Assembly

Installing the mATX mainboard is done by traditional means using standoffs. There is plenty of space around the CPU for large coolers and most mainstream graphics cards will fit without having to sacrifice the upper hard drive cage. Thanks to the openings in the mainboard tray, cable management is quite good as well.


Preparing the hard drives for installation is an easy task. Just secure the unit with four special screws. The drives sit on rubber rings so you should not have any problems with vibrations. We have seen the system in various other cases and it is an excellent one. Installing an SSD is quite similar, but you use normal screws and secure the drive from the underside of the tray.


Sliding the filled tray back in until it snaps into place concludes the installation process. All connectors face toward the mainboard, which allows you to keep the overall cable mess to a minimum.


Placing an ODD inside the chassis is quite simple thanks to the easily removable front covers. Once the bay is free, just slide the drive in and secure it with the included, black thumb screws - no tools required and the drive will stay in place without worry.


Once everything is installed, the chassis makes a good impression in terms of cleanliness when viewed from the main side, especially considering the compact size. On the backside the cable mess is clearly visible and if you fill this case to the rim, you will have to plan everything carefully for the chance to fit all the cables here.

Finished Looks

Once the side panels have been placed back on the case - which did work, even with all the cables in the way, the chassis makes a great impression. There is nothing giving away that there is hardware inside when viewed from the front. Once turned on, the blue power LED lights up - just like in the other Define cases.


In the rear, all areas of interest are easily accessible. Thanks to the internal USB 3.0 connector there is no ugly cable running out the back of the chassis.


Even though I have used a black ODD, which will look good even in plain sight, the door enables you to recycle your beige or silver variant without worry as well. The blue power LED is actually quite bright and - depending on your system specs may be the only aspect of the system letting you know that it is up and running.