Specifications, Availability and Pricing

Getting into the specifics of the X-Frame chassis, the first thing you notice is that it is all aluminum and includes considerably thick pieces of aluminum at that. The chassis uses 2mm thick aluminum for parts like the two layered motherboard tray, the drive bays, the front I/O panel and the PSU rack. As for the 4mm thick components, that is left for the structure of the chassis. The main layer under the removable motherboard tray along with the blue anodized pieces of the X-Frame that give this chassis its name are made of the 4mm thick stuff.

Just in the sheer amount of aluminum used in this chassis, if it were to be offered from one of the already bigger names in aluminum chassis, it would cost you $200 from them and they don't offer the ease of use or convertibility that InWin brings forth in this design.

Going into finer detail, the X-Frame arrives in a four color combination of an almost gun metal grey, the natural aluminum of the diamond plate, an electric blue, with yellow tool-less mechanisms and anti-skid corner pieces. The X-Frame offers a full front I/O with audio, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, along with power and reset buttons and activity LEDs. Under the motherboard there is room for a full ATX PSU, two 5.25" drives or devices and offers six spots for 3.5" drives as well. The diamond plated, removable motherboard tray allows for M-ATX, ATX and E-ATX motherboard installations and this tray offers eight expansion slots to give support to multiple card builds.

Considering the amount of aluminum used, the fact that some of it is brushed, some pressed into diamond plate and some getting an anodized coating, it is of course going to drive the price up from my original number for just the materials. Another thing about the X-Frame that is lending to the price I am about to drop on you is the fact that this is a Limited Edition chassis, so not very many are going to be made.

From what I was reading around the time of CES 2012, there is only going to be 50 of these chassis made, that's it. Exclusivity is the one thing that will skyrocket the price of anything from a tie to a house on a prestigious golf course, so why should the InWin X-Frame Limited Edition Open Air Chassis be any different with its $399.99 MSRP? As of this moment the chassis still isn't showing up for sale, but I expect this chassis to go fast when it does release onto the market.