One of the desirable features of home theater PC (HTPC) cases is their ability to mimic A/V equipment like VCRs, DVD players, etc, instead of looking like a large desktop computer.When making such a case, the trick is to reduce the size yet allow everything to fit.GlacialTech, well-known makers of a variety of computer components, has expanded their product line to include HTPC cases.In this review, we�ll take a look at the GlacialTech Altair A380 HTPC case, which has a slim profile and sleek look.But do the looks come at a sacrifice in performance?That�s what we�re going to find out in this review.
About Glacialtech:
Check out their website- http://www.glacialpower.com
GlacialPower Inc. was established in April 2006 by a talent engineering team from the Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS) Industry . The team members of GlacialPower has averagely 12 years rich experience in designing, quality controlling and manufacturing SMPS products.
During past years the team designed for A brand companies of Acer, Asus, Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu-Siemens, Gateway, HPQ, IBM, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and Wistron. The team also invented the solid quality control manufacturing process approved by companies of Dell, HPQ, IBM, etc.
The company goal is to be one of the leading SMPS solution provider in the world and will use solid design to deliver quality products that possess the features of innovation and usability for customers. We will work closely together with our customer and our slogan is Power Your Idea.
Features:
Home theater appearance
Noble Aluminum chassis design
Low down inside temperature with best airflow design
Remote control support Microsoft Vista
IR receiver support remote control, wireless keyboard, and wireless mouse
Front I/O port for easy access
Chassis bracket for horizontal or vertical application
Specifications:
Case type: HTPC, MCE
Color: Glacier Silver, Rock Black
Net weight: 6 Kg
Expansion slot: 2
Dimension (W�H�D): 430 � 100 � 380 mm
Drive Bays 1 � 5.25�:2 � 3.5�
Power Supply 270 W
MotherBoard: ATX, Micro ATX
I/O port: USB2.0 � 2
Audio & Speaker port
52 in 1 card reader
IR receiver
Cooling system: Dual 60 � 60 � 20mm fan, 1500 rpm. 19 dBA
Material: 6063 Aluminum & SECC
HDD cooling: 60 � 60 � 20 mm fan, 1500 rpm, 19dBA
The product:
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The GlacialTech Altair A380 case arrived in a sturdy GlacialTech-labeled box.The case itself could be found nestled inside, surrounded by two custom styrofoam inserts.The case arrived from its long trip intact and undamaged, bagged in a styrofoam bag.Accessories are also well-packaged in a separate box, not banging around inside the case.
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Looking at the exterior, the case has a smooth black matte finish, something I prefer over the polished metal that many cases offer.The case has very clean lines and doesn�t have any loud/garish-looking designs, but rather a sophisticated, understated look.A small GlacialTech logo is the only non-functional piece on the front of the case.
Please click on thumbnails to get bigger pictures
On the right side of the case, you will find a smooth power button with a larger LED-status window below it, next to the DVD player opening.Another handy feature that this case provides is a large 52-in-1 card reader and USB and microphone/speaker ports on the front.While this distracts from the clean lines a bit, these are often useful features to find in a case.Unfortunately, I did notice that some of the card ports were slightly mis-aligned in our sample case; I suspect this glitch will be fixed in production.
