A Closer Look - Outside

Out of the box, the Chieftec Pro Cube actually feels quite sturdy. The front panel uses some straight but subtle edges that give it some depth below the expansion slots and I/O.


Looking at the front, it sits squarely on the metal body. You may pull this off to reveal the expansion slots and a 120 / 140 mm fan mount. If you look closely, you will see that this vent can also accept a removable dust filter, but Chieftec has embedded that layer of protection into the plastic front panel instead. Another noteworthy aspect is the fact that some of the case cabling is colored - something we don't tend to see these days either. In the rear you can clearly see that the motherboard tray is horizontal, with the PSU below and another mounting position for a 120 mm fan.


The main side panel of the CI-02B-OP sports an air vent, which is further protected from the inside by a magnetic mesh cover. Turning it over, the opposite one is completely solid. In terms of thermals, it would have been beneficial for the case to have a vent on this side as well.


The bottom of the front sports a square metal mesh element with the Chieftec logo, which is right in front of the air intake area for the frame. Above that, you will find one 3.5" and one 5.25" drive bay, which clearly caters to those who need a multi-card reader or optical drive built-into their system. To the left of those, there are two USB-A 3.0, the usual pair of audio jacks and a power and reset button. Chieftec has also placed the power and HDD activity LEDs here.


In the rear, the bottom half holds the ATX PSU bay which comes with two sets of mounting holes. To the left of it, the space is used for a 2.5" HDD cage. Above that, the space is reserved for the motherboard and any expansion cards. The Pro Cube also features two round openings which we used to see more frequently in the past, for those wanting to route liquid cooling tubing out of the chassis. Lastly, the expansion slots are protected by breakout covers, which is unfortunate but not entirely unexpected considering the Pro Cube's affordable retail price.


There is another vent at the top of the chassis, right above the motherboard. It is covered by a magnetic mesh cover. You may install a 120 or 140 mm fan here. It should also be possible to place an AIO of the same sizing here as there is a total of 160 mm of room above the CPU. The reason the front area is not included in the possibility for cooling is the fact that the external drive space takes up that internal space.


Tipping the chassis over, you will find an easily removable dust filter for the PSU. Looking closely, you can see where the 3.5" hard drive cage is secured. Chieftec has also placed two mounting positions for 2.5" drives on the floor of the CI-02B-OP.