NEON Light Mid-tower Case
Introduction
A few months back while browsing the net I came across this cool casing called the Neon-Light. From the time I saw it, I knew I’ll have one of those with me one day. After doing some research I finally landed upon the manufacture of the Neon-Light casing. They’re called 3R Systems, a company based in Korea. Even though we may not have heard of this company they are the supplier to a large amount of retailers around the world, yet the cases do not sell under their name. However they do sell some of their cases on the site itself, and if you don’t require any special mods on the case, then directly buying from the manufacture is the best thing to save cost.
A few days ago we reviewed Lian-Li’s PC60 USB casing. (Those who missed it can read it here) Even though the Lian-Li is undoubtedly still better than the Neon-Light casing in terms of performance and usability, anyone looking at the two will definitely go for the Neon-Light had they not known the other was a Lian-Li casing since the Neon-Light sports a much cooler look. I mean look at the two side by side. The Neon-Light sure has the edge in looks over the Lian-Li by all means.
As you open up the box what captures your eye the most is the Temperature probe that’s placed right at the lower half of the front panel. This unit has been so well done it certainly is one of the main selling points of this casing.
The outer appearance of the casing is first class. At least this is what I think 🙂 The silver front panel blends in quite well with the rest of the casing. For some reason the casing I received said that it includes a 250W power supply, however I didn’t see anything of the sort. There are a few vendors however who sell this casing along with a 250 or 300W PSU, which would of course cost a bit more. If you notice the top 2 front panels are different to the rest of the 5.25″ panels. The reason for this is that the top 2 panels are flips and they open when the CD-ROM or what ever device’s tray opens and the opposite when the tray closes. This is so cool, as you can not only hide your drives, it also maintains the sleek look of the casing. However if you don’t quite fancy this the whole front panel can be removed.
The color of the casing is very impressive too. It seems to be a combination of Gun metal black and metallic silver mixed together. Either way the color is incredibly cool. Furthermore the casing has two front USB ports and a IEEE 1394 port in the front left hand side of the case. All information required for the configuration of these units is provided along with the case.
Removing the two side panels attached by thumb screws takes you into the interior of the casing. The interior was quite roomy, pretty much similar to the Lian-Li PC 60 we looked at. However the Neon Light does not include as many case fans. There’s one 80mm fan in front taking in air and another at the rear working as an exhaust.
I would have preferred if the case also included some dust covers for the intake and fan grills to protect from any accidents. The casing supports up to a total of 7 devices, four 5.25″ devices and three 3 1/2″ devices.
There are a few add on features on the Neon Light that distinctly differentiates this casing from its competition. Namely, the IEEE 1394 port, and the Digital Thermal sensor and the ultra cool looking LED’s. This is the first time I had ever come across a casing with the above additional features. You could use the digital thermal sensor to monitor your CPU temperature or the case temperature. This is just a conventional CompuNurse thermal probe which has been modified to look as it’s now. However the idea is truly innovative. Furthermore the 2 Ultra bright LED’s around the thermal probe cause you to be the envy in a LAN party. Until now I never really did give any thought to what a cool effect a few LED’s would bring, but seeing the Neon Light at work, I must say it’s truly impressive.
One of the drawbacks of the board is that this case does not include a removable motherboard tray to make your installation easier. As I mentioned in our Lian-Li review, a removable motherboard tray is one of the best things to have in a casing, unfortunately the Neon Light doesn’t include one. However this should not stop you from getting one of these, as considering the price comparison the Neon Light is way cheaper than the Lian-Li PC 60 USB.
Another drawback is that this casing’s frame is made of steel, which makes the casing much heavier than conventional aluminum casings. Nonetheless it’s still an impressive casing.
Conclusion
Overall I must say the Neon Light certainly did make a good impression on me. However one cannot directly compare the Neon-Light with a Lian-Li casing as these two are of a total different class. However given the price ranges of around $80-$90 this sure is a great buy for its price. Of course you could do you own mods such as adding more fans and window kits to give it a totally cool look. I sure would love to see the reaction on the faces if I do eventually take one of these cases to a LAN party. Hopefully the time will come soon. The digital thermal sensor and the ultra bright LED’s are certainly one of the most innovative ideas I have seen by a casing manufacture and I hope to see many more variants of this case soon on the market. In terms of performance the Neon Light isn’t the best, and the metal outer frame doesn’t help very much either. Nevertheless for a mediocre user not looking for great cooling, but ultra cool looks, then the Neon-Light would certainly brighten your room up.
