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1 Have you ever fancied a PC case that oozes style as well as bountiful space to play in? Then it is time to check out the APNX Creator C1! The mid-tower size enclosure is available in a choice of either black, white or an interesting bluey-purple pearlescent finish marketed as ChromaFlair. APNX stands for Aerocool Performance Nexus by the way!
Pc Builders….Assemble!
I have been lucky to review PC cases over the last few years and the thing that I really love to see is innovations in design. Every case always brings to the table something clever that either makes the process of building a PC easier or adds a layer of engineering that allows you to build in more imaginable ways.
The APNX Creator C1 is seemingly no stranger to this world, having been awarded the prestigious iF Design Award for 2024. Let’s see what it is all about.
Design
Unpacking the box you are greeted by a futuristic-looking electro-galvanised steel cuboid with a glass side. The external measurements are 230mm wide, 502mm high and 464mm deep. I was sent the eye-catching ChromaFlair version.
The first thing that stands out, other than the changing colour of the case, is that every 0.8mm panel is press-clipped. No annoying thumbscrews to lose and very easy access when you need it.
Panels
The front and part of the side panel are one L-shaped mesh piece. The top panel which comprises of a long front-to-back machine-cut piece of steel, provides cutouts for the header buttons and sockets as well as further ventilation through the pressed-out holes. The righthand side that conceals the wiring looms is a partly solid panel that allows for further cooling via its mesh cutouts. Finally, you have the viewing gallery area that is adorned by a large glass panel.
Functionality
The I/O ports host the standard HD audio and mic socket along with 2x USB 3.0, 1x USB C, an LED lighting controller button and of course the power button for bringing the PC to life.
At the rear of the case, 7 expansion slots are waiting for you.
Internally, the APNX Creator C1 allows you to host either a mini ITX, Micro ATX or ATX-sized motherboard. In the handy box of screws and velcro ties you are supplied with the tool to move the stand-off screws around to match your mobo holes.
With a maximum GPU length of 395mm, you have plenty of space to install anything up to a dreamy, one day I’ll win the lottery, Nvidia 4090 card. There is even a hinged arm to help to support the longer cards.
Cooling
The APNX Creator C1 case comes preloaded with 3 30mm deep FP1 – 140mm ARGB intake fans installed in the front and 1 – 120mm ARGB at the rear for exhaust. In addition, there is further space for 3 – 120mm or 2 – 140mm air-flinging wonders at the top as well as 3 – 120mm fans on the side just behind the front intakes.
Liquid cooling is available at the top and side of the case up to 360mm as well as 120mm at the rear. There is no allowance for a radiator at the front.
When it comes to CPU coolers, the Creator C1 case allows for a maximum of 166mm high. This is handy when the APNX AP1-V cooler is 165mm.
A handy fan hub is included to give functionality to the ARGB lighting and power needs for up to 5 fans. The ARGB fans can be daisy-chained if you have more lighting, however, you will either need to get a larger hub or separately connect to your motherboard if you need further fan power supplies.
Bays & Cables
Storage-wise there is a clever removable tray that is vertically mounted on the righthand side of the case behind the motherboard. Using its pre-configured holes that have been indicated for use, you can choose to install a maximum of 3 – 3.5″ HDDs or 3 – 2.5″ SSDs. They each are mounted on the inside of the tray facing the motherboard, ensuring that when the final cover is installed there is nothing in the way.
There is a 40mm deep space for cable management that allows for easy routing with no risk of making that side panel bulge. The aforementioned removable tray also helps to conceal and retain any ugly wires or spare power plugs.
Lastly, there is the 270mm deep PSU bay. Similar to the Bequiet! cases, a frame detaches from the case to then be screwed onto the PSU and inserted into place from the outside.
Ease of Building
With the case in pieces, the APNX Creator C1 in ChromaFlair reassembled the scene from Marvel’s Avengers Infinity War when Nebula is suspended with her parts exploded outwards. Crazy analogy I know, but with the similar colours and metallic look it made me chuckle.
I started by installing the additional white APNX FP2 ARGB 120mm PWM fans, that I had been kindly sent, into the roof of the case. I was burnt before when I installed the motherboard first and then struggled due to clearance when installing extra exhaust fans. The fan frames were 30mm deep, much deeper than the usual fans I have come across, however, I needn’t have been worried as there was so much room available.
Interestingly, the metal-framed FP2 fans come with separate reverse fan blades so that you can change the direction of the airflow without having to remount the case. A clever solution to an issue that I thought up until now was just “how it was.”
Deployment
The micro ATX mobo deployed with ease onto the standoffs allowing me to begin installing the white APNX AP1-V High Performance 5 Pipe CPU air cooler. Resembling a large white cube with a 120mm PWM ARGB fan inside, there was certainly an eye-catching minimalistic look to be had. Installing the CPU cooler frame to the motherboard was methodical although the instruction book can confuse if you look too closely at the pictures of what holes screws go into.
Power
With the fans and motherboard installed it was onto the PSU. The simple process of attaching the rectangular frame to the power pack and sliding it into the case was an easy affair. The power cables routed easily to each of the areas demanding an electrical supply thanks to the deep cable management areas and cutouts around the motherboard. The design of the APNX Creator C1 is very well thought out.
GPU & Peripherals
The Nvidia 3060 GPU slotted in easily and it was nice to see that there was a hinged arm already present to help support the longer GPUs such as the 4080 Super and 4090.
After securing the HDD and 2 SSDs to the mesh panel I did have a mild panic that I had secured them onto the wrong side. Thankfully I hadn’t, I was just not putting the panel back quite right into the case! I liked how the hole cutouts helped you establish where each drive can go. It was quick and intuitive.
As far as building PCs go, the APNX Creator C1 was spacious to work with and methodical
Performance
With the case all cabled up I was delighted when I pressed the power button and it all sprung to life. Even though you know it will, or should, work, this is the moment where you can’t help but feel both pleased and excited as you marvel at the success of your labour.
Noise
I was expecting the FP1 and FP2 fans to be loud. Especially in a very meshed-out case. They are 5mm deeper than most others on the market, however, these stylish PWM and ARGB fans span up relatively silently. They began drawing in air through the front and venting through the top very well.
FP1&2 Air Flow
The claim by APNX is that the deeper fans improve cooling power by 30 to 50% in comparison to 25mm deep fans. While the fans were running at a far lower rpm and keeping the temps lower than I had before on this particular PC, I would argue that the fans on my other case, be quiet!’s Silent Wings Pro 4, do just slightly beat the FP2‘s stats and are 25mm deep. I imagine it depends on what manufacturer of fan you go up against. Either way, they do the job, look great when lit up, and add a modern style.
AP1 Temps
The AP1-V CPU cooler performed marginally better than the previous Cooler Master Hyper 212. The extra 6mm copper heat pipe clearly gave it the edge when it came to heat dissipation. The Ryzen 5 3600 was down around 5 degrees when in action.
Once more, the white cube-like style provided a feature to gaze at through the side window of the PC case. With it all lit in sync with the fans it provided a futuristic pazazz.
Ease of Use
The functionality provided by the APNX Creator C1 case made any tweaking or swapping out of parts easy to perform. Having the case push-fit together rather than on thumb screws was a blessing but still made me wince slightly as tugging on a piece of glass feels like a recipe for disaster. All I would say is remember which case you are working on!
Final Thoughts
I look for a few things when reviewing PC cases. Style, engineering, space and price. The APNX Creator C1 certainly has style and brings to the table a gorgeous metallic affair in the ChromaFlair pearlescent colour. The engineering that comes with the way the case comes apart and the features that it includes, such as good cable management ways and openings scores well in my books. There is a bountiful amount of space for activities too. Finally the price. On Overclockers website it is just below £100 which I feel is the right price for what you are getting. The case is not flimsy, does not feel cheap and looks premium. The fitment of the panels is beautiful and discreet.
The AP1-V CPU fan and FP2 120mm PWM fans will not break the bank, retailing at around £39.95 and £14.99 respectively. They provide a unique style in their size and shape. The ARGB lighting is well-worked and can be managed through either the LED button on the case or via the motherboard ARGB connection. While there are better fans out there in terms of volumetric airflow, for the price and style you can’t go wrong.
The APNX Creator C1 ChromaFlair Mid Tower Case and fans all score a Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: Samples were received in order to write this review.
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