Compucase V30, Continued
Here we have the V30 that is clearly quite a bit a more robust case solution than the Inwin BT553N that we looked at elsewhere in this review. The V30 offers pretty much the same layout that the Inwin BT553N offered, but uses thicker metal and a bit better design. The case itself is better constructed and offered no bending or twisting the case. This small form factor case is solid.
The V30 offers support for Flex ATX and Micro ATX motherboards. You can't get a full size ATX motherboard into the V30. Like most small form factor designs, the V30 offers support for one of each style device.
The inside of the case features rounded and folded edges, which is an improvement over the Inwin BT553N. We did notice a few rough areas, but nothing too much to worry about. The case is dressed in black with silver trim, which should fit in a little better with most home theater configurations.
The V30 offers a second 80mm fan on the right hand side of the case in addition to the fans in the power supply. The case does use a custom power supply, but it is rated at 200 watts and claims to be P4 ready.
A close up of the front mounted ports on the V30.
Other than the style improvements perhaps the biggest improvement is the addition of front mounted audio ports in addition to the front mounted USB ports. While there is still no 1394 Firewire port mounted in the front of the case, this is still better than most.
While this is an improvement over the Inwin BT553N that we looked at in the small form factor, it is still obvious that these small form factor cases do have some catching up to do in the style department to match their tower cousins. Still, the V30 represents the best of what we have seen so far, while it might not be as functional as a cube/box configuration that has become all of the rage lately, it still offers use of a lot less space than the typical desktop. We can recommend this case, but make sure that you have the right configuration to make use of the V30. It is a stylish case in a small form factor that does warrant attention.
