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Product:
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I-Star Nitro AX Full Tower Case |
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Price:
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$137 (CAN) / $118 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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I-Star USA
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Author:
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Mars
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Date:
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January 14th, 2006
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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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My initial impression of the Nitro AX was a positive one. The first thing I noticed was the weight, and styling of this
case. I like its simple clean lines, with refined touches such as the perforated aluminum front bezel, optical drive
drop down door, aluminum trimmed release handle and side fan bezel. Another point worth mentioning is the construction
quality and the interior layout design. Its clear to see that some thought went into these areas by the designers,
intent on building a functional, quality case, while so many other cases fall short in this area. Even though the rest
of the front fascia is made from durable ABS plastic, it sports an almost metal like finish.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The front door hinge is made out of a cast metal alloy, providing a long lasting and rugged pivot point. When the door
is opened it will lock into place, preventing it from closing on its own, and it can also be slid along the left side
of the enclosure allowing a clear work space when you are swapping components in and out of the front drive bay area.
The Power and Reset buttons are mounted behind the front door. The bottom front portion of the case has a large open
grille area that accepts a 120mm fan, providing maximum airflow into the case, the grill also works as an air filter.
The oval shaped area houses metal powered contacts to power the optional LED light bar, while the glossy rectangular
black piece houses the green power, and orange hard drive activity LED’s.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The optional LED light bars are designed to add a nice lighting effect to the front of the case. The picture on the
front of the package gives an idea as to how the LED’s light up, while the rear of the package provides the
installation instructions. There are five settings for the LED lights that are controlled by way of a push button that
is easily accessible from the bottom of the unit; they are 1) all LED’s flashing, 2) all LED’s on, 3) random LED
flashing, 4) sequential flashing from bottom to the top, 5) all LED’s off. Installation is simple and straightforward
as the light bar is designed to slide into a channel that exists in the front bezel. I have only seen blue as an
available color, but modification can be done to change the color to suit your theme. The only bad point I found about
the light kit, is that the desired lighting effect must be reselected once the door is opened and power is cut to the
unit.
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