Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Case<base href="http://www.atruereview.com/" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.atruereview.com/images/favicon.ico" /> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" /> <link href="http://www.atruereview.com/templates/rt_versatility_iii/css/template_css.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="http://www.atruereview.com/templates/rt_versatility_iii/css/style10.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="http://www.atruereview.com/templates/rt_versatility_iii/slimbox/slimbox.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="http://www.atruereview.com/templates/rt_versatility_iii/css/rokmoomenu.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" />  <link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.atruereview.com/images/favicon.ico" /> <style type="text/css"> td.left div.moduletable, td.right div.moduletable, td.left div.moduletable-hilite1, td.right div.moduletable-hilite1, td.left div.moduletable-hilite2, td.right div.moduletable-hilite2, td.left div.moduletable-hilite3, td.right div.moduletable-hilite3, td.left div.moduletable-hilite4, td.right div.moduletable-hilite4, td.left div.moduletable-hilite5, td.right div.moduletable-hilite5, td.left div.moduletable-hilite6, td.right div.moduletable-hilite6, td.left div.moduletable-hilite7, td.right div.moduletable-hilite7, td.left div.moduletable-hilite8, td.right div.moduletable-hilite8 { width: 175px; 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I thought for sure I'd soon be lost amid a cluster of different sized screws and fittings of all sorts. Thanks to the instruction booklet, I wasn't. Actually there were plenty of extra parts left over after completing the build; such as power supply bolts, fan screws, and drive fittings.</p> <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/6big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/6.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="250"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> </p> <p>Eager to get started, I followed the booklet and assembled the top and bottom with the acrylic cubes that were provided, followed by the drive cage stands. I also installed the included speaker to the bottom of the case. The 9mm thick acrylic was surprisingly resilient. I had no cracking or creaking that I've had when building similar acrylic cases. <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/7big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/7.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="205"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> <p></a> <a href="acrylic_case/">Next to go on was the front and back, along with the motherboard side of the case. The case assembled like a dream. Everything fit perfectly. Notice how the power supply fits in sideways in order to fit the small height of this case. The motherboard standoffs were already installed and an 80mm blowhole is provided on top. Nice! <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/8big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/8.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="250"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> <p><b>Finished Case</b>: <p> All that was left to do was to add the power on and USB 2.0 modules to the front of the case with a few simple bolts, then add the side panel. Note the 80mm side panel fan mount is strategically placed to not only blow fresh air onto your video card but also bring cool air in near the bottom of the case.<br> And there you have it; in under 20 minutes, a completed case that looks great and went together like they all should - EASILY! Other acrylic case manufacturers could take a lesson from StarTech. <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/9big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/9.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="250"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> <p>The front of the case has three externally accessible 5-1/4" bays, which I prefer over four, and one external 3-1/2" bay. The bay covers are tinted blue and would be excellent for semi-transparent stealth mods. The addition of USB 2.0 up front is very much welcomed. I hate reaching around the back of a nice case just to plug in my thumb drive. <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/10big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/10.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="250"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> <p>On the rear of the case, StarTech opted for metal over acrylic as the base for your I/O plates (also included). This was a huge relief for me, as the acrylic ones never seemed to lineup exactly right. To top it off, they anodized the plate in blue to match the theme of the case. Very nice. <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/11big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/11.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="250"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> <p><b>Fit And Finish</b>: <p> Despite the very few parts used, the fit and finish was awesome. All panels fit exactly as you would expect from any case, but don't get from most. The corners are nice and tight, and all the mounting holes line up perfectly. <p align="center"><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/12big.jpg"><img src="atruereview/acrylic_case/12.jpg" alt="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" title="Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case" border="0" width="250" height="250"></a><br> <font size="-1">Click on image for larger picture</font> <p><b>Conclusion</b>: <p> Though a bit pricey, on the high end of the case spectrum, it's my opinion that the Mutant Mods 6 Bay Clear / Blue Acrylic Mid Tower ATX Case is every bit worth it. I would have liked to see fans included. As well I would have liked a more accessible side panel, remove four bolts to access, but as far as clear cases go, that's a given. This case lived up to my expectations where other acrylic cases have failed. I liked the ease of build and the overall fit and finish best. It all went together fantastically. <br> <br> <b>Pros:</b> <ul> <li>Excellent Quality</li> <li>Great Design Throughout</li> <li>Excellent Compatibility</li> <li>Good Documentation</li> <li>Easy Installation</li> <li>Excellent Packaging</li> </ul> <b>Cons:</b> <ul> <li>No Fans Included</li> </ul> <p><b>Ratings:</b></p> <table width="227" border="0"> <tr> <td width="105">Overall:</td> <td width="183">Very Good</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Performance:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Installation: </td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Price: </td> <td>Good (high-end)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Packaging:</td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Compatibility: </td> <td>Excellent</td> </tr> </table> <p>(Ratings Possible: Terrible, Very Bad, Bad, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent)</p> <table align="center" border="1" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr bgcolor="#0066ff"> <td><div align="center"><strong><font color="#ffffff">More Information</font></strong></div></td> </tr> <tr> <td><div align="center"><a href="http://atruereview.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=41/form_keyword=startech+case">Compare Prices</a></div></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p><a href="atruereview/acrylic_case/index.php"></a> <a href="acrylic_case/index.php">Previous (Introduction & What You Get)</a></p> </div> </td> </tr> </table> </div> <div id="footer" class="clr"> <div class="rk-1"> <div class="rk-2"> <div id="the-footer"> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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