Specifications of In Win Dubili Case
Number of fan slots for 120mm or 140mm: 9
Number of included fans from 120mm to 200mm: 4
Dimensions (height, width, depth): 21.5 × 9.7 × 20.6 inches
External 3.5-inch drive bays: 2
Does it include fan control?
Front panel ports: High-definition audio
Front panel ports: USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (2)
Front panel ports: USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
Color of included fan lighting: Addressable RGB
Internal 2.5-inch drive bays: 6
Color of internal chassis lighting: None
Maximum height for CPU cooler: 160mm
Maximum length for graphics card: 460mm
Supported motherboard form factors: E-ATX, MicroATX, Mini-ITX
PCI expansion slot locations: 8
Supported power supply form factors: ATX
Maximum length for power supply: 460mm
Power supply mounting location: Bottom
Is there a side window? Yes (tempered glass)
Weight: 32.3 kg
Design of In Win Dubili Case: Very Strong Steel
If you took the Apple Mac Pro tower and exposed it to a beam from the desktop design of Windows PCs, you might end up with something resembling the fantastic In Win Dubili case. In Win is no stranger to quirky and innovative computer case designs, but Dubili is a refreshing step in the other direction, featuring a robust industrial design that exudes charisma, with just enough colorful lighting to keep it lively. This metal-and-glass beast is called a full-tower case. Although many features that were once a staple of this type of computer case are no longer current, Dubili actually weighs like the old full-tower cases – even more so in many instances. Just know: this case is a bit pricey, and you might encounter some issues during the build, as we did, which might make you say “Huh?” for the price of $249.99. But we believe it’s worth the money and minor troubles, as we think it looks fantastic when fully built. (Yes, you need to say it out loud.)
Design: Very Strong Steel
Have you seen the U-shaped rings on the front and back of the Dubili? In the pictures here, they act as feet for the case, but you can flip them to serve as handles and secure separate feet. The full-height of the case barely reaches 21.5 inches as specified in the specs list, but if you do that, its height will be about 23 inches. However, users who prefer a sleek look will stick with the factory-delivered configuration, at least for the exterior parts. The stunning metal design adheres to classic design features without falling into fashion faux pas like external drive mounts. Also, you should know that silver is not the only option: shoppers preferring something richer may favor the gold version of Dubili available.
Internal Features and Design
Unlike other outer surfaces, the back panel is painted in a glossy white to match the interior of the Dubili. It’s a quirky look for me, but I don’t usually see the back of my computer while using it, so its surface effect is fleeting. Other unusual features include a range of fan mounting locations that blend with the ventilation slots in the back panel, and the presence of eight expansion slots instead of the traditional seven.
Many features of the case can be flipped, but the ports are not one of them: they are mounted on a card that is secured to the board, so the top plate is attached to this single configuration. On the top, you’ll find the orange power button, the two blue USB Type-A ports, a dual headphone jack (headphone/microphone), and a black Type-C port. The latter is connected to a vertical USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 cable.
When
removing the front panel, the front dust filter is revealed which is secured in three ways: (1) it is adhered to the inner frame using magnetic strips; (2) it cannot move sideways due to the close proximity of the surrounding frame; and (3) the cover panel we just removed is secured in place with screws. Three 140 mm x 25 mm multi-color airflow fans are mounted behind that filter.
Here we take a look behind this filter, where we find mounting holes for both 140 mm and 120 mm fans. Radiators up to 482 mm in length can be placed behind those fans, and the top radiators of 430 mm will also fit, so users looking to install a 420 mm front radiator and a 360 mm top radiator should generally be accommodated. The position of the top radiator is also 63 mm away from the top edge of the motherboard, and if that isn’t enough in terms of free space, it’s also more than 30 mm horizontally aligned from the surface of the motherboard (provided any radiator format based on 120 mm is used). And if that isn’t sufficient, you are also welcome to place a 240 mm radiator at the bottom, provided your power supply is short enough to accommodate it.
Regarding the power supply installation space, the maximum listed by In Win provides fans’ space: without bottom fans, users can place any power supply the full length of the internal board of the bottom panel (around 460 mm).
Three drive trays are located behind the panel: two trays at the front for 2.5-inch drives, and two trays at the bottom that can fit either 2.5-inch or 3.5-inch drives. You can install two more drives on additional trays included in the Dubili mounting kit.
You will also get a pre-lit eight-fan hub in the box. The space around it is occupied by pass-through connections on both cables for each fan. The hub itself has three additional inputs: ARGB and PWM for motherboard headers, and SATA power for direct power from the power supply.
Motherboard and PCI Express Card Installation
To understand how motherboards are installed in this case, we should talk a little about history. XL-ATX was a standard that most often included motherboards sized 12.8 x 10.8 inches and contained up to eight slots. It existed roughly from the Intel X58 chipset to the AMD TRX40 chipset (which means almost from 2010 to 2022) and primarily served high-performance desktop (HEDT) designs.
Many boards labeled Extended ATX (EATX) are short enough (in depth) to fit in cases compatible with XL-ATX or EATX: except for the giant nine-slot version from EVGA, Dubili supports both. Although we have never seen an XL-ATX motherboard with a full set of additional mounting holes at the front, Dubili has those holes, along with another set of mounting holes for 13-inch deep EATX boards. The image below highlights the additional holes marked in blue.
It should be noted that the image above shows nine mounting legs. These include six mounted by the manufacturer and three included in the support kit. The case does not include 12 mounting legs, although users with 13-inch deep boards will need them, so it’s good that the legs themselves are a common size: #6-32 (both threads) at a quarter-inch.
With
The case is placed on its right side, showcasing the PCI Express card slot holder sign from the back and covered by a foldable hinged cover…
All eight expansion slots are filled with interchangeable slot covers, and the slot holder’s channel width is about 11/16 inches. More on that in a moment. Assembly with the In Win Dubili case.
In the accessory bundle, the Dubili includes the optional feet mentioned earlier (when the front and rear U-rings are flipped to be used as handles), a pair of additional 2.5-inch drive trays that In Win calls “cable shields,” a set of foam feet for the base feet, five reusable cable ties, and a support for the graphics card. Other items in the box include a 5 mm hex key for the exterior panel screws, screws for securing the motherboard and drives, a set of adjustable cable ties, and a card with links to the assembly guide. The base feet are glossy white, unlike the exterior covered in textured gray.
Once the motherboard is in place, it’s time to connect the front panel cables. In Win includes a 19-pin USB 3.x cable for the USB Type-A ports, a USB Gen 2×2 cable for the USB Type-C port on the front panel, a dual-header wire on a 9-pin block following Intel’s tradition for the power button/LED indicator at the power button location, and an HD Audio cable for the dual audio jack on the front panel.
Now, regarding the installation of PCI Express cards. The external screw panels for the cards have been a sign of cost-cutting in PC case design, as it is much cheaper to fold the back of the case than to add a full card and interface part inside. In Win has adorned this part with a hinged cover, but it still suffers from the problem many of its low-cost predecessors face: the slot is not big enough to properly fit a massive video card.
This is because the panels at the end of the card slot collide with the decorative cover that extends over the motherboard. This is a common feature in modern motherboards, leaving the case responsible for it. Over the years, we’ve noticed that builds in cases with 5/8-inch (16 mm) high slots typically encounter this issue when using high-performance motherboards, while those with 3/4-inch (19 mm) high slots are usually sufficient. The Dubili’s slot, measuring 11/16 inches (17 mm) high, splits the difference, and at least helped us determine that the minimum should be 19 mm!
This is not to say we couldn’t install the card; it’s just that we simply couldn’t place it the right and easy way. The Dubili lacks center tabs between the slots, so what worked? Installing the card incorrectly (i.e., misaligned with the slot connector) and then sliding it all the way back, then slipping it and moving it to the slot connector. And ultimately, why should In Win put us through this much trouble when we have plenty of space to work with?
You’ll notice that our build above uses an SFX power supply on a PS/2 mounting plate: it has become part of our standard testing suite as it fits a variety of case sizes. You’ll also notice that we didn’t use any of the “cable shields” that In Win calls them to hide the visibility of this fact. But it emphasizes the lack of a barrier or concealing plan for the power supply. If you’re going for an aesthetic in your build, you want to make sure that the power supply isn’t an eyesore. The only thing this build really lacks is In Win’s graphics card support, as it wouldn’t correctly align with any part of our card that could benefit from support.
In conclusion,
Despite these minor annoyances, we can certainly appreciate the look of the In Win Dubili case when it’s fully lit up! The color of the glass helped hide some things we don’t want to see clearly. (Credit: Thomas Soderstrom)
In Win Dubili Case Testing
Alright, we are in a testing race. Dubili wins in the CPU cooling comparison, but by an estimated margin of about one degree Celsius. (This win could be negated by poor noise readings, as faster fans that cool better lose some of their appeal through noise at some point, so we will check that a little more on this page.)
Dubili also wins in the voltage regulator temperature test, and at this point, we began to feel a little concerned for its competitors.
Dubili fell to third place in graphics card temperature, preventing it from achieving a sweeping victory in cooling.
Finally, we see that it is also the loudest among the cases we tested. In fact, the second loudest case in this comparison may overall be better, as it also had lower graphics card temperatures. At this point, the conversation shifts to your priorities in your build… since we are not paying for the thing.
Conclusion: Strong Steel with Some Real Guts
If you are the one paying for it, the Dubili’s price of $249.99 seems a bit steep when compared to the $500 list price of the Asus ROG Hyperion. The Be Quiet Shadow Base 800 DX is priced around $185 for comparison, while the Cooler Master MasterBox 520 Mesh costs about $100. Do any of the cheaper cases look nearly as sharp? You be the judge.
Good computer cases have traditionally had a square back panel attached to the inside of the back pane, and In Win’s decision to use a cheaper foldable tab design on the high-priced Dubili left us with many questions: why risk alienating customers? Personally, I have no issue using Dubili in a commercial build designed to stay together until it becomes outdated, but I don’t want to risk scratching my parts during the frequent card swapping in my computer. It’s not a big deal if you tend to build and rebuild your computer with years between rounds, but we wouldn’t use Dubili as a testing machine that frequently changes out new graphics cards.
However, once assembled, it looks great and performs wonderfully. If you like its somewhat Mac Pro-like look on a Windows desktop, you’ll also enjoy effective cooling performance with Dubili – not to mention the envy of your peers.
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/pc-cases/21236/in-win-dubili
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