that complete package, making you feel good about having spent as much on a chassis as others pay for a full system.