Posted: October 17th, 2002
Written by: Justin "The Sheriff" Woods

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A closer look a the case front shows the 4 LEDS, which are used to indicate power, hard drive activity, and 2 spares for a second drive, or whatever you want to connect to it. Notice the shiny silver power button, a very nice detail. The square area above the LEDS is for the locking mechanism on the door. To the right, you can see the 4 LED extensions which allow you to see activity while the case door is closed, this is a nice touch. Above them, is the lock, which is in an open position in this photo. The door is made of plastic and is light, but sturdy, and swings open and closed with almost no effort. The back of the case is clean and you can see the 2 additional included 80mm fans. These fans are installed in little

After you remove the bay covers, you are presented with metal slats. I always remove these, because they tend to vibrate with fast CD ROM drives, and taking them out allows you more freedom for installing additional drives later. This also gives you more arm room whenever you work on the case. To remove them, take a slotted screwdriver and pry them open, then using your hand, pry them up and down until the small tabs break loose. This can take a little work, so if they don't pop out right away, don't worry, the are in there pretty tight. After removing them, the edges were surprisingly smooth, and I didn't scratch or cut myself when inserting my CD ROM.

The lock on the side of the case is extremely easy to use. A simple press toward the front of the case releases the side panel, which swings out towards you. This is also lockable. I have to admit, I like this feature. The lock is smooth and feels solid, and is clearly marked for those of us who are symbol challenged.

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