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In the Forums... |
Posted: April 25, 2002 Written by: Tuan Huyhn Directron Hydraulic Case   Moving around towards the front you’ll notice the frontal USB and audio connectors. The beauty about the front connectors is that when you lower the front cover it doesn’t block the connectors, as the front cover has a cut out for the connectors, which allow them to be used even when you need to access the CD-Rom drive, etc…  Popping open the cover you’ll notice the mass amount of cables inside. Aside from the LED and Power/Reset button connectors, there are also connectors for the front USB and Audio connectors. The front USB ports connect via the extra motherboard headers, you’ll need to consult your motherboard manual for the pin outs. The front audio connectors are routed through the back of the case through an empty slot and connect to your sound card’s front out and Mic input connector. One bad thing about the front audio is that there’s no spot to plug-in speakers in the rear if you want to use the front jacks, which is a pain unless you’ll only use headphones The inside of the case is of course made of steal. The sharp edges are rounded so you don’t accidentally cut yourself while working on your computer like you would on say Compaq cases. There is also a spot in front for an 80MM front intake fan. The hard drive cage appears to be remove-able, but I’ve yet been able to take it out, luckily accessing the screws to install the 3 ¼ inch drives is relatively simple by just popping off the other side panel.  A rarity on most cheaply priced cases is a remove-able motherboard tray. The Directron New hydraulic case features a remove-able motherboard tray which is held together with 2 screws. This is a very attractive feature as it makes installing motherboards a lot easier. Conclusion Directron has a very solid case for the price. Coming in at a relatively low price of $36 without power supply, you get a lot for the price with the New Directron Hydraulic case. Coupled with an Enermax Whisper 350 Watt for about $50, you’ll end up with a solid case that is easily accessible for upgrading and changing out components. With the remove-able motherboard tray, the New Hydraulic case looks to be a winner for Directron. Though the New Hydraulic case has some flaws, such as the way the front audio ports are designed, it is still an overall great case and would be a great home for your new Athlon XP or Pentium 4 system. Pros
Cons
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