A Closer Look - ARCTIC MC001-BD Media Center

Out of the box, the MC001-BD is covered with a layer of plastic to protect the shiny surface from scratches and fingerprints at the factory. As you can see, the device is two-toned. One panel is silver while the other is shiny black. I would have liked to see an all black exterior, as it fits much better into a home theater setting, but luckily, that is just a subjective opinion which the jury should disregard please.


With a mere volume of 1.5 Liters, the device is quite compact. For comparison, it is just slightly larger than the PS2 Slim if my memory serves me correctly. You will find a tray loading BluRay drive in the front. A slot loading version would have been a nice touch, but this will do just fine. The MC series of systems also includes units with DVD drives for those who do not require the new format in their living room. In the rear you will find loads of connectivity surrounded by an air vent. ARCTIC Cooling has stashed the wireless connectivity on the very bottom, next to the power connector, while the five USB 2.0 ports, surround sound audio, network, HDMI and VGA connectivity can be found above those. An air vent on top of the device gives the heatsink in the top access to fresh air. As the entire unit is passively cooled, the silver panel actually acts as a heatspeader and is constructed of aluminum. This explains the use of the different materials and colors.


Taking a closer look at the front I/O, it is located right besides the drive bay. There are two black USB connectors, but one of them is actually of the 3.0 variety. A pair of audio plugs and an SD Card reader round things up.


Peeking into the top, we can clearly see the fairly large heatsink occupying the entire top of the MC001-BD. Considering ARCTIC is primarily a cooling company, the heatsink is their own design and is the reason no fans are required to cool the entire unit. Due to this setup and to ensure proper functionality, the base of the device is firmly attached to the unit. As hot air rises, you should always operate the MC001-BD standing up, to allow for cooling to work properly.