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Product:
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RazerX Micro-ATX Tower Case |
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Price:
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$108 (CAN) / $80 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Xoxide Modifications
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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June 27th, 2003
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The RazerX Micro-ATX Tower Case comes equipped with limited expansion room in the form of 4 PCI/AGP
slots ready for use. The tabs covering the slots can be easily removed once the motherboard has been
mounted. Once the side panel is removed you get view of the case interior. The design of the case has
enough room to accommodate one mATX motherboard, peripheral cards, storage and optical components. Metal
stand-offs have already been installed on the motherboard tray and there is additional wiring that
routes directly from the front bezel and power supply area.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Towards the right side portion of the case is the location of the P4 certified 200 watt Power Supply.
The name brand on this unit is Panstar and is manufactured by Panstar Electronics,
a Power & Lighting products manufacturer based out of Taiwan. What is interesting about the PSU placement
is that it sits vertical to the case chassis and has a metal fan shroud angled at 45 degrees. The fan
shroud assists with exhausting all the hot air generated by the PSU out of the rear of the case. This
location also doubles as an area for the internal 3.5" drive bay and HD installation. There is one 3.5"
drive cage that can be removed by un-securing one mounting screw. Once removed consumers can install
any floppy, port extender, media card reader or fan controller in this cage.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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My main goals for the RazerX Micro-ATX Tower Case was to put together a mini HTPC media system for my
office in which I could store MP3 files and do Tivo functions with DVD playback. I wanted to keep the
cost factor down and assembled the following components to complete the system:
- ASUS TUSI-M mATX Motherboard (PC133/ATA 133)
- Intel Pentium III-1.13 GHz EB FC-PGA Mhz PC133 CPU w/Vantec Aeroflow HSF Cooler
- 2 x 256 MB PC133 Ram Chips (512 MB in total)
- 1 x Seagate ST380011A 80GB ATA 133 Hard Drive
- Visiontek Xtasy Geforce 4 MX 420 Video Card
- Lite-on Combination Drive (48x CDRW + 16x DVD)
- SB Live 5.1 Sound Card
- AutoDeletePro 3.5" Black Rheobus
The assembled system was been working quite well for the past few weeks with average system temperatures
ranging at 36°C idle and 39°C full load. During the initial installation I did run into a minor problem
attempting to fit the side panel back on. It seems that the height of my video card was causing a few
issues and this was corrected by bending the rear panel slightly. The last remaining step for this system
is to find a good TV Tuner card which I will add to the system sometime in the near future.
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Conclusion:
The RazerX Micro-ATX Tower Case is a sleek slim line product that offers nice aesthetics and functionality.
The overall design is good for consumers utilizing Micro ATX motherboards and allows for simple
installation of system components. The front port extensions are a nice touch for consumers who frequently use
USB and audio devices. Due to the size of the RazerX, expansion options are quite limited, so
selecting the right amount of components for this case is a key decision. Air circulation was adequate but could
have been better in terms of the fan selection and the pre-installed fan mounts. The issue that I
experienced when re-installing the side panel can be attributed to my particular video card, but I
would have to test this case with other brands to confirm if this is an issue with all cards. Aside
from a few minor issues, I'm rating this product a 8 out of 10
and would recommend this product to those individuals that want a mini PC case which is perfect as a
LAN Rig or HTPC. If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the
Xoxide Modifications website for more information or
discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Aesthetically pleasing and stylish design
- Accomodates system component installation with ease
- Front USB and audio ports
- Price
- Perfect as a LAN Rig or HTPC system
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Cons:
- 200 watt PSU might be to weak for some consumers.
- Limited expandibility
- Air circulation could be improved
- Issues with side panel after peripheral card installation
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