New Technologies

by By Jim Sanders--PC QA SIG Leader - December 02, 2000 at 23:29:44:

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The New Technologies morning SIG. demonstration was a new, all aluminum, mid-tower PC case. For several years, I had a favorite mid-tower baby AT case that I used when I built a new system for a customer. It was my favorite case because it included several nice design features and several quality construction features. When the ATX form factor case started replacing the Baby AT, I started looking for one that was as good as my Baby-AT favorite. Through several trade shows, including at least four COMDEX shows, Web searches, and trade magazines, I failed to find anything that I could give much more than a tepid approval.

This changed when I was picking up some removable hard disk adaptors at a distributor I use and the sales person rather timidly asked if I would like to see a new computer case which he had taken a trial shipment of from Lian Li. He apologetically mentioned that it was more expensive than other mid-tower cases, but that it was made out of aluminum. The very first thing that caught my eye when he showed me the picture in a brochure, was the exposed drive bay count of four 5.25" and three 3.5" bays. The number four has become important for people interested in multimedia. A DVD drive, a CD-R/W drive, a removable hard disk adaptor, and the front panel controls for the Sound Blaster Live, and you are sold out. A floppy disk, a ZIP drive and a SCSI tape back-up unit wipes out the exposed 3.5" bays, but there are still three hidden 3.5" bays. With a lesser case, you run out of bays before you even get started.

As I started examining the case, I was pleased with the number of common but nice features. Also pleasing was the number of uncommon good features, and the number of innovative features that I found standard on this case. In the first category:

• Both sides slide back and tilt off after using your fingers to remove two “knurled knob” screws.

• The front panel is held in place by four smoothly functioning snap-in clips.

• The 3.5" bay slides out.

• The four “feet” on the bottom are locked in place instead of stick ons.

• There is extra cooling from a front intake fan.

In the uncommon category:

• Not just one, but two front intake fans.

• An easily removed, washable mesh air filter for the front fans.

• Lightweight because of the all aluminum construction, but also better heat dissipation.

• A number of edges are rolled for extra strength and smoothness.

• The entire motherboard panel slides out after removing four screws with your fingers.

• An additional exhaust fan in the back panel.

• All eight of the back panel slot covers are held in place with the “knurled knob” screws.

• An included retaining clip for the DC power cables.

• One internal edge that cables might rub against is covered with a plastic edge protector.

• A quality front panel power switch with audio feedback, aka, a solid sounding click.

In the innovative category:

• A three-position, speed control switch for the front fans.

• A separate, master disconnect connector for the front panel switch/indicator cable harness so you don’t have to remove the motherboard connections when you slide out the motherboard sub-chassis.

• The four 5.25" front panel RFI panels are each held in place with a couple of reusable plastic clips.

• The 3.5" shields use a reusable tab-in-slot construction.

• The power supply mounting plate is held in place with four “knurled knob” screws.

• The hidden 3.5" bay frame is not only removable, but mounts to the bottom of the case directly in the air flow from the two front fans for improved hard disk cooling.

I have two suggestions for improving this case. The first would be to use clinch-nuts on the back panel where the four screws that hold the side panels on are located, ditto for the four screws that hold the motherboard sub-chassis in place. The second would be to incorporate a door, on the front panel, that when open would give access to a couple of USB ports.

At $185.00 for the case and a standard 300 watt power supply, or $195.00 and the Enermax 350 watt supply, you have to be serious about wanting a well-designed quality case, but worth the investment in my opinion. I would strongly recommend the Enermax 350watt supply. Not only for the additional power, but also because fact that it has a second fan on the bottom of the power supply case that blows air into the PS case and directly onto the heat sink fins. This fan is larger than the standard exhaust fan and is temperature controlled. All of the DC power cables are long enough to reach in a full tower case. In addition, it has three separate peripheral equipment power runs with three power connectors on each run. To sum up, a case that I am proud to sell, to recommend, to use and to own.

Distributed by JCL, 2900 E. La Cresta Ave, Anaheim CA 92806 phone (714) 666-8988, fax (714) 666-8088.

Next month—COMDEX Review

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