There was a time when many enthusiasts were content with buying a beige box. Overtime, mostly due to the popularity of LAN parties, enthusiasts would begin to customize their rig. In some cases, these modifications were functional, but in most cases, it was for aesthetic reasons. Everyone wants to stand out, and be it a fancy paint job, or a cool cutout in the side panel, everyone fought to be Waldo (read: standout in a sea of normality).
Case manufacturers see this as a cash cow though, and today, more and more companies are springing up, offering their cases to compete for your wallet. These companies offer pre-modded cases, either with windows, or with blowholes.
Getting further into this, aluminum cases were another market. Other than the physical benefits, they were sought after because they simply looked cool. Aluminum cases are becoming a dime a dozen these days. Once upon a time (read: 18 to 24 months ago), there were only a couple manufacturers, but now there are dozens. These cases can also be bought pre-modded, and even companies such as Lian-Li give their cases a little extra to catch the buyer's eye.
It should seem fitting then, that the pioneer of aluminum cases, Cooler Master, went back to the drawing board, and improved upon one of their most popular models, the ATC-201, and end result is the . Make no mistake though, as they didn't just add an air duct and call it a day. There were some overhauls done, and this is one case you're going to want to check out.
Specifications
Material: All Aluminum Alloys
Drive Bay: 5.25' Bays (exposed) x 4
3.5' Bays (exposed) x 2
3.5' Bays (hidden) x 4
Slot Bracket: 7
M/B Type: Standard ATX MB
I/O Bracket: Standard ATX
Power Supply: None
Cooling: Dual 80mm x 80mm x 25 mm Fan attached front panel. -- Air flow in --
One 80mm x 80mm x 25 mm Fan attached back panel.--Air flow out --
One 80mm x 80mm x 25 mmFan attached top panel. --Air flow out --
Weight: Case : 5Kg (12 lbs)
Dimension: 497 mm x 196 mm x 452 mm
Click to Enlarge
The Cooler Master ATC-201A-SX2 ships in a fairly average sized box, just a little larger than the case itself. Everything is neatly packed, and there's enough folded cardboard and packing foam to keep things secure during shipping.
There isn't much in the way of instructions, except for a small leaflet on installing a redundant PSU. I suppose anyone who purchases an aftermarket case; i.e., you build a PC yourself, won't miss the instructions too much. There are plenty of screws provided, though sadly, no extra thumbscrews, which we'll get into a little later.
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