Launched as a standalone brand in 2021 by iBuyPower, HYTE hasn’t been in the PC case-making business for very long, but the company already has three chassis under its belt. It all started with a splash with the ITX Revolt 3 tower case. Then, there was Y60, and now we have the slightly smaller Y40. A few color options were available with the HYTE Y40, but there hasn’t been an option for an all-white scheme … until now. There’s absolutely nothing different between the Y40 versions aside from paint coating, so today, we’re reviewing the HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition alongside all other Y40 cases.
The chassis is easy to work with, especially if you’re using smaller components. An ATX motherboard will fit just fine, and so too will larger graphics cards, although 360mm radiators will be a tight squeeze on the top panel. Heat is a problem with the HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition, much like some other best PC cases with restricted airflow, and will be something HYTE needs to work on for a second version.
The price is also pretty steep, even with the included PCIe riser cable for mounting a GPU vertically. But if you don’t mind louder fan curves and higher temperatures than competitor cases like the NZXT H5 Flow RGB, you’ll have a blast creating a stunning PC with the HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition.
Source: HYTE
HYTE Y40 Snow Edition
Stylish white case
The HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition is a good PC case to build a compact ATX system inside. It’s easy to build a system with and the design is stunning, but we’re concerned about the lack of internal cable management and tight spacing up top.
Pros
- Stunning all-white design
- Supports up to a single 360mm radiator
- Two tempered glass side panels
- External rear I/O cable management
Cons
- Internal cable management
- Tight spacing for top-mounted radiator
- Not the coolest or quietest PC case
Pricing and availability
The HYTE Y40 has an MSRP of $150, and this Snow White Edition will set you back the exact same amount. HYTE has a consistent pricing scheme across its Y40 color range, and there aren’t any specification differences, which makes the choice come down to personal preference alone.
Hardware design
A smaller version of the HYTE Y60
The HYTE Y60 was a resounding success for the company, so it only made sense we’d see more chassis following the same language, and here we are with the HYTE Y40. First and foremost, just like the Y60, there’s a lot of glass. Both the front and left-side panels are full glass, showcasing everything inside. This will create quite the look with a few RGB components and fans.
The front panel has a metal white lower section with I/O and a full sheet of glass for the top. It’s the same deal on the left-side panel. The top and right-side panels are completely bare, aside from ventilation. The rear of the Y40 is the usual ATX chassis affair with PCI slots, cut-out for the motherboard rear I/O, and a PSU bracket. It looks the part even before installing components. All panels can be quickly removed without a screwdriver, aiding the build process immensely.
The HYTE Y40, surprisingly, supports graphics cards up to 422mm in length. This makes it possible to install even an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 inside a smaller ATX chassis. HYTE even includes a PCI riser bracket and cable that can be used to mount the GPU vertically. Interestingly, when removing the panels, you’ll notice HYTE branding almost everywhere. There’s plenty of dust filtering, which is great for keeping out unwanted particles.
The preinstalled PCI riser is also a nice touch for allowing the installation of the GPU vertically.
In terms of fans and radiator support, it’s possible to install up to seven 120mm fans and up to a 360mm radiator on the top panel. There’s space only for a single 3.5-inch or two 2.5-inch drives, meaning owners of the HYTE Y40 will have to rely on M.2 form factor storage for maximum capacity. The horizontal PCI slots are half-height, which should be factored in when installing additional cards for storage or networking.
One of the fans is located below the PSU shroud toward the front of the case. Because of how everything is laid out, it can prove challenging to manage cables, especially when working with a non-modular power supply.
Building a PC and performance
It’s easy(ish)
Just like NZXT, HYTE makes countless touches that make building a PC inside branded cases a joy. That’s mostly the case (pun intended) here with the Y40 Snow White Edition, but there were some instances where I was left baffled. The lack of any cable management behind the motherboard tray was a shock to the system. I understand this is a more affordable chassis at the $150 mark, but to have only cable tie holes for keeping everything tidy is not enough.
Removing all the panels is easy, installing the motherboard is straightforward too and the included manual does help walk through some steps to create a PC.
This could make it difficult for those with less experience building PCs and managing cables to figure out how to route everything. Still, removing all the panels was easy, installing the motherboard was straightforward, and the included manual does help walk through some of the steps. Being able to fit a 360mm radiator inside the Y40 Snow White Edition is a feat in itself, even if its performance will be hampered by weaker airflow.
Temperatures are toasty inside the HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition. Testing an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X and Intel Core i9-13900K, our NZXT Kraken 360mm radiator-touting AIO struggled to maintain stable temperatures. Three 120mm fans are used as intake (one underneath the shroud and two on the side), while four are utilized for exhausting hot air. There doesn’t seem to be much point in having the fan installed underneath the shroud. It’s partially covered by the shroud itself, with only a handful of slits to allow air to pass through. I’d open up more of this space to allow it to work better or even cut away some of the shrouding to hide the PSU only.
Using two fans on the side panel would work better with a 240mm AIO radiator placement, as the 320mm mounting up top can prove tricky to install. Our Corsair Vengeance Pro DDR5 RAM seemed to be too tall and interfered with the AIO fan installation. I was able to install the fan, but it’s a tight squeeze, and the fan and hot RAM module do touch. Even with an Intel Core i5-13600K, you will hear the fans ramp up hard to keep it from melting, and that’s after I configured an almost silent fan curve without being too aggressive.
HYTE Y40 vs. Y60: What are the differences?
More space inside a smaller chassis, go figure!
There are a few notable differences between the HYTE Y40 and HYTE Y60 PC cases. The first is dimensions. The Y40 measures 439x 239x472mm vs. the Y60’s 456x285x462 mm. Then, there’s vertical GPU mounting support, which is improved with the newer Y40, supporting 4-slot graphics cards compared to just 3-slot with the Y60. Having more space between the GPU itself and the side panel glass helps reduce card temperatures by providing more room to breathe.
The HYTE Y60 will allow for better overall thermal performance with an additional fan and larger internal space. It’s also easier to work with when it comes to installing hardware and routing cables behind the motherboard. The choice of the HYTE Y40 vs. Y60 comes down to preference on chassis size and what kind of hardware you’ll be installing.
HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition: Should you buy it?
You should buy the HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition if:
- You want a stylish white case
- You’re building with an ATX motherboard
- You want to show off some nice RGB
- You don’t mind lower CPU speeds
You should NOT buy the HYTE Y40 Snow White Edition if:
- You’re on a budget
- You have a larger build
- Your PC will run hot
I’m a fan of the HYTE brand, so the HYTE Y40 left me a bit disappointed. The dimensions are great, making it compact enough for smaller, less powerful builds. But supporting ATX motherboards and up to a 360mm radiator, HYTE is opening up room for an Intel Core i9-13900K or an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X.
This is where things turn for the worse as temperatures are difficult to manage with a mid-tower processor, let alone a flagship chip from either company. I found the Core i9-13900K thermal throttling considerably more than other PC cases, and this is down to the airflow. It feels a little too restricted inside the HYTE Y40.
If HYTE could address our complaints with a second revision, this chassis would be a winner.
Negative pressure occurs when fans exhaust more hot air than cool air is being drawn in, forcing the PC case to suck cooler air through gaps and other parts. If the case was made ever-so-slightly larger and supporting a few more fans, this may help. The cable management is just not there, either. There’s not a single routing channel, which isn’t great, but HYTE did go as far as working in cable tie points on the rear for the I/O.
The Y40 Snow White Edition looks amazing, however. If you’re a fan of this chassis design and don’t mind lowering CPU speeds slightly to accommodate the weaker thermal performance, the Y40 is a good pick with plenty of glass for show. The preinstalled PCI riser is also a nice touch for allowing the installation of the GPU vertically. If HYTE could address our complaints with a second revision, this chassis would be a winner.
Source: HYTE
HYTE Y40 Snow Edition
Stylish and compact
The HYTE Y40 is the company’s third case launch and is a smaller ATX version of the impressive Y60. With less space to work with, this case has plenty going for it and can fit larger GPUs and motherboards, but there are a few complaints we’d like to see addressed with a second version. This is the Snow White Edition which has a stunning all-white design.