I thought the new versions were supposed to be quiet. But I can hear this case in the next room. I'll have to find a quieter fan before I can use this.
Update-1/3/2018: My first impression of this case was how loud it was, so I didn't write about anything else. Now that I've had it for 4 weeks, I'll provide a more complete review.
I really wanted to love this case, because most of the ports have been relocated to much more usable locations. But getting to the point where I do love it has taken some effort on my part.
The first thing that sets this case apart from most of the others is the power and reset buttons. Since I haven't been running my PI 24/7, it's handy to power off the unit after shutting down the OS. And on the rare occasions when the system freezes, the reset button is a handy alternative to unplugging and replugging the power cord.
The second thing I noticed is that some of the ports have been relocated. I think this is the real strength of this case. The USB ports are on the front. This is important to me because I use them for Flirc and WiFi dongles. But relocating the power and HDMI connectors to the back of the case was a great idea. Who wants to have these cords sticking out of the side of their case?...not me.
Finally, the ethernet port has been relocated to the side of the case. Personally, I think this connector should have been put on the back of the case with the other cable connectors, but that would have required additional electronics which would have increased the price of the case. Fortunately, I was able to find an ethernet cable with a right-angle connector that cleanly directs the cable to the rear of the unit.
When mounting my PI in the case, I ran into a problem that several others have reported. I wasn't able to insert the power connector far enough into the case to make contact with the board. I solved this by enlarging the hole in the back of the case.
And finally, the noise problem. Once I realized that the sound was coming from the case and not the fan, I decided to address the problem with the fan that shipped with the unit. So I made three changes: 1) I remounted the fan on foam cushions made out of some double-stick tape I had laying around. 2) I shortened the mounting posts that the case screws use to secure the halves of the case. Shortening these posts ensured I had a tighter fit between the top and bottom of the case. 3) I reworked the fan connectors to run it on 3.5v instead of 5v. This slows the fan down and reduces the vibration it causes.
The result is that my case is now quiet enough to sit in my living room running Kodi and be the media center it was intended to be. Would any one of the changes I made been enough to quiet the unit? Perhaps...but I don't care, I'm happy with the result. [Note: Since making these changes, I'm now occasionally seeing the PI low-voltage icon in the upper right corner of my TV but it doesn't seem to be causing any harm.]
So, while my initial review was negative, I am now very pleased with the NES Case...and have raised my 2-star rating to 5-stars.
Pros:
o Great looking case for the money
o Power and reset buttons
o HDMI and power connectors relocated to rear
o Ethernet connector moved away from the front
Cons:
o Ethernet connector should have been moved to the rear (IMHO)
o Power connector opening was too small for connector - fixable
o Noise caused by case vibration - fixable
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
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