A Closer Look - Outside

The Matrix can be considered very compact. Even though it can hold a mATX board and an optical drive, it can be considered a small mATX chassis. The case is made of plastic all around. Some may not like that fact, but it is quite well constructed and very durable.


The front is completely covered to keep the clean look of the case. You may open the three doors up to gain access to various expansion slots and connectivity. The door hinges are made of plastic, but are strong enough to widstand the daily use. Each of them is held shut by small magnets, which are more than strong enough for this purpose.


Taking a closer look at the front. The bottom drop-down door covers the 3.5 inch bay, while the larger ones hide the 5.25 inch bay and the front I/O. You will find four USB, a Firewire and the usual audio connectors here. It would have been nice to have an eSATA connector as well, but this is just a small drawback. The black stripe which visually divides the bottom and top halves also holds the power and reset button, next to which are the standard power and HDD access LEDs.


To give you an idea about the overall size of the chassis, I have placed an optical disc in front of the case. There is a grey In Win logo on the Matrix and there are black sections, which add nicely to the overall look of the case. Turning the case around 180°, the other side is identical, but features an air vent, which can be opened up. It also has a dust filter, which can be removed for cleaning.


Even the rear of the case is covered by a large, white plastic door. There is a hole on the very bottom to route cables through and out of the case. This means even if your PC is standing in the middle of the room - say next to your coffee table or couch, it should still look clean, no matter how you look at it. In case you want to route cables to the outside directly, there is a punch out hole in the middle of the door. This rear cover can be opened up to give you easy access to connect your external devices to the PC. You may even remove the entire rear part completely if you wish to have an open & traditional setup instead.


The black frame itself does serve a purpose as well. It does not only visually divide the bottom area, where the PSU is located, but also acts as a cable clip, so that you may route your cables down and out the bottom opening. There are four easily removable and reusable mainboard expansion covers in the middle area of the case. The upper portion is taken by a large air grill and the mainboard backplate.