ATCS-Tek MRO-18, Continued
While the internal hard drive cages are not removable, the unit does offer ample room for expansion. Along with the removable motherboard tray, the removable side panels provide for easy installation. We would have no problem building in this case on a regular basis. We were somewhat surprised by the lack of a second 3 ½ external bay. This was a mystery why it was not provided.
The airflow through the case was good, but lack of a second fan in the back of the case hinders the maximum cooling potential of the case. While it is clear that the case is able to move a lot of air from the two fans in the front of the case, the single fan does put this case at somewhat of a disadvantage when compared to other cases. Because of this, clean cabling is a must because of the compressed space within this case.
The rounded space in the front of the case is securely attached and there is no danger in this becoming dislodged from the case during transport. The door on the front of the case is also sturdy and well designed. The door is metal with metal hinges, so this is doing to last for the life of the case.
The pop up door on the top of the MRO-18 that hides the USB/1394/Audio ports.
A pop up door on the top of the case hides the USB, Audio, and Firewire ports. While some might question the usefulness of having these ports located on the top of their PC, depending on the configuration of your desk, this may or may not work for you. We find it to be best for a floor placement, rather than a desktop placement.
One thing that really puzzled us about the MRO-18 was the lack of a window. You would think that with all of this elegant design they would have offered a side panel window. While this might be an option, it was not present in our review unit.
Overall, we liked the MRO-18 and found it to be a great case. For the average user who is more concerned with the look of the case, this is a first rate choice. Excellent construction is a definite plus, but the case could have been so much more with just a little more attention to the design details. Still, we would have no problem recommending this case for most users. Many will find the unique curves an innovative offering that they can't pass up.
