CaseLabs, a boutique PC case manufacturer based in USA, has made their new model of the Bullet family, BH8, available.
The Bullet family was designed for those who wanted a smaller air or AIO cooled case with the same high quality that customers have come to expect from CaseLabs. CaseLabs is particularly known for really well built Aluminum enclosures that are designed and manufactured in the USA. Historically CaseLabs have supported the high end water coolers, but the Bullet lineup aimed to change that. Previously CL had launched the BH2 (mITX), BH4 (mATX) and BH7 (ATX). While the BH7 case catered for ATX users the BH8 ups the ante and is now the largest part of the Bullet family and it is a welcome addition to the CaseLabs case collection. We’ve reviewed a bunch of CaseLabs cases before including the S8 which is similar to the BH8 but is larger, more expensive and much more orientated for water cooling.
The main difference vs the BH7 is that it now supports eight PCIE slots vs 7 and up to SSI-EEB motherboard vs ATX (see the picture below for motherboard comparison).
The case also adds a 5 1/4″ bay for those who want to use a bay reservoir or a fan controller such as an Aquaero. We love the Aquaero so this seems like a win. The case supports 3 native HDD mounts which can be expanded up to 6, as well as 2 SSD mounts which can be expanded up to 14 with the HDD to SSD adapters.
Despite these extra features, the BH8 retails for only 5 cents more than the preconfigured BH7.
Although the case is designed for air or AIO cooling, CaseLabs users have managed to get the Bullet series to work with custom water cooling. The BH8, being the biggest of the Bullet cases will certainly be the easiest to cool in this way.
To better understand the whole accessory support and compatibility here is the official tab from CaseLabs web-site:
| Technical Specs | |
| PCI Slots | 8 |
| Native HDD Locations | 3 |
| SSD Locations | 2 |
| Total possible HDD locations with extra HDD cages
(using additional mounts) |
6 |
| Total possible SSD locations with extra SSD mounts
(using adapters, purchased separately) |
14 |
| PSU Mounting Locations | 1 (ATX) |
| Weight | 10.3 pounds (4.7kg) |
| Rear Fan Mount (lower compartment beside PSU opening) | 2 x 80mm |
| Bottom integrated HDD plate and radiator mount | 120.2 (240) |
| Top Fan Mount (Reversible): | 120.2/140.2 (240/280) (2 mounts can be installed. Be aware of GPU clearance, as you may only be able to mount fans on the mount above the GPU) |
| Front Fan Mount | 2 x 120mm or 2 x 140mm |
| 5.25 Bay | 1 |
| Compatible Motherboard Form Factors | |
| mITX | Yes |
| mATX | Yes |
| ATX | Yes |
| SSI-CEB/EATX * | Yes * |
| SSI-EEB/EATX * | Yes * |
| Dimensions |
|
| Overall Exterior (W x H x D) Feet add .4″ (10mm) to Height |
14.3″ x 12.6″ x 15″
(363mm x 321mm x 381mm) |
| Displacement (Liters) | 44.3L |
| GPU Length Clearance (with 25mm thick fans at front of case) | 332mm |
| Cooling Tower Clearance (air cooler) | 193mm |
| Distance from top of PCI slots to top fan/rad mount | 94mm |
| Maximum recommended radiator clearance at the top of the case with
liquid cooled (standard height) video cards. |
55mm |
| Maximum recommended radiator clearance at the top of the case with
air-cooled (standard height) video cards. |
65mm |
| Maximum recommended radiator clearance on bottom 120.2 (240) mount (where hdd cages also mount) | 65mm |
| Maximum PSU length | 230mm |
| Case Features and Included Accessories | |
| All Aluminum Construction | Yes |
| Removable Motherboard Tray (non slide out) | Yes |
| Anti-Vandal Style Power Switch with MDPC-X Sleeved Cables | Yes |
| Standard Front I/O Panel with HD Audio and 2 x USB 3.0 | Yes |
| Included PSU support mount | Yes |
| Standard side and top windows with reversible top cover | Yes |
| Included top 120.2/140.2 (240/280) drop-in mount (second mount additional) | Yes |
| BH8 5.25 device mounts (1 set of standard and 1 set of short) Not compatible with Flex-Bays |
Yes |
| Compatible Radiator Sizes |
|
| 120.1 (120) | Yes |
| 120.2 (240) | Yes |
| 140.1 (140) | Yes |
| 140.2 (280) | Yes |
| Shipping Format | |
| Flat Packed | – |
| Fully Assembled | Yes |
Pricing and availability:
The CaseLabs Bullet BH8 is already available and its starting price is $250. Price will go up depending what you add in form of additional accessories and/or different colors. As always because CaseLabs is a boutique manufacturer and makes cases to order with your custom selection of parts and colors then you must expect longer delivery times than a mainstream manufacturer. The website currently says 5 weeks, but occasionally CaseLabs have been known to take longer, so bear that in mind if you are on a time crunch. If you’re in a hurry then Performance PC’s sometimes has stock of preconfigured CaseLabs cases, however the BH8 is not currently listed.
