Lancool Metal Boned K7

Installation

Installing the mainboard outside of the case is done traditionally, simply screw the stand-offs in place and add the mainboard on top. All this can be done outside the case, but this is where we were presented with the one and only real problem. Any large CPU cooler will not fit due to the angle at which the mainboard tray needs to be reinserted. As a result, you will have to install the mainboard inside the case, which makes the removable tray useless. Nonetheless, there is plenty of space to work with.


Installing the hard drives is easily done as well. Simply place the metal screws with rubber rings on the drives and slide them into place. The optical drives are even easier, as you only need to slide them in until the latch falls into place. Both drive types can be further secured by screws and this is certainly recommended, as the K7 is intended as a sturdy LAN party case.

Finished Look

After everything is installed, you will notice that even though a standard 550W PSU was used, which has seperated power cables, there are a lot missing. The same goes for the power lines that run to the hard drives, graphic card and the SATA cables to the four hard drives. These have all been routed behind the mainboard. Using a few zip ties to hold the small number of visible cables together should go a long way and insure a very clean system. Even if you do not do that, the insides are not visible to anyone, as there are no windows or large air vents.


Taking a look at the optical drives, both line up perfectly with the outside of the case. The small power and hard drive LEDs are located on the top right corner of the front. One thing you notice with the case is even though three fans are used, the case is incredibly quiet. This is simply due to the use of mainboard headers to power the fans and the ABIT IN9 32X-MAX used in this review has plenty of those.