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Conclusions
Front
Cover
Front
Fans
Inside
Rear
Cover
I took some extra pictures. One
thing that kept nagging at me was my concern that the CD-ROM would stick
out like a sore thumb. I was actually pretty happy with the final result.
Had it have been up to me I think I would have designed this case with a
a hinged door to hide the CD-ROM and other 5.25" components behind.
If you are lucky enough to find a gray CD-ROM then it should blend in even
better. Click away to see the big versions.
Let
me assure you that I know that $179 for a mid-tower isn't cheap. But neither
is the mobo, CPU, video card or any other conponent that I'm going to mount
into that case. I'd rather spend a little more money on a case that will
serve me well over the long haul than just settle for the $60 special down
at the local computer store. Considering the amount of e-mail I get from
you guys I think that I have a consensus on that opinion. A bright fact
here is that $179 includes your shipping anywhere in the U.S. You can expect
to pay $159 without shipping.
I wouldn't make a purchase decision
on this little tidbit but I thought I'd throw it in so that you'd know what
to expect. The green and red LEDs on the front of the case turned out to
be very dim when in operation. Acutally the red LED is more orange than
red. I certainly wouldn't stay away from a case because of dim LEDs but
I thought I'd let you know if that is a big deal to you. Were it not for
my friend Mike pointing that out I probably wouldn't have even noticed.
Go figure.
So
where does this case stand in my opinion? I think the Audi is a great follow
up to the Explorer III. The Explorer was pushing the design envelope when
it was sent for review but it had a couple of shortfalls. It lacked what
I considered to be adequate cooling and its cover was difficult to reinstall.
Enter the Audi with its even better cover design and at least the inclusion
of an extra 60mm exhaust fan. Even without my inclusion of an extra 80 mm
fan the Audi cooled very well. I think
anyone who picks up one of these will be very happy with their purchase.
Let
me assure you that I know that $179 for a mid-tower isn't cheap. But neither
is the mobo, CPU, video card or any other conponent that I'm going to mount
into that case. I'd rather spend a little more money on a case that will
serve me well over the long haul than just settle for the $60 special down
at the local computer store. Considering the amount of e-mail I get from
you guys I think that I have a consensus on that opinion. A bright fact
here is that $179 includes your shipping anywhere in the U.S. You can expect
to pay $159 without shipping.
So
where does this case stand in my opinion? I think the Audi is a great follow
up to the Explorer III. The Explorer was pushing the design envelope when
it was sent for review but it had a couple of shortfalls. It lacked what
I considered to be adequate cooling and its cover was difficult to reinstall.
Enter the Audi with its even better cover design and at least the inclusion
of an extra 60mm exhaust fan. Even without my inclusion of an extra 80 mm
fan the Audi cooled very well. I think
anyone who picks up one of these will be very happy with their purchase.
