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| Rosewill R6A34-BK/R6AS5-BK Review |
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Page 3 of 5 What You Get As I stated on page one these cases are very similar and identical internally, so we'll focus primarily on pictures of the R6AS5-BK which is the slightly more expensive model, and intersperse pictures of the R6A34-BK to note any differences. There's not a lot to get excited about with the packaging. I mean there's only so much glamour and sex appeal to be had with an ordinary cardboard box. Nonetheless the packaging is good and sturdy. Internally after removing some styrofoam spacers, out comes the case itself, which is thankfully wrapped in a protective plastic sheet. In the case of the "S5" which has a back lit Rosewill logo and a glossier finish than the "34", they also have protective clear tape over the logo, and protective masking tape over the bottom-front of the bezel.      The case front-bezel is where the primary differences between these two models lie. The "S5" as I stated earlier has a glossier black finish as well as having a back lit logo, and a lower grille back lit with colored LED lights. The "34" has a more matte-black finish, and is blander from a styling perspective. Both cases also feature front I/O panels for headphone, microphone and dual USB ports, though they are arranged slightly differently, with the "S5"'s ports being horizontal behind a flip up door at the base of the front bezel, and the "34"'s ports being vertical and exposed.      Both cases feature a double hinged door to cover the cases drive bays, and both expose the large silver main power switch through these doors. With the door open, you see additional buttons and lights, such as the reset switch, and power and HDD activity LEDs. You can also make out the magnets used on the door and the case front which are how the hinged door is secured. I'm personally not a huge fan of these sorts of doors, but at least they open easily, and are made out of tough and flexible ABS plastic (I've yet to snap one off, and believe me I've tried inadvertently many times.)     Along the sides of the front bezel, you will find neat little ventilation slots for air intake. At the very bottom of the sides of the front bezel are two indicated push points. These allow the front bezel to be easily removed as one piece with a quick forward and upward motion. This is especially nice, considering many inexpensive cases use screws to secure their bezels. Once removed you can see the liberally ventilated front of the case. A particularly nice touch is the fine mesh screen material over the front 120mm intake fan vent.    Moving around to the left side of the case you see the side panel has easy to operate dual finger latches for quick removal of the side panel. Should you desire, the case also has screws for retaining the side panel, and these are thankfully thumbscrews. A lock latch is also provided. On the side of the left panel itself is a small rectangular ventilation area, and a ducted vent with an adjustable baffle. This is to help direct air from the PCI-Express card and CPU areas out of the case itself. There is no fan here however. Also keep in mind this duct will definitely limit the size of heat sink you can install. Many newer heat pipes are quite tall, and as was the case with my Arctic Freezer 7 Pro, this entire duct mechanism had to be removed from the door in order for me to close the case. It's a non-issue though with a stock heatsink. The right side panel is unadorned and secured with ordinary screws.       The rear view of the case... Well, it's the rear of a case. What else is there to say? At least the outlet holes for the 120mm rear fan are adequately large. Since I haven't mentioned it up to this point, these cases at the prices estimated come with no power supplies, which shouldn't be a shock. Personally speaking, anyone who purchases a $35 case that comes with a power supply and actually uses that power supply, is taking chances I prefer not to. Before I forget, let me mention one other difference between these cases. The "S5" model has adjustable feet that can be slide out to the sides or left locked underneath as you desire.    Next up, we take a peek inside... |
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