-- Finishing up and Conclusions
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Once the first side panel is installed, start
piecing together your system like you normally do. I used an Epox 8K7A Mobo, AMD 1.4Ghz Tbird, Crucial PC2700 DDR
ram and some other components. It's smooth sailing from here.
The motherboard fit very nicely, all brass
standoffs lined up perfectly. The expansion slots lined up also,
screws are included to get these secured in case you don't have any.
I used an Antec 300W, that also went in
without any problems. The holes lined up perfectly again, extra
long screws are included to secure your PSU. So what does it look
like?
Not too bad at all! I thought it
would look a bit goofy with the drives being seen in clear view, but
it's a nice change from the norm. Please note, the other side
panel shown in the above picture has two pre-cut holes for fans.
If you want to install some, make sure you pick some up beforehand
because this kit does not come with any. There's also a top
blowhole, rear exhaust and front intake. Good enough to put a few
fans in to get the air flow going.
Of course, us folks here at GT love lights
of all forms,
we just had to put something in this case:
The front of the case has blue LEDs for the
power/reset, a very nice touch. I was planning on throwing in my own
blues if this one came with the pale yellow.
There we have it, the first ever DIY
acrylic case on the market. Aside from shoddy instructions and
small quirks during installation, the case is very well built. I
actually sat on it to see if it would bend or break. I weigh about
185lbs, and it just did a slight bend, so I'm sure it should hold up to
normal wear and tear. I was quite surprised on how well each piece
attached to each other. All the holes lined up correctly, which
was a concern I had before this case came.
A concern you may have is whether or not
there's any vibration because of the way the 3.5" drives are
attached to the rails. As far as my setup went, there wasn't any
major problems with noise or vibration while the system was on.
Overall, I would recommend this case to
only a select group of people. It is not a user friendly DIY case,
UNLESS something is done with the instructions. But, if you're
good with these types of things, this is the perfect weekend project for
the hardware warrior.
Thanks to DesignComp
for sending over this new kit, give them a look if you're in need of
acrylic and other cases.
Update 07/26/02: Andrew from
DesignComp has notified us that the instructions will be revamped!
And a packing list of all items will be included too. I took off a
negative notch below for this update. Good to hear that a retailer
is following through and fixing up what is necessary.
Pros:
- Pieces fit perfectly
- All materials included
- Very sturdy construction
- Looks amazing in the dark with a CCFL
- Blue LEDs used on front panel
Cons:
- Horrible instructions (* will be corrected in the next
revision, points not deducted)
- Face Plate very hard to secure
- Case speaker does not fit correctly
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