Palo Alto PA-120 Mini-Tower
|
Features |
The
Unit |
- FlexATX compliant
- Two
USB & Audio on front
- Mobile
CD-ROM bay
- Dimensions:
11.5" H x 5.2" W x 9.2" D (292MM H X 132MM W X 234MM D) - 90W
Power Supply
|
|
Palo Alto is an
industry leader in computer cases. They supply cases to multiple manufacturers,
with the most prominent probably being Dell. This company also designed the enclosure
for the Palm that has been extremely successful, and it also won the company some
awards.
Today
I am reviewing the PA-120 case. This model is designed for the FlexATX specification
and is meant strictly for OEMs. However, it is an interesting review because this
is probably one of the smallest desktop computer cases in production. Will it
fit the bill for OEMs? Is it good enough to try to get special ordered for yourself?
First,
let me explain what FlexATX is. It is essentially a small version of the MicroATX
that usually has most everything integrated onto the motherboard, and also will
fit into the tiniest of cases. So far, this has strictly been the business of
OEMs as they are trying to compete in the low-end market by cutting their production
costs and creating more manageable, smaller form-factor designs.
The
reason why I got interested in FlexATX is because I was looking to build a home-server
that I could stash away somewhere it would not take up a lot of room. By using
a FlexATX board and the PA-120, I was able to accomplish that. How has the PA-120
fared?
First of
all the PA-120 offers zero room for expansion slots. That means that your FlexATX
board had better have everything you need integrated right in. This was a disappointment,
but it was a sacrifice that had to me made to accommodate the small size.
