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Product:
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Logisys Assembled UV Red Acrylic Clear Case |
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Price:
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$77 (CAN) / $65 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Logisys Computer
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Author:
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Hi-TEK
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Date:
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November 19th, 2004
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Both the left and right side panels on the Logisys Assembled UV Red Acrylic Clear Case are removable but
the process is very tedious. In order to gain access to the internal chassis requires the removal of 10
mounting screws per panel. Once the screws have been removed, the panel bends slightly forward which
allows it to be removed with ease. The design of the PSU mount inside the case is good but not great
since it offers no support and relies solely on the strength of the rear panel. The four external drive
cages are really well done and works identically to a standard ATX case. There are a series of pre-drilled
mounting holes, which line up perfectly with any drive installed into a drive bay.
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A total of 6 internal 3.5" drive bays are located towards to the bottom portion of the case and are
suitable for consumers who wish to install multiple hard drives or RAID array hard drive configurations.
Installing hard drive components is very natural and only requires positioning the drive into the
appropriate slot and securing it with the right mounting screw. The Logisys Assembled UV Red Acrylic
Clear Case includes standard motherboard header pins for Power LED, HD LED, Power switch, Reset switch
and Speaker which can be easily connected to a motherboard. The cables for the USB and audio ports
consist of a series of extender cables that can be connected to the appropriate motherboard headers.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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One of the unique aspects of the Logisys Assembled UV Red Acrylic Clear Case is the UV reactant properties
when combined with natural black light. The entire chassis and bundled 80mm fans illuminate with an impressive
soft red glow. Case modders can further enhance this package by installing other related UV reactant
accessories such as cables, components, UV dyes or sprays.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Installation of a complete system into the Logisys Assembled UV Red Acrylic Clear Case was very simple
but proved problematic. For this review, I assembled a series of spare components which include an
Micron Motherboard (PC133/ATA 100), Pentium III 600EB CPU w/generic heatsink, 2 x 128 MB PC100 RAM,
Seagate 20GB IDE Hard drive and a 48X CDROM. The case does not include a slide out motherboard option so the
installation of components will have to be completed inside the assembled case. Accessing both the
internal and external drive bays requires that both left and right side panels be removed. This means
that consumers have to go through the tedious process of removing a total of 20 screws. The right
side panel does not include any openings for allowing a Phillips screwdriver to access the drive bays.
A few rival acrylic case manufacturers have always taken this into consideration which is surprising
that Logisys did not incorporate this option into their design.
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Conclusion:
The Logisys Assembled UV Red Acrylic Clear Case is a unique enclosure that will appeal to consumers looking
for a product which differentiates from the standard cookie cutter premods. The overall construction is very
good and incorporates enough expansion room to handle any type of system configuration. The dual front USB
ports and audio ports are a welcome addition and simplify the process of attaching components such as digital
cameras, USB drives, joysticks and headphones with ease. Air circulation is adequate consists of a series of
80mm fans placed in strategic locations. I was surprised that a top 80mm fan mount was not included to round
out the package since the top panel has more than enough room. Case modders will appreciate the UV reactant
properties of this case which opens the door for plenty of creative case themes. While Logisys Assembled UV
Red Acrylic Clear Case excels in some areas it also fails at two specific areas. The first problem lies with
the PSU support that relies solely on the rear acrylic panel. It would be nice if some additional support was
added to the design to support the weight of the PSU instead of relying on 4 mounting screws. The second
problem with this case is the accessing the case interior especially in the drive bay area. Consumers will
find removing 20 screws a bit tedious during upgrades or regular maintenance. One solution to the problem
would be to incorporate a tool-less drive rail system or make the necessary openings on the right side panel
to accommodate a Phillips screwdriver. One important point that should be made for anyone considering purchasing
this product is that there are some simple procedures that you should follow to maintain the Logisys Assembled
UV Red Acrylic Clear Case's appearance. First off, always use a non-abrasive soft cotton cloth with Lucite cleaner,
Novus#1 Plastic Polish or a simple mixture of soap and water to remove finger prints and dust. Do not use
ammonia based products, such as Windex which is known to cause clear acrylic to cloud over time. To remove
minor scratches from the case or any other acrylic product, I recommend using Novus#2 Scratch Remover. These
products will guarantee that this case will last you a long time and keep this product maintenance free.
Aside from a few minor issues, I'm rating this case a final score of
7.5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding
this review be sure to visit the Logisys Computer website for
more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Aesthetically pleasing and stylish design
- Front USB and audio ports
- UV reactant under natural black light
- The unit is pre-assembled
- 12 accessible drive bays
- Adequate cooling options
- Includes four stock UV reactant 80mm fans
- Price
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Cons:
- PSU support is very weak
- System component installation can be problematic
- Acrylic scratches easily and requires regular maintenance
- 20 screws must be removed to access case panels
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