Precision-designed dual-chamber PC cases with a mid-tower profile: meet the HAVN HS 420 & HS 420 VGPU
After two years of development by the best in the industry, virtually every element of these premium PC cases has been designed to maximise performance
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The HAVN HS 420 and HS 420 VGPU are two premium, ‘hybrid’ dual-chamber cases (available in white or black) first revealed at Computex 2024 that are now available to buy at OcUK. These fantastic looking products are the first offerings from the HAVN team, which have had an extraordinary amount of time and expertise poured into making sure every detail is right.
HAVN (pronounced ‘haven’), part of the wider Pro Gamers Group, is a new kid on the block within the computer hardware space, but it comes from an impressive pedigree, with a staff composed of former members of Fractal, NZXT, Cooler Master, Sapphire Wistron, and Corning: it’s safe to say then that they know a thing or two about PC cases!
In addition, these flagship products have been prototyped and tested with the help of experts from Caseking, Overclockers UK, PC Case Gear, and the illustrious 8Pack. In short, they not only make for a phenomenal looking build, but also come with a couple of fairly unusual performance features that have caught the eye of PC enthusiasts.
Key features in both HAVN HS 420 cases
HAVN HS 420
Type
Hybrid (Mid-tower/dual-chamber)
Motherboard support
E-ATX / ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ITX
Included fans
n/a
Fan support
11x (120mm or 140mm, max 30mm thickness) or 9x if storage maximised
Radiator compatibility
240mm, 280mm, 360mm, 420mm
Case drive bays
1 in rear, 4 in ‘customizable space’ (supports up to 5x 3.5” / 10x 2.5”)
Whichever variant of the HAVN HS 420 you opt for you’ll be getting a case with a hybrid structure: one that has the internal proportions and desktop footprint of a traditional mid-tower case but still retains a dual-chamber design that better separates the cooling and cable-management zones. Most dual-chamber cases are wider and shorter than your classic mid-tower, with the larger ‘rear’ section allowing you to keep the main chamber as cable free as possible, allowing for a cleaner look and better airflow across your components, but the ingenious design of the HAVN HS 420 (which includes a vertical mounting position for the PSU) allows you to get these benefits but in a narrower and taller case.
Both cases support up to E-ATX motherboards, have 470mm/480mm of graphics card clearance (with the VGPU variant having slightly less) – ample room for even the bigger-sized GPUs, and support CPU coolers that require up to 185mm of clearance. The HS 420 can also support up to a whopping eleven 140mm fans for maximum airflow, including three 420mm radiators should you wish (hence the 420 in the name). For those heavy-duty graphics cards you get an extra sturdy support bracket included with the base HS 420 variant.
The surfaces of the case are constructed with a curved stamp and finished off with ‘precision CNC milling’ which gives a subtle curved edge to the surfaces, optimizing the airflow whilst also minimising noise through turbulence against these surfaces. Fan mounting brackets have rubber dampers to further reduce noise. The chassis also has a ‘double-layer’ design which means the majority of the fan brackets can be hidden away (in between the outer and inner layers), giving a nice clean look inside the case and out.
Aside from the classic top venting you also get stylized, angled air vents on the rear and side panels, maximising airflow. All panels are fastened in place with magnets, frequently using sliding rails, allowing for quick access to every side of the case, although you can also use the additional safety screws as well if you want to make sure they’re extra secure (we like being given the option!).
Towards the front of the case on the rear panel there is a customizable space which comes covered by four panels as standard. Each of these panels can be removed as needed to fit either additional storage, a cooling radiator/fans, or even a portable display. If you are interested in installing this display, a VESA mount is included, and the case supports up to a 14-inch monitor.
The most obviously striking feature of the HAVN HS 420 is the heat-formed UniSheet glass panel, which is a single wrap-around piece of glass, and a terrific improvement on the classic panoramic PC case. Where this is unique is that it’s a single sheet of glass with a right-angle bend, rather than the much more common two sheets of glass which join on the corner angle with a visible seam. The bended has been designed to reduce any visual distortion as much as possible, giving a nice clear view at the PC’s internals. Although the glass is screwed-in when you first open the box, after you take these out it operates on using a sliding mechanism and magnetic fixtures for ease of access.
Further helping to make your case look as good as possible and to maximise airflow efficiency is the SimpliCable routing system along with fan hub, which makes cable management an absolute doddle; providing not only ample grooves and guides along the rear and top of your to run your cables down and velcro straps to hold them in place, but also clearly labels each area using color-coded arrows along with text telling you which type of cables to put where. This isn’t something we’ve really seen before and is a boon to new builders in particular: more of this please! Rubber grill-like grommets let you feed these cables from the rear to the main compartment of the case whilst concealing the goings on round the back.
Features unique to the HAVN HS 420 VGPU case
HAVN HS 420 VGPU
Type
Hybrid (Mid-tower/dual-chamber)
Motherboard support
E-ATX / ATX / M-ATX / Mini-ITX
Included fans
n/a
Fan support
11x (120mm or 140mm, max 30mm thickness) or 9x if storage maximised
Radiator compatibility
240mm, 280mm, 360mm, 420mm
Case drive bays
1 in rear, 4 in ‘customizable space’ (supports up to 5x 3.5” / 10x 2.5”)
The HAVN HS 420 VGPU is identical to the above HS 420 base variant but with a few key differences. As the name suggests this case is designed with a vertical GPU setup in mind, and so doesn’t come with the standard support bracket, instead you get the following:
The vertical mount bracket with PCIe 5.0 x16 riser cable is what allows you to fix your graphics card in the vertical position, which is favoured by many from an aesthetic standpoint, letting you really show off your GPU. The vertical GPU bracket can be repositioned horizontally depending on the size of the card you’re working with.
The angled bottom fan bracket fits three 140mm fans which intake air through the bottom of the case and then, rather than directing straight upward into the ‘side’ of the vertical mounted graphics card, instead project it further upward towards the GPU’s intake fans that face towards the glass panel.
A tempered glass airflow guide fits behind the angled fan bracket and comes over the top of it in a curve; this further helps direct the cool air from the intake fans out towards the glass panel in the middle of the case, from where it is sucked up by the intake fans of the graphics card. Simultaneously, hot air from the card’s coolers is deflected towards the rear of the case away from the intake stream.
Pricing & Availability
As of October 17th, 2024 you can now get both of these cases if you live in the UK/EU from the OcUK store, where you can also buy a great variety of white and black components to match your chosen case.
The pricing for the two models in different regions is as follows:
- HAVN HS 420: $199 (USD) / £199.99 / 229,90€
- HAVN HS 420 VGPU: $269 (USD) / £269.99 / 289,90€
