External Examination (continued):

The below left image swings around to the front of the case where we see a variety of features which you might expect to see, and others you might not expect to see. At the very bottom is a door that opens to reveal a storage tray. Above this we find nine 5.25" exposed drive bays with mesh covers, one of which has a 3.5" device insert installed. Just above the top 5.25" drive bay we have the X-Dock, a feature you might not even notice but one which could be very useful. The X-Dock is a hot-swap 2.5" drive bay - allowing you to add an SSD or laptop hard drive for immediate access without the need to open your case or to have a separate dock. And above this we get the slightest glimpse of the front panel connections and buttons, which we will look at in greater detail soon.



The above right image takes a look at the back of the case, where the first thing you might notice is that it implements a bottom PSU installation design. Above that we have nine expansion slots in the typical orientation, plus one more running perpendicular to these just off to the right. Above this we have the opening for an I/O panel and a 140mm exhaust fan, followed by a series of three grommets that will allow you to pass through water cooling tubes or additional cables. At the very top you can see the edge of the top fan's easily accessed dust filter and the back edge of the carrying handle.



The next two images take a closer look at the front I/O panel and the X-Dock (with an SSD inserted for reference in the below right image). The hexagonal button in the middle and furthest from the front is for power. This glows red and reveals a flame design when powered up. In front of this are buttons for the integrated fan controller. To the left are LEDs for power and drive activity, as well as headphone and microphone jacks. Along the front we have a USB 3.0 port, a pair of USB 2.0 ports, and then another USB 3.0 port. And off to the right behind this second USB 3.0 port we find an eSATA port and the reset button. Overall there is a good selection of connections, but for those interested in using the fan controller, a trip to the manual may be necessary since the controls are not completely intuitive.



The next set of images shift to the bottom of the case's front panel, where we see the storage compartment revealed. The silver and chromed door (just about the only non-black piece) is removed by squeezing it on either side, and inside we find a covered drawer which can be slid all the way out. You can store smaller items in here, and a variety of the cases accessories were found in here.