Bigger! Better! Nicer! - ATX cases roundup test

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A+ XClio II

At first glance the A+ XClio's design looks like any other of the bog standard cases available, there is one thing which does set it apart from the competition. Maxpoint, manufacturer of the A+ case brand, have installed a 25cm fan in the side panel! Though the fan turns at only 600 rpm, this is more than enough to generate an enormous amount of airflow in the PC. Regrettably we cant exactly call the fan silent. One major letdown is that A+ does not supply an outtakefan as standard, if your going to create a case with an immense amount of air being blown into it then you had better make sure that there is an equal and adequate amount being removed at the same time, otherwise it will have a negative impact on your case temperatures. The case allows for the placement of fans of different sizes, both in the front and back. The front faceplate is made up out of plastic with an almost rubber like feel to it and because of this it feels less like a budget case then it really is. Surprisingly the case sports no USB, Firewire and/or audio connections on the front, something we feel is unacceptable in this day and age. The inside of the case can be called nothing else but "standard"; DVD-drives and hard disks are installed by using a "clamping"system, the nstallation of any expansion cards requires the use of your trustworthy screwdriver. There is no removable hard drive cage, which can cause some hassle when/if you wish to install or remove a hard drive. If we just look at the facts then we can only conclude that this is a standard budget case with a 25cm fan as its only unique feature.

Pros: A fan with a diameter of 25cm for untold airflow..
Cons: No connections of any kind on the front of the case. Fairly standard offering with little redeeming features.
Conclusion: The 25cm fan, though unique, cannot convince us that this is anything else but a budget case.