| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
|---|
Apevia X-MASTER-AL/500 ATX Desktop/Media Center/HTPC Case, Fits Standard ATX/Micro ATX Motherboard, 500W ATX Power Supply, 2 x 80mm Fans, USB2.0/Firewire 1394/HD Audio Ports - Silver
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| Brand | Apevia |
| Motherboard Compatability | ATX |
| Case Type | Tower |
| Color | Silver |
| Material | Metal SECC, Aluminum/ABS |
| Cooling Method | Air |
| Fan Size | 8 Millimeters |
| Item Weight | 15 Pounds |
| Number of Expansion Slots | 7 |
| Number of USB 2 Ports | 2 |
About this item
- Apevia ATX Desktop/Media Center/HTPC Case
- 500W ATX PS included. Max. Cooling: 2x80mm fan(included) + 2x120mm fan(optional)
- Fits Standard ATX/Micro ATX Mainboard
- 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x HD Audio, 1 x Firewire
- Dimensions(DxWxH): 17.7" x 14.5" x 5.5"
Additional Details
Top Brand: Apevia
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Technical Details
| Brand | Apevia |
|---|---|
| Item model number | X-MASTER-AL/500 |
| Item Weight | 15 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 17.7 x 14.5 x 5.5 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 17.7 x 14.5 x 5.5 inches |
| Color | Silver |
| Audio-out Ports (#) | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Apevia |
| ASIN | B005UFLP4U |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | July 8, 2008 |
Additional Information
| Customer Reviews |
3.5 out of 5 stars |
|---|
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Product Description
Consider building your new custom Media Center/HTPC in our stylish Apevia X-MASTER case. This ATX PC case can be positioned horizontally as a tower, or vertically as a desktop in order to conform with your available space. Its brushed aluminum front panel harmonizes with most of today's home theater systems. Its optimal cooling capacity (up to 4 fans) provides the best cooling solution amongst desktop and Media Center/HTPC cases. It can accommodate standard ATX / Micro ATX motherboards, and standard ATX power supplies. The installed 500W power supply is more than enough to handle all your system needs. 3 color choices:black, blue and silver.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the appearance and performance of the computer case. They say it looks good, works well and serves its purpose very well. Customers are also satisfied with noise, and value. However, some customers have reported issues with the power supply. They also dislike the brightness. Opinions are mixed on quality and size.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the appearance of the computer chassis. They mention it looks good, has a nice finish, and is quiet. Some appreciate the good lay out and the sleek black finish. Overall, most are happy with the case's appearance and functionality.
"This case works fine and looks nice...." Read more
"...Works great as an always-on HTPC/server PC for home. Looks pretty good under my TV. Airflow is okay. Very quiet using some high quality fans." Read more
"...The case has a nice, black automotive finish...." Read more
"This case looks good (slightly industrial, but sleek black). It fits perfectly in my media cabinet. It has great air flow and room for more fans...." Read more
Customers like the performance of the computer chassis. They mention that it serves its purpose well, is very quiet, and is well made. The power supply works perfectly, and the bay door works great.
"This case works fine and looks nice...." Read more
"...Overall:Works great as an always-on HTPC/server PC for home. Looks pretty good under my TV. Airflow is okay...." Read more
"...The power supply @500W works perfect for my graphics card...." Read more
"...the bay door works great .routing the cables is easy if you know how to.for media this is great." Read more
Customers like the noise level of the computer chassis. They mention that the airflow is okay, and that larger fans are quieter.
"...Looks pretty good under my TV. Airflow is okay. Very quiet using some high quality fans." Read more
"...The power supply @500W works perfect for my graphics card. It is very quiet and would be even quieter if you used on-board graphics for simply..." Read more
"...( the larger fans are quieter and only needs to run at low RPMs...." Read more
"...it is very pretty, nice finish, well machined, and the included fans are quiet. The feet are large rubber ones with self adhesive tape on them...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the value of the computer chassis. They mention it's a great buy for the money and an excellent transaction.
"...For my purpose, this case was perfect for the price." Read more
"...It is very quiet and serves the purpose very well. Great buy for the money." Read more
"Inexpensive, works great." Read more
"Excellent transaction... AAA+++" Read more
Customers are mixed about the quality of the computer chassis. Some mention that it's well constructed, quiet, and has high quality fans, while others say that the construction is low quality, with thin, cheap metal and brittle plastic. The included PSU is not very good quality and did not include enough motherboard standoffs.
"...It's included with the case, however, it's not the a very good one, seems very light compared to my old PSU." Read more
"Case is decent enough, however, the power supply came DOA. Tested it with a power supply tester and nothing...." Read more
"...Power supply was DOA, pulled it apart and it is just terrible. EEVLOG would have a field day tearing it down.Overall:..." Read more
"...Overall, it is very pretty, nice finish, well machined, and the included fans are quiet...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the size of the computer chassis. Some mention it looks nice, quiet, and is the perfect size for them, while others say that it's a little big and barely large enough for an ATX board. Some say that the case is very cramped and won't fit a good video card or cpu cooler.
"...It fits perfectly in my media cabinet. It has great air flow and room for more fans. It's large enough for a regular atx board...." Read more
"...Everything is very tight and good cable management is a must. Oh, and the power supply is at the front!..." Read more
"...2 hard drives, and a DVD drive. Fits well, just be sure to put your hard drive(s) in first. Cabling was tight, but efficient...." Read more
"...Lots of tiddly bits that bothered me.Cons:Very cramped, I have a 5.25" drive, 2x3.5" drives and a 2.5" drive...." Read more
Customers are dissatisfied with the power supply of the computer chassis. They mention that it is lacking, poor, and dead on arrival. Some say that the power adapter does not have enough power plugs for the CPU or the ePCI.
"...Oh, and the power supply is at the front!..." Read more
"...Power supply was DOA, pulled it apart and it is just terrible. EEVLOG would have a field day tearing it down.Overall:..." Read more
"Case is decent enough, however, the power supply came DOA. Tested it with a power supply tester and nothing...." Read more
"...It's obviously not power-hungry, so newer more powerful rigs might have airflow problems even with the two side vents...." Read more
Customers are not satisfied with the brightness of the computer chassis. They mention that the LED in the front is insanely bright and keeps them up at night.
"...It's got a blindingly-bright LED in front. Who wants this nonsense?..." Read more
"...The front panel looks really nice but do note that the LED's are waaaay too bright and should be addressed before starting your build...." Read more
"...My only issue is the blue LED in the front. There really isn't a need for a super bright blue LED in the front...." Read more
"...the dvd drive, those things are useless... And yes, the power led is ridiculously bright...." Read more
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Cons:
Very cramped, I have a 5.25" drive, 2x3.5" drives and a 2.5" drive. Replacing the second 3.5" drive is nigh impossible and I have to flip the case over and remove the front panel and the bottom panel and remove cables. Was annoying after I realized I had a DOA drive. The graphics card is also jutting right into the power supply, but it just barely fits. The LED for network activity was a blue sun, so I just pulled the pin from the board. The red was much better I also cut off the firewire cable because it's just stupid and was in the way when I had to pull the front panel off. Power supply was DOA, pulled it apart and it is just terrible. EEVLOG would have a field day tearing it down.
Overall:
Works great as an always-on HTPC/server PC for home. Looks pretty good under my TV. Airflow is okay. Very quiet using some high quality fans.
For a case that's advertised as an HTPC case, you'd think that it'd be quiet, right? Despite the computer itself being lower-power system, the PSU fan runs at full speed all the time, and is pretty noisy. There are no connectors to make the fan speed adjustable by the computer.
For a case that's advertised as an HTPC case, you'd think that it wouldn't be flashy, right? It's got a blindingly-bright LED in front. Who wants this nonsense?
The case successfully fits in a 6" opening under my entertainment center. However, the case is otherwise quite bulky. You'd think that an HTPC case would be on the smaller side. All this has going for it is the height (when laying flat).
When I first attempted to use the case, I thought that it was DOA. As it turns out, there is a switch for the PSU hidden behind the front panel. After switching that on, it still didn't work. The power cable going to the PSU was loose as well! After fixing that, the computer would power on.
The faceplate for the 5.25" optical drive is too close to the drive itself. As-is, it presses into the drive and makes the eject button constantly pressed in. As a workaround, I have the faceplate partially backed out, which looks ugly. But at least I can use the eject button that way.
Thin, cheap metal. Cheap brittle plastic. Disposable expansion slot covers. This thing is cheap in all senses of the word. Look elsewhere if you want something nice.
*UPDATE*
If you're handy, and the PSU noise is bothering you, there is something you can do about it! Get a pair of 1W zener diodes. Start with 4.7v ones (the higher the voltage rating, the slower the fan will go, as you subtract the zener diode rating from 12v to get the final voltage that reaches the fan). Wire them in parallel to ensure they can handle the load (not 100% sure if this is necessary, but it can't hurt.). Open the PSU to remove the fan, and cut a length of the red wire after you've slit the clear tubing around it. Solder the diode pair inline so that the stripe is on the connector side. Wrap it up and you'll now have a fan that spins at a slower speed, and therefore is quieter. If you have a high-draw system, don't go too slow or the PSU may overheat. Also, be careful with screwing the fan back in. It's very brittle.
*UPDATE #2*
Even after successfully lowering the PSU fan RPM with zener diodes (I ended up at using 6.2v zeners), I still had noise problems. Why? The remaining noise wasn't from the RPM of the fan, it was from the crummy bearing (if it even had one). Even at low RPMs, it would rattle, which was quite annoying. Having had my share of noise annoyance, I ended up purchasing a fanless PSU that I will mount in this case. Which totally negates my cost-saving goal of getting a case that comes with a PSU. This is garbage!
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018
For a case that's advertised as an HTPC case, you'd think that it'd be quiet, right? Despite the computer itself being lower-power system, the PSU fan runs at full speed all the time, and is pretty noisy. There are no connectors to make the fan speed adjustable by the computer.
For a case that's advertised as an HTPC case, you'd think that it wouldn't be flashy, right? It's got a blindingly-bright LED in front. Who wants this nonsense?
The case successfully fits in a 6" opening under my entertainment center. However, the case is otherwise quite bulky. You'd think that an HTPC case would be on the smaller side. All this has going for it is the height (when laying flat).
When I first attempted to use the case, I thought that it was DOA. As it turns out, there is a switch for the PSU hidden behind the front panel. After switching that on, it still didn't work. The power cable going to the PSU was loose as well! After fixing that, the computer would power on.
The faceplate for the 5.25" optical drive is too close to the drive itself. As-is, it presses into the drive and makes the eject button constantly pressed in. As a workaround, I have the faceplate partially backed out, which looks ugly. But at least I can use the eject button that way.
Thin, cheap metal. Cheap brittle plastic. Disposable expansion slot covers. This thing is cheap in all senses of the word. Look elsewhere if you want something nice.
*UPDATE*
If you're handy, and the PSU noise is bothering you, there is something you can do about it! Get a pair of 1W zener diodes. Start with 4.7v ones (the higher the voltage rating, the slower the fan will go, as you subtract the zener diode rating from 12v to get the final voltage that reaches the fan). Wire them in parallel to ensure they can handle the load (not 100% sure if this is necessary, but it can't hurt.). Open the PSU to remove the fan, and cut a length of the red wire after you've slit the clear tubing around it. Solder the diode pair inline so that the stripe is on the connector side. Wrap it up and you'll now have a fan that spins at a slower speed, and therefore is quieter. If you have a high-draw system, don't go too slow or the PSU may overheat. Also, be careful with screwing the fan back in. It's very brittle.
*UPDATE #2*
Even after successfully lowering the PSU fan RPM with zener diodes (I ended up at using 6.2v zeners), I still had noise problems. Why? The remaining noise wasn't from the RPM of the fan, it was from the crummy bearing (if it even had one). Even at low RPMs, it would rattle, which was quite annoying. Having had my share of noise annoyance, I ended up purchasing a fanless PSU that I will mount in this case. Which totally negates my cost-saving goal of getting a case that comes with a PSU. This is garbage!
I thought they were exaggerating.
I'm sorry to say the critics are right.
Problem 1: When I tried to put the motherboard shield I found I couldn't install it without removing the plastic plate on which the rear fans were mounted, then re-installing it after the shield was in.
Problem 2: I read that the bezel was flimsy so I tried to be careful removing it.
Try as I did, 3 stancions broke off when I removed it.
Problem 3: The optical drive wouldn't line up properly with the bezel, so the door & its mechanism had to be removed before the bezel would go back on.
Problem 4: The orientation of the front mounted power supply is such that the extension cable connecting it to the rear socket makes a very, very tight turn right at the bezel.
In my case this lead to said cable not making proper contact with the power supply so the machine wouldn't boot up at first.
This case design seemed like a good idea: a narrow case with power supply at the front so the rear could accommodate a full sized, ATX board which could be installed without removing any drive cages.
It does work, but it's tight and the low quality of the construction overcomes the design.
I can add that cheaper cases have included snap on rails for both 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" drives allowing a tool-less assembly.
The case has a nice, black automotive finish.
Other than that, there's nothing worth having.
I've learned my lesson.
I build and re-build machines for the firm I work for.
I don't need snazzy looking equipment, but equipment which is easy to assemble and service.
This case doesn't qualify by a wide margin










