Supplied by Koolcases
Once more Koolcases.com
has given us the pick of the site and like most of us we went by looks. The
Koolcases.com Red
Nest PC case caught our eye due to the front LED illuminated decorative
strips. Is the Red Nest all show now that the it is in our hands?
PC cases continue to come under the microscope for enthusiasts who want the
most features for the least amount of money. Manufacturers are exploring outside
of the beige box taking their mass produced chassis and affixing a multitude
of bezel looks to them in order to capture the most market for the least cost.
Manufacturers follow the same “more for less” desire that enthusiasts
do.
Our relationship with Koolcases.com is nearly a year old now and in that time
we’ve gotten to know them pretty well. They are one of the few suppliers who
double pack their cases for shipping. The product is packed in the typical styrofoam
caps then placed in a box. The case is then boxed and inserted into yet another
box surrounded by styrofoam peanuts. Any accessories are actually securely wired
to the inside of the PC case to prevent breakage. This is THE way to ship a
product as every case has arrived undamaged including CCFL samples that were
shipped inside the case.
Not every supplier does this. Colorcases shipped Short-Media a case and it arrived
very much bent and broken. In all due fairness we contacted Colorcases describing
the 10 or more specific areas of case damage caused by the shipping process
and invited them to ship another case for review.
That was the last time we heard from Colorcases. It still sits in the box in
my office collecting dust.
Specifications
- Side Cover Open Type (With 2 Hand Screws).
- Supports ATX & Pentium4.
- 7 expansion slots.
- Dimensions: 8″ x 19.2″ x 17.6″
- External Bays: 5.25″x4, 3.5″x3″
- Front LED’s Included
- PSU not included.
There are two interesting features with the Red Nest that appear in the following
image. The first is easy to see and the second can only be described as it is
a tactile feature. (It has to be touched.) The top drive bay allows for an optical
drive, drawer or slot, to be partially hidden. This preserves the look of the
case by partially hiding a single beige drive.
The other feature is tactile as the finish of the bezel is unique. It is best
described as a “velvet” feel and it is a highly attractive matte finish
to the plastic bezel.
The bottom of the bezel features a door which hides the USB ports (2) and mic
and headphone jacks. The reset and on/off switch is framed by two vertical strips
of “plasti-chrome”.
Framing the entire front bezel are two clear acrylic trim pieces which do light
when the PC is on.
The Red Nest also features the, now common, side window.
Which both side panels are held in by the, now common, thumbscrews.
There interior is rather simple and featureless. This PC case would be better
for the “set it and forget it” person. It isn’t an enthusiasts case
as the the 3.5″ drive bay isn’t removable and there isn’t a second 3.5″
drive bay.
Inside the case there is room for a standard PC speaker but it isn’t there.
The parts bag contained the following little object.
THAT is the PC speaker. It’s contained in the standard parts bag of screws,
PCI slot keepers and a round felt pad that self-adheres to the center bottom
of the PC case. (most likely an odd support function…we scratched our heads
about that too.)
Now back to the case. The inside of the case allows for the mounting of a front
intake fan.
Above that are three 3.5″ drive bays and four 5.25″ drive bays.
Note that the floppy will take up one of the 3.5″ drive bays leaving two
for hard drives. “Raid-aholics” are to avoid this case. The drive
cage isn’t removable.
180 degrees about is the PSU/rear fan area. It is nice to see space for two
80mm. rear exhaust fans and it is recommended to core out the grills for less
restricted airflow. Unfortunately there is no side rail for the PSU.
The backplane guard is missing in the preceding image but it is included and
rather thin and flimsy. It can easily be folded in half.
This is not a concern as motherboard packages usually come with their own guard.
The PCI slots require planning. The slot covers are part of the case. They
aren’t replaceable and once bent out they cannot be put back.
The Red Nest package does come with three PCI slot covers; two normal and one
to accommodate the mic and headphone jack cables. Plan where the PCI cards are
going to be before removing all the slot covers.
The rear of the case is as ordinary as any other.
The other panel pulls off easily and is held in place by thumbscrews.
There is a small amount of width to hide wires and cables in behind the non-removable
motherboard tray. This trick is described in-depth in Short-Media’s Tech Tips:
Cleaning up the cables article.
Behind the bezel are the USB port connectors which are removable.
The front acrylic trim pieces are lit by LEDs at the top and bottom of each.
The motherboard standoffs are plastic and of good design; better than Lian
Li’s in this reviewer’s opinion. The square end clips into the motherboard tray
and the other accommodates the screw.
Lastly a feature that may come in handy if you take this case to LAN parties.
The abuse a window can get leaves scratches. The window is held in place by
collars which can be removed (with effort) and a new sheet of acrylic can be
cut to fit.
Installation
Installation was straightforward with one problem.
The motherboard used was a Shuttle AK35GTR and the position of the ram lifters
prevented the hard drive from placement in the lowest slot. If the lowest slot
is required the hard drive must go in first THEN the motherboard is installed;
a rather cumbersome problem if ever the drive needs to be replaced.
Short-Media choose this case because of the front bezel LED light effects. This
is our fourth PC case from Koolcases.com and we like to see what other products
are like besides the “top choices”. Indeed the front bezel LED effect
is eye-catching.
Not included but available
at the Koolcases’ site is the CCFL used in the interior.
Conclusion
The Koolcases.com Red
Nest is a mid-sized PC case that features a highly attractive bezel finish
and front LED lighting strips. This is the unique feature of the case. All four
drive doors are individually removable and there is space for a front intake
and two rear exhaust 80mm. cooling fans.
It is not a flimsy case nor is it recommended to use as a TV stand for the
32″ Sony. This case will accommodate a top blow hole fan without problem.
PC enthusiasts who are constantly in and out of their cases and “raid-aholics”
may want to look to other PC cases that have more features suited for such practices.
The Koolcases Aluminum Black, Blue, and Silver cases for only $9 more offer
superior value. You would know these cases as ANTEC, AMKSX1000 or Chenming and
are one of the most popular PC cases on the net. Those cases are one of the
best designs but are slightly taller.
The case had no sharp corners or edges. The bezel came off easily and the two
rear and single front intake should provide for average to above average cooling.
A side intake would increase cooling performance but it isn’t an overclocker’s
case. There wasn’t a need to run temperature tests as this case is not a performance
cooling case and shouldn’t be used as one.
The Red Nest does have its attraction though. I placed it beside my home theatre
cabinet and it seemed to “belong”. The front bezel finish blended
with the home theatre look. I did find the matte “velvet” like finish
appealing. The Red Nest is best for set it up and forget it PC people. A real
bargain at the Koolcases.com site is the Panther
PC case which Short-Media previously reviewed. It’s on for an absolute steal
of a price of only $35 USD. That’s cheap for a good little case.
The Red Nest is $80 USD and that is on the high side for value vs. features.
Remember that this case does not include a PSU. If it is on the shopping list
it is most likely for aesthetics rather than true enthusiast features and functionality.
Our continuing thanks to Koolcases.com
for their support of this site and others.
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