InWin Gaming Black 707 Full-Tower Chassis Review

Chad spends time checking out InWin's Gaming Black 707 full-tower chassis. Is this case one you should consider for your next build?

Published
Updated
Manufacturer: InWin
13 minutes & 50 seconds read time
TweakTown's Rating: 84%

The Bottom Line

InWin's 707 is aesthetically very pleasing and there is value to be had when buying it. Just in today's market, we feel this chassis is still a few years behind when it comes to the fine points and touches.

Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing

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When we consider all of the InWin cases we have seen over the past few years, we realize there are really only two types of cases they have produced. Initially, InWin put forward cases that are best described as cases for kids since they featured loads of plastic bits and simple interiors. These cases didn't really offer much to the masses. Then you have the flip side of that token, InWin's long lineup of hand-built masterpieces, where they break the mold of traditional design and offer cases that are just as much art as they are functional places to mount a PC. There hasn't really been much of a grey area between these two types of InWin cases. So far, InWin cases have been either top tier or things we would likely pass up. Well, that is until today.

Today we are going to have a look at a traditionally designed chassis from InWin. When we say "traditionally designed," we mean the chassis is square, and not way off the curve. Externally, the chassis features high-end materials. The front of this case is brushed aluminum, offers hidden external drive bays, and is completely surrounded by a ring of red that carries over onto the sides of this chassis as well. There is also a tinted window in the left side, and room for a fan to cool the back of the motherboard in the right side. Internally, InWin has taken space to the maximum. Not only will this full-tower design easily house an E-ATX motherboard, but it is also loaded with water cooling options, and room for thicker radiators as well.

In this review, we will be getting our first look at an InWin chassis designed to meet the middle ground of the chassis market, the 707 full-tower chassis. The 707 is sleek and sexy on the outside with a black and red theme. There is even an opaque imprinting of the InWin name in the left side panel. If black and red is not your thing, or maybe you are just looking for something with silence at the forefront of the design, there is in fact a Silent White 707, which drops the side window and features sound deadening materials. If you are going to jump into this market that's already packed with full-tower choices as InWin has done, you may as well double down and cover both ends of the spectrum with this design.

So, what does all this mean to you as the reader? Well, stick around and find out what InWin did right or wrong with the 707. InWin's 707 could be the chassis you have been looking for.

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We received the Gaming Black version of the InWin 707 for testing, and although it is shown to be a full-tower design, it feels more like a super-tower. The Gaming Black 707 is mainly comprised of SECC steel that is painted with textured black paint. There are bits of ABS plastic used for the feet, the bezel, and some of the tool-free hardware; but the front of the bezel is dressed in black brushed aluminum. There are three external 5.25" bays behind a door in the bezel. On the inside, just below, there is a rack of eight HDD trays that is broken into two sections of cage. Any normal ATX PSU up to 220mm in length will fit, and there are rails on the floor to support the PSU. Along with the support of Micro-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX motherboards, we also find support for eight expansion slots in the back. Even if you do opt to remove the HDD cages entirely, there is a steel plate that will always restrict GPU length to 365mm.

Our chassis shipped with a pair of 140mm fans in the front of the chassis, and a third LED version 140mm fan hanging in the back as the exhaust. The optional fan placement is up to par with what the market offers today; the right side of the chassis can house a fan to cool the CPU socket, the top can hold three 120mm fans, and even there is room for a pair of fans in the floor. The nice thing about this design is that the top and bottom of the chassis are both prepared for water cooling. The front of the chassis could be prepared for water cooling as well, but the HDD rack would make water cooling tough without some customization. The water cooling assembly can be 64mm at the top of the chassis, and on the floor, after pulling the lower HDD cage, there is room for 58mm of water cooling gear.

The InWin 707 has been out on the market for some time now, but we are currently playing catch-up with a stack of cases that has been calling our name for a while now. Online pricing does fluctuate depending on where you look, as every listing is different. We did find the 707 Gaming Black version on Amazon.com, and it was selling directly from InWin, but the price is set to $145.65 there. The other five listings we found were all cheaper, and cheapest listing is currently at Newegg.com where the same 707 is listed for $99.99 with $9.99 more required to ship it. With that sort of pricing in play, the bar is a bit lowered for a full-tower. However, we know what InWin is capable of producing, so we expect a bit more from them when it comes to a "regular" chassis design. We feel the price is definitely justified on paper, but let's dig in and see exactly what we get in the Gaming Black InWin 707.

PRICING: You can find the InWin 707 Gaming Black for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The InWin 707 Gaming Black retails for $130.00 at Amazon.

Packaging

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The packaging is simple; the box is composed of plain brown cardboard, and features the company name at the top, and a large 707 at the bottom. To the right is a racing stripe that eludes to the design of the chassis, and there is a notation that the 707 is a full-tower chassis. Also, don't mind the hole where it appears someone tried to pry this box open with a crowbar.

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The thinner panel on the left side shows the InWin logo and tag line at the top. Under the handle and the 707 is a list of six features found in both versions of the chassis; the Gaming Black version does not offer sound damping material.

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It's possible that this side is supposed to be the front. Either way, we are given the same information we saw on the opposing side of the box, but this time the racing stripe and company name are at the bottom, under the 707.

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The last panel offers a red logo, right before the notation that the black and red version is inside of the box. The lower part of the panel offers a full specifications chart, and even notes the differences between the two versions.

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Even with well-rounded corners, a rock stuck in one of the side panels, and that large injury to the front of the box, everything inside of the box arrived in perfect condition. The reason everything arrived intact has a lot to do with the plastic liner keeping the paint from scuffing during drops, but the dense foam caps used at both ends took all of the hits and allowed our 707 to arrive ready, willing, and able for this review.

InWin Gaming Black 707 Full-Tower Chassis

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The front of the chassis is flat, has a red line at the top and bottom, and has a matching line that surrounds the door for accessing the bays. Both the door and the larger section have a layer of black brushed aluminium applied to the ABS plastic behind it.

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The panel has a pressure-release switch that allows it to swing to the right, exposing the trio of bay covers. Of course, these covers will need to be removed to use the bays, but it is nice to see it closed off for those with no desire to populate these bays.

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The I/O panel is in the red, recessed section of the bezel. At left is the HDD activity LED, followed by a pair of USB 3.0 ports, HD audio jacks, and two USB 2.0 ports. There is a power icon over to the right, but the button is actually on the right side of the chassis.

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The top of the chassis is steel, and has a very large mesh insert in the center. While there are no fans installed here, the mesh will allow convection to occur as passive cooling, and there is space for a 360mm radiator.

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The left side of the chassis has a very large tinted window. It is not visible from this angle, but the InWin name is printed on it as well. At the front of the chassis we see more of that red, but this time the section is used for ventilating the chassis and directing the sound to the sides.

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Four water cooling holes span the top of the back side, and these are closely followed by the rear I/O and exhaust fan location. As we move downward we find eight expansion slots above the PSU mounting location, and passive venting down the right side of both.

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The right side of the chassis offers more of that red stripe used for venting at the front. The rest of the panel is flat, and it offers a 120mm or 140mm fan location to provide cooling for the back of the motherboard at the CPU socket.

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As the top meets the right side of the chassis, again in the groove of red plastic, we find the power button that will fire up this chassis, and it also appears there is a strip of lighting used to signify power just inside of the button.

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Under the chassis, InWin chose to use large, chunky feet at the corners to give this chassis a solid footing. A small dust filter for the PSU is at the back of the chassis, and there is a much larger dust filter for the optional fan locations near the front. Oddly, we find no rubber pads.

Inside the Gaming Black 707

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The bezel can be removed by releasing six tabs inside of the chassis. We noticed that the wiring and I/O are attached to the bezel, and we do not see any sort of an intake dust filter.

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After our first look inside of the 707, everything appears as expected. However, the more you look, the more your eyes are drawn to the green of the ODD bays and the beige wiring that seems really out of place.

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There are four ODD bays, but the lowest one does not pass through the bezel, so there is no need for the bright green tool-free pins in that bay. There is also no bay adapter included to hide a 3.5" or 2.5" drive there.

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The HDD rack is made for both 3.5" and 2.5" drive installations, and it will hold up to eight drives. The cages do come out in two parts, but the wall where the clips are installed for an optional fan will always stay in the chassis.

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Here is what you can have if you opt to remove the bays all together. The side wall that has to stay in the chassis has a large cutaway at the bottom. The cutaway allows for a thicker radiator and fans to go into the floor without the lower cage in the case, and still using the upper five bays.

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Even though the ODD bays do not come out, the offset of the mesh top panel allows for a thick, triple radiator to go in between the sides of the bays while still clearing everything, including the front panel wiring.

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The motherboard tray has a huge access hole, and since it takes Micro-ATX, ATX, and even E-ATX motherboards, we can see why the grommets are shifted so far to the right. Even though there are holes for all motherboard types, there are no markings to guide you.

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The main floor of the chassis is well ventilated for the optional fan locations and the PSU. If you do not use a fan here, there is no real limit to the PSU length. Once the PSU is screwed in, the support rails will hold it sufficiently.

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While the front pair of fans uses three-pin connections for power, the exhaust fan has a Molex for power. The exhaust fan is clear with red LEDs. As for the expansion slots, we are provided with thumbscrews to secure our cards.

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There is roughly 25mm of space to pass all of the wiring through between the tray and the door panel. There is a bit more space behind the HDD cage, or next to the ODD rack, but there should be no issues fitting what is necessary back here.

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At the top left side we can see the fan wiring from the intake fans; these fans use three-pin connections, and they can be daisy chained together. The HD audio and USB 2.0 leads are beige, and the LED and switch wiring is white and multi-colored. We like the compact USB 3.0 connection.

Accessories and Documentation

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When you open the box you will find a thick, plastic, zip-lock envelope containing the hardware and paperwork on top of the chassis. Inside of the envelope you will find bags that separate the hardware, and each bag has a sticker that lists the contents of the bag. The only thing they do not address here is that there is also a socket to drive in the standoffs.

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We are pretty certain that the bag on the left is indeed a set of eight fan screws. However, our knowledge is really tested as we try to figure out how to install storage and optical drives with these sweet washer-type screws InWin supplied.

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The last bits of hardware include this set of four zip-ties to manage wiring, and a pair of PSU support pads for those who opt to use longer power supplies in this chassis.

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This manual comes as a large piece of folded paper. The manual contains a parts list, an explanation of the structure with an exploded diagram, the specifications, and information about warranty coverage. The rest of the manual uses illustrations to guide you through the build, shows the wiring diagrams, and even shows where all of the optional fans can go. The opposite side of the sheet is different; the first bit about the chassis and specs repeats in many languages there.

Case Build and Finished Product

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We had no significant issues during the build process. There was plenty of room for our test system in the 707, and our wiring reached everything needed while running through all of the grommets. The top has plenty of room for a radiator and fans, and there is even room for a reservoir to hang on the motherboard tray.

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The rear dust shield snapped right into position, but when it came to the GPU, we did have to flex the back of the chassis inward to get the screws to align with the case and bracket. Since the rails on the floor support the PSU, screwing the PSU in place is simple with the holes lined up and ready to go.

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We took advantage of the few tie points available for the front I/O wiring to make sure that beige and rainbow assortment stays hidden. We have plenty of room for the 8-pin, 24-pin, and even the GPU power leads to all hide back here and pop out where needed.

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Now that the Gaming Black 707 is assembled, we can get ready for testing., In normal conditions, the view through the window is muted with the dark tint, but adding a bit of light inside would dramatically increase the view of the components. Adding a light inside would also accent the InWin name (which is near impossible to capture in a picture) in the window.

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After plugging the PSU into the wall, we pressed the power button and were greeted with this thin band of blue LED, which let us know the chassis was powered up. There is also a flicker on the other end of this strip, where the amber HDD LED is found.

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Here we can see the red LEDs of the exhaust fan shining through the side window. It is a nice touch to carry some of that red all the way through to the back; there are no LEDs in the front fans.

Final Thoughts

InWin's Gaming Black 707 leaves us with mixed feelings. We really like the external aesthetics and the use of brushed aluminum, and all of that black being broken up with bold red strips makes us like it even more. The chassis is feature rich, with its tool-free options for the ODD bays, removable HDD cages, and loads of places for water cooling and optional fans. Even the front I/O panel is well appointed, and with the power off to the side, there will no longer be accidental shut downs. We like that the chassis is nearly silent with readings of 29dB to the side of the intake and 35dB at the exhaust. We also like the handy door that cleanly closes off the hidden bays, the tinted window, and the opaque InWin name. With no real issues during the build to complain loudly about, you may ask what could be wrong.

Despite everything we liked about this case, there were a few sticky points that we have a hard time overlooking, especially in today's market. Cost cannot be the reason why the cables in this chassis are not black, and we see no love shown with a rainbow assortment of some wires and beige used for others. It's great that InWin offers grommets, but why bother when the wiring you offer looks this gross? The theme is black and red in this chassis, and while you cannot see them through the window, there is a shock factor when you open things to see the theme killed so obviously. Digging in the parts bin from yester-year for the pins used in the ODD bays was also fairly silly. We also think there should be rubber pads on the feet in the holes mode; the screeching this chassis made on the glass top would send chills down your spine. While there are options to improve the fans, the pair of intake fans only cools the HDD bays. The rest of the cage and wall design does not allow much, if any, of that air into the chassis; the air is just blocked. As shipped, the fan setup allowed temperatures to get a bit for such a large chassis.

To be honest, we just expected more from InWin. Though much of the case is aesthetically pleasing, it is hard to accept that the designers can miss all of these little things. Considering the full retail price for this chassis, we feel that there are other cases out there that can and will suit your needs a little better than the 707 will. Finding it closer to $100 as we did does lessen the blow, and for that amount of money, it will be hard to find many cases that look this good on the outside.

While we do wish that they would have presented a few things differently, this chassis is a fine pick for the masses. For the enthusiasts out there: get your Dremmel ready, and have some fun. One thing we definitely recommend with this purchase is to grab another 140mm fan to provide the main section of the chassis with some airflow behind the HDD bays. Other than that, InWin does do a pretty good job, just not as good as we have seen from them in the past.

PRICING: You can find the InWin 707 Gaming Black for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing, but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

United States: The InWin 707 Gaming Black retails for $130.00 at Amazon.

Performance 80%
Quality including Design and Build 95%
General Features 80%
Bundle and Packaging 83%
Value for Money 81%
Overall 84%

The Bottom Line: InWin's 707 is aesthetically very pleasing and there is value to be had when buying it. Just in today's market, we feel this chassis is still a few years behind when it comes to the fine points and touches.

PRICING: You can find products similar to this one for sale below.

USUnited States: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com

UKUnited Kingdom: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.co.uk

AUAustralia: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.com.au

CACanada: Find other tech and computer products like this over at Amazon.ca

DEDeutschland: Finde andere Technik- und Computerprodukte wie dieses auf Amazon.de

Chad joined the TweakTown team in 2009 and has since reviewed 100s of new techy items. After a year of gaming, Chad caught the OC bug. With overclocking comes the need for better cooling, and Chad has had many air and water setups. With a few years of abusing computer parts, he decided to take his chances and try to get a review job. As an avid overclocker, Chad is always looking for the next leg up in RAM and coolers.

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