Presentation

Barebones are really cool cases. I once had a Shuttle and a Soltec based barebone in my possession. Looks very great on your desk and doesn't take too much place. Unfortunately its small size only allows one, perhaps two hard disk drives and only one optical drive. It's said that such small form factor computers are perfectly suitable for transporting LAN parties.

Installing larger and high end graphic cards can also be an issue. Using two slots cooling is most of the time out of the question and this leaves you with the louder one slot cooling...

Aspire has created the X-Qpack. At first sight it looks like a barebone, but it's just a bit bigger. The unit tested today is the X-QPACK-AL/420; Aspire’s X-QPACK Aluminum Case with 3 Windows, Silver colored.



Features

Compact, portable and tasteful design

3 x side see-through windows

Front 2 x USB2.0, 2 x Audio, 1 x Firewire

1 x front LCD temperature readout

1 x 120mm blue UV LED fan at rear

5 x drive bays: 2*5.25" + 1*3.5" + 2*3.5"(int)

ATX 420W 12V power supply

Removable motherboard tray for easy installation

Sturdy aluminum contructed for best cooling

If you are looking for a PC that is compact and dynamic that you can just grab it and go, then this Aspire X-QPACK is your perfect choice. The X-QPACK is designed with the idea of giving users to choose any Micro ATX motherboard and components in the market to build their own compact PC. With a built-in ATX 420W power supply, 5 x drive bays and a 120mm fan, this X-QPACK is powerful, cool yet quiet. Stylish, portable, dynamic and cute, Aspire X-QPACK has it all. Simplify your life with X-Qpack!

More information on the manufacturers' website.


Installation

Opening the sturdy cardboard box reveals the case... Every plexi window is both on the inside as the outside protected by a thin plastic film. It can be easily peeled of and leaves no marks. The front panel has two USB ports, a firewire port and audio connectors. The weird construction in the front is a handy. As you can see it's easy to click it out and carry the case.



Continuing our exploration of the case we notice 120 mm rear fan. It seems to be a blue LED fan. Does it provide enough airflow? Performance test further in this review will answer that question.

The cover of the case, made of one part, is attached to the case with three thumbscrews. Opening the case is done in just a jiffy. Once removed the cover feels a bit weak and to flexible to my opinion. The thin aluminum and the plexi aren't the strongest combination. But once installed around the chassis, the panel sits well in place and feels sturdy. It becomes one strong construction.

Inside the case we also found a little bag with screws and a power cable.



Let's take a look on the inside. >>