Cooler Master ATC 220B-AX1 - Cooler Master ATC 220B-AX1

Cooler Master ATC 220B-AX1

This is the inside shot of the top blow hole intake fan. Nice job on the wrap around mesh filter.

One positive I definitely wanted to point out is that Cooler Master uses actual fittings that are embedded in the case rather than tapping out the holes into the aluminum. I know I have stripped plenty of holes in aluminum cases that just have them tapped into the aluminum frame.

Mounting surface.

Backside

Same goes for the motherboard tray. No flimsy stand offs here. Again they went with the embedded fasteners that get standard motherboard stand offs screwed in to the tray.

Installation
Installation was as easy as can be. The slide out motherboard tray enabled the whole setup (motherboard, CPU, ram, AGP card) to be installed. Then just slide it in to connect all the cabling. What would be nice is to see someone utilize a quick connect for the motherboard wiring about halfway down the wires so once the wires are plugged into the board you can just disconnect one connection instead of many and the wires stay connected to the motherboard. Surely a pipe dream, but definitely doable.

Also no more trying to squeeze in your power supply from the side. Just remove the psu bracket from the rear of the case, and slide it in.

Here we see the finished install. (Minus the CDRW that was getting painted). Along the right hand side we can see the drive space 'o plenty. Room for six 3 ¼" drives and four 5 ½" drives. Also to note while the board installed (MSI KT4) uses a 6 hole mounting, even with a bigger board with a 9 hole mounting there is still going to be plenty of room to work inside the case.

Fit and Finish
Not much to say here, just gaze upon the ATC 220B's beauty. Here are some parting shots of the case 'in action'.

Conclusion
The ATC 220B is one beautiful looking case. The only thing that raises a flag in my mind is the decision to mount the intake fan on top of the case instead of in the front panel. I know I was taught that for optimal airflow, you want the air to flow from the front bottom intake to the top rear exhaust. While I would have liked to test the theory, I wasn't about to go popping holes in the case and rearranging the front panel to see. That issue aside, this is the sturdiest aluminum case that has crossed my desk to date, and easiest to work with.

Pros

• Beautiful looking case

• Excellent build quality

• Removable motherboard tray, that is very sturdy

• Easy to work with

• Plenty of Thumbscrews to ease installation

• Plenty of room for drives

• Slide out power supply bracket

• Blue Power and HDD activity LED's

• Cold Cathode lit etched door

Cons

• I question the intake fan placement on the top panel

• A bit expensive

That's all folks. If you're looking for a good looking case that you won't put through the wringer, and you have the $$$ to burn, then the Cooler Master ATC 220B is for you.

We'd like to thank the Cooler Master Co., Ltd. for providing us with this case for review. And would also like to thank you for joining us here today at OCAddiction. Looking to purchase this case? Checkout PRICEGRABBER for a link to several Cooler Master items. Feel free to checkout any of our other reviews, or head into our forums to discuss this one.