X-bit labs

Cooler Master Media 260 HTPC Case: One Step Away from Perfection (page 2)

Category: Multimedia

by Vasily Melnik

[ 06/20/2006 | 10:51 AM ]

Exterior Design and Features

The case is shipped in a plain gray box with a Cooler Master logotype, which looks rather too small for a box with a product from such a famous brand. The box lacks a handle, so you may find it inconvenient to carry it to your home in your hands: it is not very heavy, but it doesn’t fit in under your arm.

The box contains one of the most harmoniously designed HTPC cases:

The front panel is laconic, bearing just the really necessary things. The tray of the optical drive is on the right. The remote control’s sensor is below it.

A display is in the middle of the front panel:

The display itself is smaller than it seems:

The plastic piece that makes it visually larger is just an element of design (and of a very good design, I should say). Interface connectors and controls are hidden under a cover on the left:

We’ve got two USB 2.0 ports here, headphones and microphone sockets, and a FireWire port. The Power and Reset buttons are made of chromium-like plastic and match the overall design of the case perfectly: