AOpen Makes Case For Stylish Systems

The front panel of the Nouveau B-350B case has a lockable door that conceals four external 5.25-inch drive bays and two external 3.5-inch drive bays. The 5.25-inch bays are used for optical and tape drives, while the 3.5-inch bays can be used for floppy drives, memory card readers and any other smaller peripherals. Inside the case are six internal 3.5-inch drive bays, ideally suited for hard drives or disk arrays.

Below the case&s door are permanently exposed audio ports, four USB ports and one FireWire port. In addition, below all the ports is a circular air vent that looks like a speaker grille. Behind that air vent is a 90mm blue-LED illuminated fan that lights up the exterior grille when the system is turned on.

Like the front panel door, the left-side panel can be locked using the same key. The clear side panel also features a circular air grille with an adjustable air scoop to direct air onto a CPU cooler, which should be mounted on whatever motherboard is used to build the system. The case is compatible with Standard-, Baby- and Micro-ATX motherboards.

Inside the case are seven expansion slots, each with a quick-release tab to lock expansion cards in place without the need for any hardware. The back of the case features an oversized 120mm blue-LED exhaust fan that lights up when the power is turned on. The 350-watt power supply also contains a blue-LED fan. With the clear side panel in place and all of the blue lights turned on, the Nouveau B-350B case looks futuristic.

AOpen&s new offering is far more attractive than a typical, plain white-box case, opening the door for system builders to earn much higher margins. It&s also an easy way for system builders to spice up their lineups and differentiate their products.

The AOpen case has a three-year warranty on parts and labor.