Aerocool has been in the pc case market for more than two decades now. This time around, they are introducing the Bolt. Packing an acrylic side panel and 13 RGB lighting modes, will the Aerocool Bolt be worth your hard-earned cash? Let’s find out.
| Case Size | Mid Tower |
| Dimensions | 194 x 444 x 410mm (WHD) |
| Steel Thickness | 0.5mm |
| Motherboard Support | ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX |
| Drive Support | 2x 3.5-inch, 2x 2.5-inch |
| Expansion Slots | 7 |
| GPU Clearance | 355mm (without front fans) |
| CPU Cooler Clearance | 155mm |
| I/O Ports | 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, 2x 3.5mm audio jack, Power and Reset Buttons, LED Control |
| Fan Mounts | Rear: 1x 120mm (included), Front: 3x 120mm, Top: 2x 120mm, Shroud: 2x 120mm |
| Liquid Cooling | 240mm (front-mounted) |
| Weight | 3.38kg |
| PSU Support | ATX PSU |
The Aerocool Bolt supports ATX, micro-ATX, mini-ITX motherboards. There is a shroud that covers the bottom portion of the case although there is a cutout to show off the power supply.
The shroud can fit two 120mm fans to blow cool air to the GPU. These fans might make cable management for the front-port connectors as they block some of the space that can be used for these cables.
The Bolt can carry standard ATX power supplies. In our experience, however, the PSU mount can be a tight fit especially for modular PSUs. The mount also comes with a removable dust filter at the bottom to prevent dust entering the PSU.
Just beside the PSU area are mounts for two 3.5-inch hard drives. 2.5-inch drives like SSDs are mounted at the front to add flair to your build while covering some of the cable routing holes. The front drives can only be oriented with the connectors facing up as the remaining holes are used for the drive’s cables.
At the top of the case are its power and reset buttons, two 3.5mm audio jacks for mic and headphones, two USB 2.0 ports, and a single USB 3.0 port.
The Aerocool Bolt’s party piece is its RGB lighting at the front. Although it doesn’t support RGB sync technologies from other brands, it does come with 13 preset lighting modes. The modes can be changed via large button at the top of the case. The RGB strips for the lighting are powered by a SATA connection instead of an aging MOLEX connector.
The Aerocool Bolt comes with a single 120mm fan at the back for exhaust. The top can house two 120mm fans and comes with a magnetic dust filter. The front can have three 120mm fans and can mount a 240mm radiator since the bottom 120mm fan is blocked by the PSU shroud.
Unfortunately, the front fans of the Aerocool Bolt don’t have dust filters included. This may lead to dust build up inside the case.
There’s barely any space between the rear fan and the motherboard. Removing the fan may become a requirement when installing a motherboard.
Routing cables at the top portion of the case may need some pre-planning as there’s almost no space between the motherboard and the top cutout.
Cable management at the rear of the case can be a bit of a hassle since there’s minimal space at the back. The recessed back cover does help a bit with the space constraints but thicker cables can become a problem.
Without the front fans, the Aerocool Bolt can carry up to 355mm graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 Founders Edition fits comfortably on the case but installing a radiator at the front will significantly lessen the space for the GPU and its cable.
Covers on the seven expansion slots on the case are of single use only. Aerocool has thrown in a single reusable expansion cover although those who will convert to a dual GPU solution to a single graphics card may find themselves lacking expansion slot covers.
The acrylic side panel of the Aercool Bolt is smoked to add flash to your build. Though not as premium as tempered glass, acrylic side panels don’t break unexpectedly. It is a bit of a fingerprint magnet and it can be easily scratched so handling it with care is an absolute necessity.
Priced at PhP 2,150, the Aerocool Bolt looks more premium than it actually is. Aercool has made several sacrifices to make the case cheaper to reach a larger audience. The tight cable management system, low amount of drive support, and a lack of front intake dust filter might turn off some people.
Its RGB lighting system is also bit limited since it doesn’t support any of the other brand’s lighting systems. Controlling the 13 RGB lighting presets is easy as it is controlled by a single button.
The Aerocool Bolt has its faults but its smoked acrylic side panel and clean-looking RGB lighting system looks cool enough to warrant the case a consideration for your rig.
