There was a time when PC cases didn't have doors on them to cover their drive bays, then they became popular and it seemed that every case had a door on it, but lately though I've noticed a more even balance between the availability of a door or not. For me this is a nice thing, at one time I thought having a door on my case was cool, but eventually I realized it was more of a hassle than anything and now I prefer cases without doors on them. This is also good for everyone as well, it allows more choices for consumers and choice is always a good thing, this allows consumers to find the case that fits their particular style.
Today for review I've got the Aerocool I-Curve Mid-Tower PC case, it's a very sleek and sophisticated chassis that should appeal to everyone. It's available in black or silver and features a touch sensitive panel instead of buttons to power on your case, reset your system or turn it off.
The I-Curve is a steel based chassis with an elegant aluminum, sand-blasted finish, bezel that should meet the needs of the average consumer out there for looks and functionality.
So let's hop right on into this review..
Aerocool I-Curve Mid-Tower PC Case Review
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: Aerocool
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Aerocool I-Curve Mid-Tower PC Case
Features:
-Touch button technology for power and reset with lock function to avoid careless mis-touch
-Diamond-cut finishing around the touch buttons
-USB / Audio / Mic
-Elegant and stylish curved alum front panel with sand-blast finishing (2.5mm thick aluminum panel)
-Vent holes on two sides of the front bezel provide excellent air flow
-Can install up to 1x12cm fan at rear, 1x12cm fan at front and 2x12cm fan at side panel (optional)
-High end chassis with the HDD cage rotated 90 degrees for easy installation
-Screwless chassis – All screwless options are included for 5 1/4" devices, 3 1/2" devices and HDDs.
Specs:
Case Type : Mid-Tower
Material : 0.6mm SECC
Chassis Dimensions : 440(H) x 200(W) x 430(D)
Motherboards : ATX & Micro ATX
Drive Bays :
4 x 5.25" (External)
1×3.5" (External)
5x HDD (Internal)
Top I/O Port : 2 x USB2.0 Earphone / Mic
Slots : 7
Cooling System :
Front : 120mm fan
fan Speed : 1200 RPM
Air Flow : 62 CFM (MAX)
Noise : 25 dB (A)
Rear : 120mm fan
fan Speed : 1200 RPM
Air Flow : 62 CFM (MAX)
Noise : 25 dB (A)
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A Better Look at Things
-Outside}
A Better Look at Things
-Outside:
The box for the I-Curve is nicely done featuring pictures of the case on both main side of the box, one side shows the silver version while the other shows the black version which I received for review. The sides have views of the inside and of course the specs and features listed.
The I-Curve is packed as most cases are, with styrofoam and plastic, a tried and true packing method.
The I-Curve is a basic black case with some nice features, most of which are on the outside of the case,
the inside, we'll find out is similar to most other cases out there today.
Externally we've got four 5.25” bays and one 3.5” bay, along with two USB ports and connections for headphones and microphone.
The main attraction of the I-Curve is the buttons, there aren't any to be exact, it might look like there is but in reality they are touch pads. It uses the same system as the bgears b-Envi case I reviewed not long ago, but these buttons are labeled and light up from the inside when activated. A fancy diamond cut style borders each button to give it a bit of class.
The left side of the I-Curve is where we find two spots where we can add two more 120mm fans for added cooling.
The right side of the case is just plain black, nothing special to see.
The sides of the front bezel have ventilation slits running along them, and the top features a stylish curve to it, it's a nice touch really, instead of the standard boxy case.
The rear of the I-Curve has a familiar configuration, PSU at the top, I/O plate and 120mm fan in the middle and the PCI slots on the bottom, both sides of the case are held on with special thumbscrews.
On the bottom of the case we find four rubber feet, and a large ventilation hole in the bottom of the bezel to allow good airflow to the 120mm fan behind the bezel.
{mospagebreak title=
A Better Look at Things
-Inside}
A Better Look at Things
-Inside:
The outside of the case is black but the inside is the standard gray you'll find in most cases. The case sides come off fairly easily, though the screws were a bit hard to get off at first…
Once the side is off we can get a nice look at the inside, the first thing you'll notice is a white box stuck up in the 5.25” bays, that of course is the accessory box.
Inside the accessory box is a brief manual, tool-less brackets for the optical and hard drives, a mini-speaker, optional metal lock for case, and of course a bag of assorted screws, stand-offs and washers.
Beneath the 5.25” bays is the 3.5” bay and of course under that is the hard drive cage. Located in front of the HDD cage is the 120mm intake fan.
The second thing that you'll notice quickly is what look to be an ATX adapter hanging in the back of the case, this is used as a pass-through from the PSU to your motherboard, this allows a trickle of power to continuously be fed to the touch panels so you can activate the touch panel when the system is powered off. We also find the standard header connections hanging here as well, along with the fan connections that are actually dual powered, you can use the Molex or 3-pin connection ot power the fans.
Looking at the back we can see the PSU space, 120mm fan, I/O plate and the PCI slots, these are not tool-less though.
Removing the right side panel we find lots of room on the back of the motherboard tray to route wires or hide any unused ones if need be, if using a smaller motherboard you can even route the wires through the tray via the large slots.
Popping the front bezel off is fairly easy, here we can remove the 5.25” knockouts if need be, and we can also get a good look at the workings of the touch panel.
Installation, Testing and Comparison
Installing a system in the I-Curve is fairly easy, but large cards might have trouble getting it there, my X1800GTO was a very tight fit as it came very close to the hard drive cage.
The tool-less plastic locks seem to work well, the 5.25” locks actually lock in place, you line up the drive and insert the posts into the holes of your drive then turn the lock to lock your drive in place. The only concern might be that being plastic they will eventually wear out, but for most people this won't be a concern…
The Aerocool I-Curve make for a nice looking case really. Once the system is in and up and running you can barely hear the fans and they seem to help keep your system cool as well.
Here are several shots of the touch panel at the various stages of operation:
You can lock and unlock the touch panel if you wish by touching the lock symbol, this will prevent any accidental button presses as they are sensitive to the slightest touch… Green is the power button on the top, then blue for the lock, yellow for reset and on the bottom is red for hard drive activity.
The only real issue I can find with the I-Curve is the fact that large video cards will most likely not fit because of the hard drive cage, other than that the I-Curve is a great looking and functional case that should appeal to most consumers.
Summary:
The I-Curve is very well made, it is a bit heavy as most the case is made from metal including the bezel, but if you're not transporting it around it shouldn't be an issue.
I really like the looks and feel of this case, especially the touch panel, it's something different and adds just that extra bit of style to the case that will make it stand out from the others on the market today.
DragonSteelMods gives the Aerocool I-Curve a 4.5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award as well.
Pros:
-Well made
-Looks great
-Touch sensitive buttons
-Quiet fans
-Virtually tool-less
-Room to route cables on back of mobo tray
-Dual powered fans
Cons:
-Large video cards might not fit
I would like to thank Aerocool for the chance to review the I-Curve and for their continued support of DSM.
review# 405