Riotoro CR480 Gaming Case Review
By Jason Vaught
Manufacturer: Riotoro, Inc.
Product Name: CR480 Clear Window Panel Mid-Tower Gaming Case
UPC: 851001006023
Price As Tested: $45.15 (Amazon | NewEgg)Full Disclosure: The product sample used in this article has been provided by Riotoro.
There is stiff competition in the budget enclosure market. With so many offerings from Cooler Master, Corsair, and Zalman, could there be room for more? Of course there can! Competition helps with innovation and to drive down cost, which is then passed on to you, the consumer.
Enter the Riotoro CR480, a budget friendly, mid-tower, gaming computer case that can be had for just under $50. How does it stand up against the competition? That’s what Benchmark Reviews will find out.
Features & Specifications
Riotoro CR480 Gaming Case Overview
The Riotoro CR480 is marketed as a gaming, mid-tower computer case that can support multiple hard drives and two optical drives. The Riotoro CR480 also features support for GPUs up to 320mm and PSUs up to 280mm long. The CR480 can support a full sized ATX motherboard and of course, micro ATX and mini ITX as well.
The CR480 was designed as an air-cooled case to be used in a positive pressure setup, however it can be easily set up for a negative pressure configuration and/or AIO (all in one) water cooling setup.
The right side of the CR480 sports a window, and a stylized T on the door panel.
The left side of the case just features the stylized “T”. I’m not really sure what this T is supposed to be or represent as the company’s name starts with an R.
Above you can see the rear and top of the case. The rear features 7 pci slots and a single 120mm fan exhaust. The top features offset mounted radiator support up to 240 and/or dual 120mm fans. It is worth noting that you CAN use a radiator setup and your 5.25″ bays at the same time.
Riotoro CR480 Gaming Case Detailed Features
The Riotoro CR480 gaming case doesn’t skimp on internal room to allow for flexible GPU sizes, a 240 radiator and multiple hard drive installation, as well as two 5.25″ bays. While simplistic, this design is effective in terms of ease of use and installation/building a PC into the case.
The internal layout of the CR480 is quite simplistic, but does sport a multitude of cable management holes and hard drive mounting locations as well as some minimalistic aesthetics.
Behind the left door, we can see a plethora of cable management options as well as two dedicated SSD mounting positions below the 5.25″ cage.
The front IO panel comes with two USB 3.0 ports (sorry, no type C), headphone jack, microphone jack, reset button and of course the power button. Below the front I/O is dual 5.25″ drive bays and a honeycomb grill for the front fans.
Mid-Tower Case Final Thoughts
Mid-Tower cases are some of the most common computer cases on the market and can have some of the best pricing in terms of affordability. With that being said, can the Riotoro CR480 hope to compete? The answer is, maybe.
Riotoro self labels this case as a “gaming computer case”, although there isn’t much in terms of what you would typically expect from a gaming case. There’s not much lighting/options and there aren’t any unique aspects to this case that couldn’t be found on another similarly priced case. But, therein lies the beauty of this case, is that it’s design is different from it’s competition. Since that aspect is subjective, this case would more than likely appeal to a wide range of people for it’s minimalist style with just a touch of lighting.
Riotoro CR480 Gaming Case Conclusion
Given the cooling options, the flexibility of hard drive choice, and the available ventilation, this case should perform fairly well as your daily driver or gaming PC. The only drawback to the performance of this case is the lack of any sound dampening. Be that as it may, choosing the right parts will negate this problem.
Appearance wise, the CR480 is a simple design. It’s square, it’s black, and it has a window and a thin red strip of lighting. There isn’t really any design aspect that sets it apart from it’s budget friendly competition with the exception of the lighting.
This case is constructed similarly to any other steel/plastic combo budget case. Thin side panels and a reinforced steel frame makes up the bulk of this case’s construction. The tolerances for the fitment of the different panels is actually nicer than some of the other budget friendly options and the surface is of a nice composition as well.
This case functions fine for a AIO water cooling or air cooling user. In terms of custom water loops, well there’s just better options out there. I’m sure it can be done, and I’m sure some will do it, but it’s not really geared towards that type of setup. But, for the price, it will function well.
At it’s current price, $45.15 (Amazon | NewEgg), the CR480 is a decent buy for the budget minded. It’s flexibility in hard drive options and the ability to utilize one or two 5.25″ drive bays makes this a decent all around case. I would prefer to see it in the sub $40 market, but at $45.15 it’s still a hard deal to pass up.
I would recommend this case for anyone looking for a budget friendly case that adds a little spark with some lighting and a window. Maybe some LED fans will help compensate for the lake of lighting and give it a little more pop if that is what you’re after. This would be a nice case for building for a family member, such as an aunt. Basically someone who won’t really know what they’re looking for or at, but can be wowed by the subtle lighting and the clean appearance.
Pros: 
+ Price
+ Aesthetics
+ Radiator support
+ Long GPU support
+ Minimalist look (if that appeals to you)
+ Has a window
+ 5.25″ bays
+ Can support 2 x SSDs and 3 x HDDs
Cons:
– Flimsy side panels
– Thin metal
– Lack of features
– Lack of lighting
– Minimalist features are not very “gaming” like
Ratings:
-
Performance: 8.50
-
Appearance: 8.00
-
Construction: 9.00
-
Functionality: 9.00
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Value: 9.00
