With all the companies getting into the business of PC cases today, its hard to get a case to stand out. Cases today range from plain beige boxes to some of the strangest looking beasts you’ve ever seen. What people think of these cases is all a matter of personal taste. Personally, I can go for some lighting effects and other types of modifications, but I tend to be a little conservative in what I will tolerate. To me, its more important to have a practical, easy-to-use case than it is to have one that could easily serve as a lamp.

The Maxtop CSX-7788KEB-Win is a case that does stand out in the huge sea of PC cases on the market. The case which Maxtop sent our way had a customized side window as well as dual tri-color CCFLs, but the case also has built-in color-changing bubble tubes on the front bezel. In short, this case will go off like a Christmas tree if you want it to. But, underneath all the fruity lights, the case is a very practical one, offering many of the things I look for in a decent case.

When I got the case, it came double-boxed as well as wrapped in a plastic bag. Once I unburied the case, I noticed that Maxtop had crammed it full of accessory features: A CCFL kit, a crystal LED fan and a blue-tinted side window. It should be mentioned at this point that the CSX-7788KEB typically comes without a side window. This is a custom feature which can be had for an additional $16. The CCFL kit can be purchased from Maxtop for an additional $16 and the LED fan is another $5. The case is typically bought on Newegg.com, but the accessories will need to be bought direct from Maxtop. These extras are, of course, packaged with it for review purposes. Other than these extra frills, the case has the usual stack of screws, a few small manuals, a power cord for the included power supply (nice touch to see a power supply included in the unit) and an I/O shield.

Okay, so I’ve given you the inventory of what was in the box. But, what about actually building a system with it? Read on…