Review: Coolermaster ATC-710-GX1

Internal Layout

As with all cases and computer equipement, opening up the box isn't half exiting. I wasn't sure what to expect with this case, as I didn't know too much about it. First off, I had forgotten just how heavy steel cases are compared to aluminium, it has been so long since I last had one. Once I got the case out of the box, and down onto the floor to look at, I was impressed. The front is lovely, it is anodised black/grey, similar to the front of the ATCS 200. The second thing I noticed was the lock, hmmm, damn, I hope there's a key. Thankfully there was, the case came with a little box containing two keys and a bag of screws, along with stuff for the motherboard and PSU etc.

I spent 5 minutes trying to get the front door open until I realised I had locked the door. After berating myself, I got it open. When you open the door, you are presented with the drives. You get 4, 5 1/4 drive bays andd 2, 3 1/4 drive bays at the front. Note that I received all four large bay plates, which is good, and a change from the norm with Coolermaster. I really do hope they decide to do this with the final version. The power button is inside the door, which could be a pain for some people, but it's not that much hassle. You will probably notice two things missing straight away, a reset button, and a hard disc LED. They simply aren't there. I really do hope this is changed in the final version, as they are both extremely useful to have. Those of you with drives that have knobs sticking out will run into difficulties because as with all cases containing doors, door clearance is at a premium.

Now this case is the first Coolermaster I've seen with an intergrated handle. It is also lockable, so you can keep you pesky housemates /siblings out of your expensive PC if need be. The side is quite heavy, but an absolute breeze to remove, possibly the easiest method I've seen to date. Note that only one side is removable easily, the other side is held in by standard screws. That said, there is little need for it ever to be removed, everything can be accessed from the one side. Now, looking inside the case, it may make some of you think, erm, I recognise that?. Particularly those of you with Chieftec cases, as this case is a hybrid of the Coolermaster and Chieftec.

One my biggest disappointments in the case was the lack of a removeable motherboard tray, as this makes life so much easier. That said, the space around the motherboard is huge, and installing even a full ATX motherboard is fairly quick and painless. This is helped in part due to the removeable drive cages (3, 1/4 drive bays), these are removed by sliding back the lever and pulling out. It makes installing hard drives a breeze, and gives you extra clearance for installing the motherboard. The installation of the 5, 1/4 drives are just as painless, due to the quick release tabs that you screw to the side of the drives, you then simply click the drive into place in the required bay. Far, far easier than messing around with tiny screws whilst trying to hold the drive in place as is the norm today. I was also disappointed not to see thumbscrews on the expansion slots, as this saves so much time when swapping cards around.