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Design & Features
 Despite
the humor (Intel) in the label shown with the product, that's what its
intended purpose really is. Before I give you a detailed look at this
new chassis, let's briefly go over this cooling concept.
The Nextherm ICS 8200 uses a thermoelectric chip
(also known as a Peltier). It gets this name from the "Peltier Effect",
by which DC current applied across two dissimilar materials causes a
temperature differential. There is a hot and a cold side.
In the case of the Nexterm ICS 8200, the cold
side is used to provide airflow inside your case that is below ambient
temperature, hence its function as a PC "air conditioner". With that
said, let's take a closer look at this unit...
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The unit is well designed and mounted
on the front lower section of the case. Taking the whole front panel off
reveals the other end of the cooling unit, which actually features a crossflow
blower unit used for intake that is very similar to the one found on the
Vantec
hard drive cooler we reviewed here a while back. Directly behind it
is an 80mm fan to further help direct the airflow to the actual cooling unit.
If you notice the diagram above as well as the first picture of the actual
unit, you'll see a slope that is designed to direct airflow upwards, providing
proper air circulation throughout the entire chassis and directing most of the
cold air towards the most important component...the CPU. Overall, the
unit is compact and cleverly designed.
Now let's get to the second most impressive
feature, the included power supply.
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Provided a quality power supply is needed to run
a pelt, Sytrin certainly did not compromise with the chosen power supply.
This high quality 460W unit is the first power supply I've seen bundled with a
case that comes fully sleeved. It also supports a wide range of
components. Let's take a detailed look at the unit...
The included power supply will support both
Intel and AMD setups, including Athlon 64/FX systems. Not only does it
include SATA connectors standard, but also provides forward compatibility
with PCI Express motherboards. Its dual fans also automatically adjust
speeds according to the the temperature variation inside the unit.
Again, you usually pay top dollar for a fully sleeved unit, so it is quite a
surprise to see such a product come standard in case.
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For rear exhaust, it comes with a quality Sunon
90mm fan. This will provide better overall airflow than a standard 80mm
fan would, which is what is usually found in comparable mid-tower cases.
While the PCI brackets are push-off type, it features a unique tool-free
design for quick installation of your expandable cards.
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The top of the case is vented and gives you the
option to install an 80mm fan for additional cooling.
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The top also has a push down cover that will
expose the audio, firewire and USB extensions. A feature now commonly
found in a variety of gaming cases. The only gripe with this is that the
cover will not stay up or fold all the way back for added convenience.
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Finally, we have the front LCD display and
analog
meter and take a close look at the circuit board design from the rear.
I'll show you the display in action in the install section of this review.
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