Cougar Blazer review - Final Words & Conclusion

Final Words & Conclusion

It’s time for the conclusion. The Cougar Blazer is a very interesting chassis. It’s not meant for daily use for sure, as it’s very open (yeah, it’s an open-frame design), and you’ve got no fan filters here. Still, the internal layout is very traditional, with the PSU installed on the bottom of the case, so you shouldn’t have problems with the overall concept of the build. The installation process is rather straightforward, and you shouldn’t have any major issues here either. The build quality is very good. It’s a Cougar, so you’ll find some orange accents here. This might create a colour matching issue for some builds. But on the other hand, you get two tempered glass panels, and you can show off your gear (custom loops are definitely preferred) in a great manner.

Features

You don’t get any fans here (you’d probably swap them out anyway), nor any RGB, but this is not an issue given what the market offers. You can’t install the GPU vertically, either. Liquid cooling capacity is fair, as you can install a 360 mm rad on the right side of the case, and a 240 mm one on the top. There’s enough space for 350 mm long GPUs, 160 mm tall CPU coolers (but you will probably choose an AIO or custom cooling anyway),  and 180 mm long PSUs. This is enough for typical builds. The I/O cables are sleeved (except the USB one), and the I/O panel has a standard set of two USB ports, audio jacks, and power + reset buttons. 

Aesthetics

Looks are always a subjective matter. The design of the new BLAZER is very unique, as it’s an open-frame design. The aluminium and the two tempered glass panel make it look quite premium. It’s a pity that only a version with the orange accents is available. An all-black one would be a great option. There’s a bit too much branding here (the logos on the tempered glass panels are excessive, and so is the one on the front panel).

The Verdict

The Cougar BLAZER receives an “Approved” award. It’s an above-average-sized chassis that offers a good set of features wrapped in a unique, open-frame design. It’s an all-aluminium frame with two tempered glass panels, and that makes it a premium product. It’s not a chassis for a daily setup. You won’t get any fans here (but you’d likely install your own ones/AIO anyway), nor fan filters (due to the type of the case). You can use ATX motherboards, quite hefty water-cooling radiators (360 + 240 mm), and 160 mm air coolers. Theoretically, you can install even up to five 2.5” drives or two 3.5” ones. The build quality is great. It’s a pity that only a black-and-orange version is available (orange is Cougar’s signature slash house style colour). An all-black option would be a good idea. The build went pretty well, but you need to keep in mind the tight PSU frame. You also need to install the drives on the backside of the motherboard before installing the MoBo itself. On that note: it’s better to use a motherboard with an integrated I/O shield to avoid the risk of damaging the back panel. The branding is a bit excessive: the logos on the tempered glass panels are not really necessary, and they might cover the name of your PSU. The front logo is also not really needed, and the one over the I/O shield would have been enough. The price of the BLAZER is 249.99 USD. That's quite steep, but it’s also completely justified for a premium product.

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