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External
Features :::...
Case
feet that rotate outwards for stability aren't exactly a
new idea, but Casetek have done an unusually good job with
their implementation. To begin with, there are detent stops
in both positions, a small but nice touch. Secondly, and
more importantly, the feet, despite being plastic, still
sit on large rubber inserts which isolates vibration and
stops sliding if the case is sat on a hard surface. It's
the small touches like this that elevate a good case to
the realms of the great.
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Case
Feet
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Here's
a closer look at that LCD multi-function display. Seven
buttons skirt the dark display that, despite being cleverly
billed as 120mm wide, is in actual fact only 80mm wide.
The 120mm measurement is from the outside of the chrome
trim. A little creative marketing in action there!
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The
"Eye"
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The
eye is the actual control center and displays a lot of system
information including temperatures from the three sensors,
HDD activity, power status, fan speeds for seven channels.
Time and date are also shown along with a graphic equaliser
style fan speed setting readout.
Alarms
can be set for all three temperature channels.
The
button with the key logo is used to lock the other buttons
to avoid accidental changes being made and is activated/deactivated
by pressing it for around 3 seconds.
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The
"Eye" Schematic
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The
effect from the back-lit display is very cool but as with
any LCD it has a fairly limited viewing angle. The display
would certainly benefit from either a backlight brightness
or an LCD contrast control, neither of which it has.
The
colours seem a little washed out and there's a reason for
this. Although billed as a colour LCD, this isn't strictly
true. Yes it's capable of displaying different colours but
unlike a true LCD display it does this by using a monochrome
LCD display and placing coloured gels or translucent paints
behind the different elements then letting the backlight
shine though them. This means less saturation, brightness
and contrast than you'd get from a genuine colour LCD readout.
Still, it's big and bold and certain to catch the eye, and
it's less washed out in the flesh than it seems in this
picture.
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The
"Eye" at Night
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Front
Door Opened
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Because
it needs to remember your fan settings and also the time
and date, the rear of the eye features and easy-to-get-to
battery. There's also a reset switch and C/F temperature
selector here too along with the grill for the warning speaker.
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LCD
"Eye" Rear Casing
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An
idea I really like is that just as the front door can be
swung open, so too can the front fascia panel. This is a
simply brilliant idea and one that really makes you wonder
why other manufacturers make the process so fiddly.
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Front
Fascia Open
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Considering
this case shows so much attention to detail, there's one
thing that bugs the hell out of me, and it's that the removable
front air filter doesn't align withy the intake grill in
the fascia. something made worse by the fact that you can
see the misaligned filter through it.
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Air
Filter Misalignment
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Once
the fascia has been opened it can then be removed by simply
lifting it out of the locating holes. This can only be done
with the front panel open past a certain point
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Fascia
Quick Release Hinge
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The
locking latch is a double action unit in that it secures
both the front panel fascia and also the front door simultaneously.
That seems like a good idea but if the fascia catches weaken
over time you may find that pulling on the front door opens
the whole lot, so in that respect I'd prefer to be able
to secure the door and front panel individually.
Having
the front panel locked when you carry the case is an extremely
good idea because believe me, you don't want to be carrying
this case with you valuable system loaded inside it by holding
it under its front panel then having it swing open on you!
It hasn't happened to me (touch wood), but I've "lived"
the experience quite a few times in my mind.
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Fascia
Locking Latch/ and Button Spring
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I
hate to see cheap, plastic-sprung buttons used on any case
by the way, particularly when it's been melted on and can't
be replaced like this one has. I'm sure real springs aren't
THAT expensive!
The
lock that secures the front panel and door also prevents
access to the small locking knob lurking behind, which is
used to secure the side panel. So in a sense this one lock
secures three individual access panels. The fact that the
same key is used by just about every lockable case on the
market isn't something that most case manufacturers seem
to think is a security weakness for some reason.
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Front
Internal Features
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Above
you can see the front removable and washable air filter,
the side panel locking knob and thubbscrew which secures
the removable 3.5" drive cage. To the bottom left is
where the data cable for the LCD panel plugs in This can
be unplugged when removing the door or fascia panel.
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