External Examination:
Our first look at the actual MonCaso 972S is provided in the overhead shot below. The bulk of the housing is silver colored aluminum. The top is one smooth sheet of aluminum with two vents near the back edge which will wind up being just above the video card and processor on most systems. While two screws can be seen near the front edge, these do not have to be touched since the top can be slid off once two thumbscrews are removed from the back edge.
The front panel of the case is most definitely the center of attention, and features numerous items of interest. While there is more to see than on most cases, the look is refined and I feel it really pulls off the media center look with a high level of sophistication.
The below left image takes a look at the left half of the case's front, where we see a large power button and a black panel which conceals a power LED, HDD activity LED, and the sensor for the IR remote control. Also visible in this image and the one to the right of it is the well integrated 7" touchscreen monitor and opening for an optical drive. While the optical drive bay is wide open in these images, when assembled the included aluminum bezel will finish the look nicely, regardless of what your drive looks like.
The above right image shows the right half of the case's front where we see several controls that would be right at home on the front of a stereo receiver or other entertainment center component. There is a large volume knob positioned under a bank of buttons intended for use with general PC functions and particularly with multimedia applications. One button you will not find anywhere on the front of this case is a reset button. Peeking out from under the case in both of the images above are chromed cylindrical feet with rubber bases that continue the home theater theme.
