I would like to thank Viako for supplying the review sample.
Viako may not be a big name in the EU or US, but apparently the brand is quite popular in Asia. I myself have never heard of it before this review, so I was quite eager to get my hands on their product. Unlike most case manufacturers, Viako does not only offer ITX cases in different sizes and colors, but also offers them as a barebone or full system. We have taken a look at their Fusion based ML-55 in the past. You may read up on it here.
The case is called ML-Style and is one of the larger ITX enclosures from Viako. It features a slimline slot along with the possibility to install a 3.5 inch drive within its small dimensions. The chassis is available in silver with a black underside or in black with a red tray. Viako offers the chassis by itself, as a power kit or as a full fledged barebone with AMD Fusion. It is up to local resellers what they would like to sell.
Viako Mini Letter ML Style
Color
Black /red or silver/black
Drive Bays
External: 1x slimline slit-in drive, Internal: 1x 2.5" or 3.5" drive bay
Form Factor
Mini-ITX
Expansion Slots
1 low-profile
Case Fans
Side: 1 x 50 mm fan
Dimensions
88 x 250 x 220 mm (H x D x W)
Weight
N/A kg
Switches
Power / Eject
Packaging & Contents
We received the chassis in the same, interesting package as the ML-55. It looks like a small postal box with all the right colors and a fake little stamp in the top right corner. While this package is a great way to underline the naming scheme for these cases, a little sticker with an image of what is actually inside, would have been beneficial.
We received the chassis with a bag of screws and the same power supply as in the ML-55. It is a 120W unit, which is fairly compact for the given capacity. It is manufactured by "Li Chin International". I have never heard of the company, but the unit works and does not emit any electrical noises during use.
A Closer Look - Outside
Taking a look at the ML-Style chassis, the case features straight lines and an understated look. As the enclosure is constructed completely of Aluminum it makes a really good impression and the quality can keep up with the best of them in the market.
Taking a closer look at the front, the only design flaw would be the round silver button. If Viako could at least use a black one with this color option, it would end up looking even better. There is a slimline & slot loading drive bay in the front as well. The eject button also allows the user to see the activity LED of such a drive once up and running. Turning the chassis around, it becomes apparent that the bottom area of the case is red. This color combination is actually quite sweet and should appeal to a lot of AMD Fusion users. While some may find the red aspects a bit out of place for a HTPC setting, considering that even LG is using it for their TVs, this choice should actually add a nice touch to things. Besides the opening for the mainboard backplate there are various holes, as Viako also offers this chassis as a complete system with all the extras installed. You will not end up using these under normal circumstances. Even though the ML-Style is quite compact you may install a low profile expansion card within the system as well.
One side holds a small 50 mm fan, which pushes air out of the side, through a cool designed air vent. Even though Viako has used black screws throughout the case, the ones holding this cooling unit in place are silver. I would have liked to see a proper choice here as well. On the other side there is a fairly simple but large vent to allow for fresh air to enter the chassis.
On the underside you will find an additional vent in the front and four well placed feet to give the entire ML-Style that HTPC look.