External Examination:
The top of the case is shown in the below left image, where the matte black finish is visible. The sides have a similar appearance, while the front of the case has a brushed Aluminum finish. The front half of the top panel is solid, while the rear section is slotted to help cool the components. The top panel can be removed to allow access to the internal components.
The back side of the case is shown in the above right image, and while the appearance may not be typical, it does contain many of the usual features. The first thing that I noticed was that the power supply was on the right side of the case, while it would typically be found on the left. To the right of the motherboard's I/O port is where you would usually find several vertical expansion slots. While the
GlacialTech Altair A380 does include two expansion slots, they are oriented horizontally and require you to use an expansion slot riser card to use them. Above the motherboard I/O port and below the expansion slots are many square holes to aid in cooling.
The bottom of the case has feet that are yet another feature designed to match the style of home theater components.
The two sides of the case are identical, and they are covered in slots to aid in cooling. Looking through the slots in the image below reveals a 60mm fan.
Finally, we'll take a look at the front panel of the Altair A380. The key features all reside on the right hand side, while a GlacialTech logo is about all there is on the left.
The above right image provides a close up of the buttons, front panel connections, and optical drive bay found on the right side of the case's front panel. There is also a 52-in-1 card reader, and each of the slots is labeled for the generic type of card it can use: MS, SD/MMC, CF/MD, XD/SM. Between the card slots there is an IR receiver, and to the right of the card reader are two USB 2.0 ports and the microphone/headphone jacks.
