Building With The In Win Buc
Larger, sturdier, heavier, and with more drive bays than the previously-tested Mana 136, In Win’s Buc might just alleviate our doubts about the quality of In Win's Style brand.
Even with the higher-grade Buc, In Win continues to support the legacy AC'97 audio standard. This leaves an ugly cable end flopping around inside an otherwise tidy system.
The Buc's installation kit matches a few competitors by sorting its screws into separate packs. In Win also adds a four-pin drive power connector to three-pin fan power adapter, though we certainly hope that anyone using this case has enough three-pin connectors on their motherboard.
The Buc also features screwless card clips, a feature formerly associated with high-end cases. Conversely, the company goes cheap by using break-out-style slot covers instead of replaceable slot covers in six of the enclosure's seven slots.
The Buc’s drive tray uses noise-dampening grommets for 3.5” drives, but mounts 2.5” drives directly to the base. Offsetting the smaller drives to one side assures proper SATA connector alignment within the four-drive backplane.
Pins on 5.25” external bays slide out to allow drive insertion, and slide back in to secure the drive.
The Buc lacks a proper access hole for passing our eight-pin EPS12V connector through the motherboard tray to the top of our board. A nearby access hole is simply too low for the connector to fit through. Also slightly inconvenient is a cable routing space that limits larger cords to a channel along the front part of the motherboard tray.
Cable-routing patience pays off in a dramatic (and practical) completed build.
