X-bit labs

Four Mainstream Cases Reviewed: New Models in Middle Tower Class (page 3)

Category: Other

by Vasily Melnik

[ 08/07/2007 | 06:45 PM ]

There is a large air inlet below the external bays.

Lower yet is a group of interface connectors whose configuration is typical for system cases from this brand:

We guess only people from ASUS know why there are four USB ports here which are all so close together. An ordinary user doesn’t need so many USB ports on the front panel. Two USB connectors suffice for quickly plugging in small peripherals whereas permanently attached devices are better connected to the rear panel to avoid having a tangle of cables in front of the system case.

The front air inlet is impressively big:

Unfortunately, these are pure decorations. There is an ordinary 80mm fan inside, without any dust filter.

There is a small plastic wave on the side door to the right of the air inlet.

It makes it easier for the user to take the side panel off and put it back again. It is a sort of a handle (but you should not hold on to it when you are carrying your assembled PC; it is not meant for such a heavy load). The side panel is quite an ordinary thing except for its shape:

There is a large air inlet opposite the CPU cooler:

This should ensure good CPU cooling, but the inlet lacks a dust filter, too.