Cougar shrinks its unconventional Conquer case for compact builds

Couger is releasing a smaller version of its Conquer case for users who want to dress up their small form factor (SFF) system in something unique. They will be able to do that in the Conquer Essence, a compact case with room inside for a micro-ATX or mini-ITX motherboard.

One look is all it takes to discern that this isn't your typical rectangle enclosure. For one, it's not a rectangle. And secondly, it's a somewhat open design with tempered glass side panels that are pushed out from the frame. As for the main part of the case, Courage says it's all CNC-milled aluminum without any plastic panels.

"Apart from being extremely attractive in itself, the open design is especially suitable for building powerful RGB lighting systems that shine unobstructed in all their glory. This is not only a beautiful case, but it's also one that can also act as a showcase for users' creativity," Cougar says.

The compact chassis measures 233 x 480 x 522 mm (9.17 x 18.89 x 20.55 inches). It has three 2.5-inch drive bays that can also accommodate 3.5-inch drives, plus a pair of 3.5-inch bays.

Cougar doesn't say how many fans come with the case, if any. However, there are fan slots to install two 120mm fans in the front and two more up stop. Those same sections can hold up to a 240mm liquid cooling radiator.

There's also room in the case to install up to two graphics cards up to 350mm (13.78 inches) in length. To put that into perspective, Gigabyte's GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Gaming OC card with three cooling fans is around 280 mm (11.02 inches).

While the Cougar Essence is a smaller sized case, it has a relatively big price tag—it will be available later this month for $229 (MSRP).

Paul has been playing PC games and raking his knuckles on computer hardware since the Commodore 64. He does not have any tattoos, but thinks it would be cool to get one that reads LOAD"*",8,1. In his off time, he rides motorcycles and wrestles alligators (only one of those is true).