  V.5.0 LITE-ON cases FS020 The FS020 was actually the first "120 superstation" case geeks found--in the late winter of 1999. The case is of the "single compartment variety," and has three 120mm fan cages and mounts. The metal finish and quality of construction has been simply the best I have seen on any case to date.  Designed for negative pressure--the fans are set up as two 120 exhausts and one 120 intake--, the case also has two other intake locations: on the lower right side at the front edge and on the upper left at the front edge. Bench testing and daily use here (this case recently was recently set up with a K7 RAID system as my personal workstation) confirms that Lite-On did its homework: With the T-Bird 750 overclocked to about 860 but only equipped with an suppliers' OEM-type sink and fan for a K7, idle temperatures are about seven degrees F over ambient with two P120L1A fans installed.It isn't perfect--it has an arcane access procedure, and the effort to get to the filter for routine cleaning is truly daunting. Fortunately, the access procedure can be worked around somewhat, and the thin stick-on pads formerly supplied for feet have been replaced with small round feet. (Some of you reading this may consider this a different opinion than I have previously held--actually, I think my own evaluation protocol was getting biased due to my frustration with the costing negotiations with the company.) Further, that negative pressure setup has its price: Because the side panels have intake grills but no filtering on them, it can get dirty if you work in a dirty environment. I am planning on a kit to provide filters for this area, but have not sorted it out yet. The factory supplied configuration is with one 120 mm. factory fan (Nidec TA-450DC, model A34341-58--71 cfm., 38.7 dBA) in the lower front and the Lite-On 300w. PS. SIZE: 21" High by 9.4" Wide by 18" Deep. DRIVES - exposed: two - 3.5; four - 5.25; hidden: five - 3.5 (two in the upper back 2HD hanger and three in the lower front 3.5 drive cage. FAN MOUNTS - Lower Front: one 120x25 fan cage in LCH/fan cage/spkr. mount.  Upper Backboard: one N120x25/3/FG--see specs above.Lower Backboard: one 120x25 mount, blanked off from the factory.MODIFICATIONS: The modifications I have sorted out for this case are limited. First, it simply doesn't need a lot done to perform extremely well--the factory testing paid off. The recommended modifications are 1. Grommet Installation at all three mounting locations. 2. Lower front 120 punch. Installing a P120L1A is best done with direct mounting, and the lower front chassis grill is noticeably obstructive. 3. Backboard fan punches. For the same reasons. 4. Casters: The standard casters drop right in to the existing mounting holes. 5. More lower front intakes: The lower front has room for a 120 and 2 80s, plus an 80 in front of the HD mounts below the floppies. However, the design of the bezel-filter-intake plenum precludes effective use of these extra fans. The chassis back has room for one 90, one 80 and a 60, or two 60s right beside the slots. 6. Blowholes BASE PRICING FS020/NONE case, NO PS, NO ffan .............................................................$134.00FS020/BASIC case, Lite-On 300w. PS, one N120fan .......................................$159.00Lite-On FS020 RECOMMENDED CONFIGURATION
Lite-On TX600 |
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