In Win is a new sponsor at Bigbruin.com, but they are hardly a new name in the computer components industry. Founded in Taiwan back in 1986, In Win has maintained their focus on computer cases, power supplies, and digital storage devices for longer than most companies have even been in business.
A new wave of In Win brand PC cases was recently released, and
In Win USA was kind enough to send a couple over for review. The subject of this review is the Alpha 360 mATX Case which incorporates many interesting design features into a compact chassis that doesn't look much like anything I have used before. The promotional image below shows a glimpse of the Alpha 360's unique appearance, which may seem even more interesting when you consider that this is a picture of the back of the case.
Before taking a look at the rest of the In Win Alpha 360 mATX Case provided for review, let's take a look at a summary of the published information on this case as taken from the
In Win USA website...
Features:
» The all new metallic-painted plastic chassis, best performed Japanese Steel metal.
» Extra vent at rear panel - 9cm auxiliary cooling fan for better system cooling.
» Folded edge - for safety installation. No sharp edges.
» Tool-less features - all drive devices, side panel, front bezel, I/O slots.
» Stamped motherboard support - no standoffs installation required, for faster installation
» Configured 6 drive bays - (2x 5.25", 4x 3.5") drive bays for expandability of future upgrade
» Optional MCE kit
» Meet RoHS, CE, FCC Class B requirement
Specifications:
» Case Size: MiniTower Chassis
» Motherboard Form Factor: Micro-ATX
» Drive Bays:
External 5.25: 2
External 3.5: 2
Internal 3.5: 2
» Front Ports: USB 2.0 x2, IEEE 1394 A x1, HD Audio
» Power Supply: ATX 12V Form Factor, PS II Size
» I/O Expansion Slots: PCI/AGP Expansion Slots x4
» Dimension (HxWxD): 370x190x470 mm (14.6"x7.5"x18.5")
The features and specifications reveal that for a mATX case there is a decent amount of room inside for drives. Although a power supply is referenced in the specifications, one is not included, and the chassis is compatible with full size ATX units.
Packaging:
The packaging for the Alpha 360 is fairly typical, with the cardboard box providing a few pictures of the case, as well as detailed lists of features and specifications. If this were placed in a retail setting it would do well to inform any would be purchasers. Inside the box, the case is wrapped in a clear plastic bag to prevent scratches, and everything is protected inside Styrofoam blocks.
