This is my amateur review of Colorcase.com and their Neo Classic I, as I told the members in this thread I would do. This is the first computer that I have built and decided to build it when I saw the Neo Classic I case.
Purchasing, Shipping, and Handling:
To get the prices for Colorcase?s products you can email them for a price sheet. You do not have to be a member to receive the price sheet. I received the prices back in a few hours (I requested it very early in the morning). There is no cost a becoming a member and I am not exactly sure what are all the benefits of being a member.
I knew the case was out of stock when I ordered it, which is not a problem. The wait gives me time to research and get everything else. I contacted Colorcase by phone to place my order and get a quote for shipping. The phone was answered promptly by a human.
I ordered:
Neo Classic I case with a 300w Fortron Silent Series PSU - $119.
Pioneer 16x DVD Drive, black (as was listed on their web page) - $124.
Teac 1.44 Floppy, black - $25.
2-80mm Case Fans - $14. / both
Shipping weight was listed as 34 lbs and cost $20 for UPS Ground. The case was very well packed, double-boxed and a whole lotta foam peanuts. All the items I purchased with the case came installed. From the time I ordered it and the day it shipped was about a 23 day wait, not a problem I knew their would be a delay.
I kept an eye on their website for updates. For this case, it stated next shipment Jan 31, 2001. Around Jan 17 (Wed), it changed to in-stock. I called Colorcase on the following Monday and asked if the case had been shipped. Again, the phone was answered promptly. I was told the cases are in Customs and mine should ship early the next week, it shipped on the following Tuesday. woohoo!!! The day it shipped Colorcase emailed me a UPS Tracking number.
The Case and Products:
When I received the box the first thing I did was remove the invoice and packing list that was attached to the outside box. I was not too pleased with a little note at the bottom of this invoice:
?Note: Pioneer DVD only comes in beige. Nobody has it in Black.?
Had I known this (if it were true) I would have ordered a beige one anywhere else for $25 cheaper! I contacted a well-known reseller that specialized in black components; he has them in black and in stock, all be it $136. I will keep the DVD Drive and paint the face black when I paint the face of my CDRW.
Man this case is friggin? sweet looking! The case is all-metal with the exception of the heavy-duty plastic front cover. Getting inside you remove two thumbscrews for each side panel located on the back of the case. Removing the right side panel is useless as you cannot access the inside. Inside I could not find any sharp edges, I am sure my knuckles will thank me later. To remove the front cover you have to remove any drives you have in the 5.25-inch drive slots. Then the cover easliy snaps off and on.
The fans are mounted for decent airflow through the case. One being at the front bottom drawing in fresh air from an opening at the underside of the front plastic cover, the other mounted on the back about ¾ of the way up. On the side panels there is an area of about 1-foot by 4-inches of many small holes. They are toward the bottom and would be better suited up toward the top to let out heat.
There is not much expansion room inside, something that will not pose a problem for me. If you are considering running RAID you will run out of room very quickly. There is not a removable motherboard tray and the spacers that hold the board off any metal areas are also metal (?). I am not sure if this will be a problem yet as I am still waiting on a KT133A M/B. I will probably get some plastic washers to place in-between the M/B and spacers just to be safe.
Inside the case pic
On the front of the case are inputs for two USB Ports, Mic In, and SPKR Out, which are hidden behind a small drop down panel and prewired to plug in at the back of the case. There is a Power Switch and a separate Reset switch, plus indicator lights for Power and HHD.
Front close-up pic showing side vent holes and front inputs.
With this case you do not need a black 1.44 floppy drive. The drive sits about ½ inch behind the silver faceplate. The only thing visible is the floppy door and that is only when you look at it straight on. Save yourself another $13 and get a beige floppy elsewhere.
I sent an email to Colorcase just before I posted this review regarding the DVD Drive and motherboard spacers. I will see if they answer their emails as quickly as their phones.
Other than the color frustration with the DVD Drive and the oddity of the motherboard spacers this is a very well built case that looks bad arse. I am pleased.
Edit: fix links and other little stuff
Purchasing, Shipping, and Handling:
To get the prices for Colorcase?s products you can email them for a price sheet. You do not have to be a member to receive the price sheet. I received the prices back in a few hours (I requested it very early in the morning). There is no cost a becoming a member and I am not exactly sure what are all the benefits of being a member.
I knew the case was out of stock when I ordered it, which is not a problem. The wait gives me time to research and get everything else. I contacted Colorcase by phone to place my order and get a quote for shipping. The phone was answered promptly by a human.
I ordered:
Neo Classic I case with a 300w Fortron Silent Series PSU - $119.
Pioneer 16x DVD Drive, black (as was listed on their web page) - $124.
Teac 1.44 Floppy, black - $25.
2-80mm Case Fans - $14. / both
Shipping weight was listed as 34 lbs and cost $20 for UPS Ground. The case was very well packed, double-boxed and a whole lotta foam peanuts. All the items I purchased with the case came installed. From the time I ordered it and the day it shipped was about a 23 day wait, not a problem I knew their would be a delay.
I kept an eye on their website for updates. For this case, it stated next shipment Jan 31, 2001. Around Jan 17 (Wed), it changed to in-stock. I called Colorcase on the following Monday and asked if the case had been shipped. Again, the phone was answered promptly. I was told the cases are in Customs and mine should ship early the next week, it shipped on the following Tuesday. woohoo!!! The day it shipped Colorcase emailed me a UPS Tracking number.
The Case and Products:
When I received the box the first thing I did was remove the invoice and packing list that was attached to the outside box. I was not too pleased with a little note at the bottom of this invoice:
?Note: Pioneer DVD only comes in beige. Nobody has it in Black.?
Had I known this (if it were true) I would have ordered a beige one anywhere else for $25 cheaper! I contacted a well-known reseller that specialized in black components; he has them in black and in stock, all be it $136. I will keep the DVD Drive and paint the face black when I paint the face of my CDRW.
Man this case is friggin? sweet looking! The case is all-metal with the exception of the heavy-duty plastic front cover. Getting inside you remove two thumbscrews for each side panel located on the back of the case. Removing the right side panel is useless as you cannot access the inside. Inside I could not find any sharp edges, I am sure my knuckles will thank me later. To remove the front cover you have to remove any drives you have in the 5.25-inch drive slots. Then the cover easliy snaps off and on.
The fans are mounted for decent airflow through the case. One being at the front bottom drawing in fresh air from an opening at the underside of the front plastic cover, the other mounted on the back about ¾ of the way up. On the side panels there is an area of about 1-foot by 4-inches of many small holes. They are toward the bottom and would be better suited up toward the top to let out heat.
There is not much expansion room inside, something that will not pose a problem for me. If you are considering running RAID you will run out of room very quickly. There is not a removable motherboard tray and the spacers that hold the board off any metal areas are also metal (?). I am not sure if this will be a problem yet as I am still waiting on a KT133A M/B. I will probably get some plastic washers to place in-between the M/B and spacers just to be safe.
Inside the case pic
On the front of the case are inputs for two USB Ports, Mic In, and SPKR Out, which are hidden behind a small drop down panel and prewired to plug in at the back of the case. There is a Power Switch and a separate Reset switch, plus indicator lights for Power and HHD.
Front close-up pic showing side vent holes and front inputs.
With this case you do not need a black 1.44 floppy drive. The drive sits about ½ inch behind the silver faceplate. The only thing visible is the floppy door and that is only when you look at it straight on. Save yourself another $13 and get a beige floppy elsewhere.
I sent an email to Colorcase just before I posted this review regarding the DVD Drive and motherboard spacers. I will see if they answer their emails as quickly as their phones.
Other than the color frustration with the DVD Drive and the oddity of the motherboard spacers this is a very well built case that looks bad arse. I am pleased.
Edit: fix links and other little stuff
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