Did Captain Janeway on the spaceship Voyager fail? Or does the U2UFO chassis come from the (in)famous Area 51? No both on both accounts: the PC cube is not a creation of Gene Roddenberry or any other science fiction writer. Instead, it comes from a good ol' American PC specialist. Judging by its dimensions of 45 x 45 x 45 cm (18 x 18 x 18 inches), you can't help but think of the Borg or Rubik's Cubes of the 1980s, but the fact is, this is neither. A PC chassis in the form of a cube may not be all that new, but Mountain Mods' approach reveals precise attention and a great love for detail.
A Plain Jane When Empty
The mailman was astonished at the oversized package that he delivered, but we had little compassion because we were eagerly looking forward to its contents. The UFO chassis arrived at our lab in a very plain brown cardboard. The reason is that this chassis is not mass-produced, but instead a custom-made product. Every piece of it was handmade, hence the lack of fancy or flashy packaging. Unfortunately, our sample suffered a bit of damage during the transport. Despite several thousand Styrofoam chips, which should have sufficed, the cube ended up getting scratched. But using a black permanent marker, we were able to play the plastic surgeons. No need to use silicone every time.

Still bleak, no internal life and no lighting

The U2UFO looks better already.

A permanent marker helped us fix a cosmetic blunder.
Like a real cube, the U2UFO has six sides. The following images show the chassis still in its virgin state, so to speak, without computer hardware and a system fan. As we all know, true beauty comes from within. Unequipped, without mod-lights and fans, the chassis has the look of Swiss cheese.

Front view: There's room for four large fans.

The backside has room for four small fans and one large fan.


Open access from both sides.

Rollers that could stem from any old hardware store.

A plexiglass condom: The protective foil should only be removed at the end.
The U2UFO chassis banks on some solid cooling, which consists of the many fan mounts for 120 mm (4.7") and 80 mm (3.15") fans. On the front side, there are as many as four mounts for system fans. On the backside, however, four 80 mm fans and just one 120 mm fan can be used. In total, there are seven large fans and four smaller fans. What is desperately needed, though, is a fan controller. In fact, make that two, because we have yet to run into a fan controller that can manage more than six fans at the same time. To install both fan controllers, the U2UFO cube offers plenty of options for drive-bay and other installations. For example, even after both fan controllers are installed, three 5.25" drive bays are still free.
Installing the many system fans - in addition to the U2UFO chassis as such - takes a larger chunk out of your pocketbook. A 120 mm fan that is somewhat quiet can be had for $7 or more. If you buy seven of them, that sets you back a grand total of $50. 80 mm fans are a bit cheaper, costing around $5 to $10 (a bit more if they include LEDs). You should plan to spend approximately $100 in addition to the two fan controllers, which add up to another $100. But what you get in the end is anything but your ordinary mass-produced discount PC, at least as far as your chassis is concerned. On the inside, you can install motherboards with different form factors, from Micro-ATX up to WTX. Even server motherboards have no problems operating with the U2UFO cube. Also, Mountain Mods made sure that there was enough room for hard drives as well. Nine drive cages for 3.5" drives are provided, and if that is not enough, users can arrange the drives on the bottom of the chassis. The footprint is large enough and can be used for additional hardware and drives.

Plenty of room for red 120 mm and blue 80 mm fans.
The best part is installing the computer hardware. In comparison, obtaining the system fans is somewhat more difficult, since you don't have many choices for the 120 mm versions. We were able to install the motherboard, the drives and the power supply without problems. During installation, even larger hands have plenty of space for maneuvering inside the U2UFO.

Power supply: Placed comfortably on the chassis floor.

Motherboard: Can be pre-mounted externally on a tray.

Drives: Infinite room for wiring.

5.25" drives: five bays should be enough.
Pros
- Ideal design for modders
- Metal processing, varnishing
- Light weight in relation to size
- Smooth case edges
- Easy hardware installation
- Extensive room for hardware, system fan and lighting
- Unique feature: not a mass-produced chassis
Cons
- 5.25" panels not included in the package
- Dust-protection filters not provided
- Steep price: not everyone can afford it
- Requires a lot of floor space
- Has room for only one power supply
Technical Data
| Mountain Mods U2UFO | |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminum |
| Dimensions | 40x40x40 cm / 18x18x18 inches |
| >Hard drive cage | 9x |
| 5.25" bays | 5x |
| Motherboard form factor | ATX/mATX |
| Fan mounts | 7-120mm, 4-80mm |
| Weight | 7 kg/15 lbs. |
At last, there's a chassis that offers sufficient space and looks good, too. The U2UFO cube won't just send the hearts of modding fans aflutter - it also targets hobby do-it-yourselfers who want to have unique PC to call their own. However, the price is higher than that of a standard MIDI chassis. Envy aside, all visitors will adore your cube. Users who have big, strong arms and/or regularly take anabolic steroids can also bring the U2UFO chassis to their next LAN party, where they'll be sure to take center stage. When empty, the chassis is not that heavy, as its weight (7 kg/15 pounds) is somewhere in the range for mini towers. But with extensive hardware equipment installed, the weight increases dramatically. That, in turn, means you should be careful when transporting the chassis. The sturdy rolls can tempt users to cover large distances, for instance, transporting the cube from the parking lot to the showroom. However, you should make sure that strong vibrations don't kill off the hard drives (bumpy surfaces and high-heels can be dangerous!). Graphics cards can also come loose.
The U2UFO chassis is particularly well-suited for modders - finally, they can install everything they always wanted to install, but never had enough room for. The mounts for the 120 mm and 80 mm fans are predestined for numerous lighting effects and UV system fans. The same goes for the three plexiglass panes: Not only do they allow a glance at the internal workings, they are also ideal for showing off your lighting effects.

Also suited for multi-processor boards.

The black/gray color combo looks good.

A model with fewer fan mounting slots.
The U2UFO made by mountainmods.com is available starting at a price of $315.
Only the right accessories can transform the U2UFO cube into eye candy. In particular, the fluorescent fan and watercooler turn the chassis into the highlight of your office or living room.
Increasingly popular : modding via watercooling.
Ideally, you should also order these fans with wire grills from Mountain Mods, for $7 each.
120 mm fans with a particularly powerful glow.
Illuminated Revoltec fan in dark blue or dark red for $15.
Does it get flashier than this ? The Akasa UV fan in neon colors at $8.
Thermaltake offers several fan sizes for $7.
Grills protect from intrusive hands : Coolermate’s are available starting at $10.