ATCS-Tek MRO-16, Continued
The MRO-16 has one 80mm fan in the back and one additional 80mm fan in the top of the case. While we would have liked to have had two fans in the back of the case, upon testing the airflow we found that this configuration from ATCS seems to offer excellent airflow across the motherboard even though there is only one fan to handle the exhaust out the back of the case.
The back of the case features an all thumbscrew design. All of the screws that remove something on the back of the case use thumbscrews. The back of the case does feature the same removable motherboard tray that is found across most of the product line.
The front of the case features front mounted dual USB ports that are behind a side flip door. While the slide flip door is a good concept, the action of the door on our test unit was a little stiff. The action of the door might "break in" or improve over time. Although ATCS-Tek did include the front mounted USB ports, there is no support for audio or 1394 Firewire connections, which is a shame.
The side panel of the case features a high quality acrylic window that is bolted to the case. The edge of the window is beveled, which gives the window a nice look. It was also nice to see that ATCS-Tek chose the green colored acrylic rather than just a standard "clear" color. The window is of good size and doesn't seem to affect the strength of the side panel.
A look at the front mounted USB ports and door for the MRO-16.
We found the ATCS-Tek MRO-16 to be an excellent case offering a lot of great features for the money. If I were to redesign the case, I would only add support for a second fan in the back and add 1394 Firewire/audio connection support to door in the front of the case. This is a pretty small list, considering many of the problems with other cases.
The MRO-16 is available in black as well as the silver colored unit that we tested. Of course, as with most other case companies, there are plenty of additional choices if you don't like this case. The variations of the same theme found in this case can be seen across the product line. We liked this unit and would highly recommend this unit. With the high quality and attention to detail in this case you should not be disappointed - that is, if you are not limited by what some might consider a high retail price tag.
