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Case, Power Supply, Fan Reviews
  Product:     Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case  
  Price:     $66 (CAN) / $51 (U.S)
  Supplied By:     Nikao/Tradex
  Author:     Shennon
  Date:     December 26th, 2003
  Rating:     star star star star star star star

Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case
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Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case
Click image for larger view
 

The upper portion of the interior chassis can hold four 5.25" devices such as CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, fan control devices, etc. Below the 5.25" drive bays there are seven 3.5" slots, two that is external and five, which are internal for hard drives. They are sufficiently spaced away from the front of the chassis to allow two 80mm fans to be installed for hard drive cooling if they are installed a few slots down. The Nikao F-1 does not include a pull out motherboard tray to simplify the process of installing system components. For a mid-tower case, the F-1 offers ample room and depending on the type of hardware installed, but some people might find it cramped when maintenance work is required. The main chassis edges have been bent over to ensure that you will not cut your hand when working in the interior of the case.

Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case
Click image for larger view
Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case
Click image for larger view
 

To give the sense of space that the Nikao F-1 can offer, I installed a power supply, AOpen AX3L motherboard, two CD-ROMs and a hard drive. With some planning for wire routing, the interior can clean up quite nicely, giving enough room to maneuver inside the case for system maintenance. For water cooling setups, the Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower may be a bit cramped for space, but again, careful planning should have the basic setup installed.

The front USB ports, microphone and headphone connectors connect to the motherboard internally as opposed to passing through the interior and exiting via one PCI slot to the rear ports. The front LEDS and buttons are clearly labeled, except the power LED. Consumers are advised to consult the manual for their particular motherboard in order to identify the location of these headers. The LED bars and the LED for the front emblem are powered through separate molex connectors and will be powered from the power supply directly.

Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case
Click image for larger view
Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case
Click image for larger view
 
Once the front bezels are powered we can see the bubble lamps in action. They actually just stay on as shown, but they are fairly bright for the most part. I did notice that one of the LEDs seems weaker than the other three, but it maybe because the LED is not seated properly or it is just a bad part. Once I start with the case mods, I’ll either fix it or replace it as necessary. The center heart shaped emblem will slowly pulse on and off once the system is power and actually is kind of neat to watch.
 
Conclusion:

The Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case has the same features that are common with most Nikao cases, such as the ample hard drive space, stealthed CD-ROM face plates as well as a unique front bezel. The F-1’s bezel with the two bubble lights adds a flair that a few cases have and the ON/OFF switch allows the user to have come control over the lighting features. The interior has enough fan locations to keep the interior cool and is spacious enough for a small file server with the seven 3.5" bays available. The lack of a removable motherboard tray or including a power supply is a bit disappointing, but as previously noted the F-1 is a budget case and the addition of these features would raise the price significantly. The heart in the center of the front emblem doesn't make this case feel masculine in anyway and this product is more suited for a female audience. I'll be handing this case off to a female friend who has some intended plans for it. We plan on replacing the tri-LED fan with a quad-blue, as well as add a few more front and back. Painting the chassis blue and adding the Nexus NXP-301 light and fan controller should round out what is planned. We may even go as far as changing the window shape, but that is still in the idea stage. Overall, I think the Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower Case has potential, albeit, limited in what one can achieve with it without losing any part of the original theme. Overall, I'm rating the Nikao F-1 Mid-Tower a 7 out of 10 and would recommend this product a simple but effective pre-modified budget case. If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the Nikao/Tradex Information Technology website for more information or discuss them in our forums.

Thumbs Up! Pros:
  • Aesthetically pleasing design
  • Stealthed 3.5" and 5.25" drive bays
  • One tri-coloured LED fan included
  • Front USB ports, microphone and headphone jacks
  • Plenty of hard drive bays for server application
  • Pre-installed factory window
  • Tool-less entry and thumbscrews
Thumbs Down! Cons:
  • No slide-out motherboard tray
  • Stock fan guards may prohibit proper airflow
  • Chrome heart may have limited appeal with a male audience
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