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EXTERNAL OVERVIEW
There are four mirrored doors on the front of the case.
- Two optical drive doors that are designed to open with the drives.
- A floppy drive bay behind a spring-loaded door.
- Front USB and audio connectors behind another spring-loaded door at the
bottom of the case.
The rough texture on the front is actually a reflection of the ceiling
in the lab, not a part of the case itself.
It seems a little odd to have two optical drive bays in a SFF system.
Considering how tightly packed most SFF systems are, reserving space for an
extra 5.25" drive seems a little wasteful to us. Still, there are other
uses for a 5.25" bay (The front panel for a Sound Blaster Audigy comes
to mind), so the option is there if it is needed.
The front connectors are fairly standard with the exception of an optical SPDIF-Out
port. This is the only SPDIF port on the whole system, which means any equipment
that is permanently installed through the SPDIF port will leave an ugly cable
hanging out of the front of the case — the perfect position for being accidentally
yanked out. This port would be best used only temporarily.
The front panel connectors are recessed about half a centimeter into the
front of the case.
The back panel is notable for the absence of exhaust vents. Apart from the
power supply, which does not have an especially open grill, the sole point of
exhaust is small vent, about 1.5 x 7 cm. Ten square centimeters is not a large
area for airflow. It looks like the power supply is intended to be
the primary source of airflow in the system. In fact, there are other models
using the same chassis in the QBic lineup (whose model numbers begin with IQ)
who rely entirely on the power supply for exhaust.
Adding the area of the power supply vent, we estimate the total area available
for exhaust to be about 40 cm sq. This is a minimal amount of airflow.
By comparison, the intakes for the case, which consist of a strip of holes along
each side of the case, provide about 55 cm sq for intake.
Some further air is allowed in by a vent at the bottom front of the case, but
the position of the vent makes it only marginally useful for cooling the underside
of the motherboard.
There are two main sources of exhaust: The power supply and a smallish
vent along the left side.
Some airflow under the motherboard is provided at the front of the case.
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