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If I try to generalize on the whole my entire experience with cases from Aerocool, then we can say that they fully justify the name of the brand. After all, all their chassis lines are sharpened mainly for air cooling. However, sometimes the company tries to curtsey towards CBO lovers. And one of these signs of attention can be considered the subject of this review – the LS-5200 case. The abbreviation LS in this case means Liquid Solutions (literally – “liquid solutions”, but will not focus on this), that is, a series specially designed for the installation of liquid cooling systems. It looks pretty good, but let’s not jump to conclusions and look into the details.
Characteristics
| Model | Aerocool LS-5200 |
|---|---|
| Product page | aerocool.com.tw |
| Type of shell | Midi-Tower |
| Dimensions, mm | 530 (H) x 220 (W) x 430 (D) |
| Material | ABS plastic, steel, acrylic |
| Weight, kg | 6,1 |
| Color | Black White |
| Form Factor | ATX |
| 5.25″ devices | – |
| Devices 3.5″ external | – |
| Devices 3.5″ / 2.5″ internal | 5 / 2 (2.5″ drives fit 3.5″ drive slots) |
| Supported number of expansion slots | 8 |
| Fans | front – 3 x 120 / 2 x 140 mm (optional) rear – 1 x 120 / 140 mm (1 x 120 mm installed) upper – 2 x 120 / 140 mm (optional) |
| Interface connectors | 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, mic in and headphone out |
| Other | Transparent side panel, two 3-position dual fan speed controls, removable power supply dust filter |
| Recommended cost, $ | 70 |
Packing and scope of delivery
The box at the case is the most simple, but very informative. It shows in graphical, textual and tabular form the most important parameters for the user – the allowable height of the processor cooler, the maximum length of the video adapter, the type and number of fans that can be installed here, etc. For this, the company is a separate plus. Protection against damage during transportation is the most budgetary – foam dampers, a plastic bag and adhesive films on the side window on both sides.
The set of fasteners is contained in a small cardboard box and looks rather concise. There is:
- assembly instructions;
- five cable ties;
- plastic adapter for a Phillips screwdriver for mounting motherboard racks;
- as many as 12 motherboard racks (nine would be enough);
- 21 hex head screws for PSU, expansion cards and 3.5″ hard drives;
- 25 small screws for 2.5″ drives and motherboard.
Appearance
The appearance of Aerocool LS-5200 is dominated by angular motifs with sharp bevelled edges. The front panel consists almost entirely of a translucent metal mesh with medium-sized cells and emphasizes the good ventilation of this chassis with its whole appearance. There are no external connectors for 5.25″ devices, therefore, it will no longer be possible to put your favorite DVD-ROM or reobas here.
At the bottom there is a silver logo of the company and a strange decorative insert, separate from the front panel, forming both a ledge and a figured hole for air intake from below.
All external interfaces and switches are assembled on the upper beveled edge of the front panel. There are two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0, two 3.5 mm audio inputs for microphone and headphones, two three-position sliders that control the rotation speed of two fans each. Adjustment occurs by switching the supply voltage of the propellers between 5, 7 and 12 volts. The system power button is more like a pedal and freely “walks” in all three dimensions. It has a built-in blue power indicator, and a little lower, in the corner, a red drive activity indicator. There is no forced system reboot key.
The top panel is also all made of metal mesh and in many ways visually resembles the front of the chassis. On the sides at the back there are two oblique cutouts in plastic, which can help improve ventilation, but in fact they were made purely for the sake of beauty.
Most of the left panel is occupied by a large, fully transparent, flush, square, acrylic window. The door is removed by sliding to the rear and held in place by two thumbscrews. There is also a stamped handle on the back to facilitate the dismantling of the panel.
Inside, the panel is equipped with stiffeners, and the acrylic window itself looks very durable. It is attached to the door with bent metal brackets. While the chassis metal isn’t exactly thick, the overall structural strength of the frame and side panels is acceptable.
The right door is solid and even. It also has a stamped removal handle and is held on by two knurled screws.
Inside, everything is similar to the left panel. There are stiffening ribs, there is no soundproofing material.
From the back, everything looks quite standard for a case with a bottom-mounted power supply. The cutout in the top panel also serves as a recess for its dismantling and improves ventilation. A little lower, behind a grille with round large cells, there is a seat for one 120- or 140-mm fan. Moreover, the height of its landing can be adjusted within one centimeter. There are eight PCI expansion slots, although for some reason only seven of them are indicated in the specifications. But in any case, more is better than less. The slot covers are ventilated and, unfortunately, disposable. Expansion cards are held in by regular screws, and the hole for their installation is covered with a separate corner plate, which is attached with two thumb screws.
The seat of the power supply allows you to orient it both with the fan up and down. Below, under the PSU, there is a high-quality removable dust filter, which will allow it to last a little longer, because it will be a little slower to get dirty with dust.
The case rests on two plastic legs at the back and one common massive stand at the front. The power supply grille consists of large round holes and should be well ventilated. There are screws in the center of the bottom panel, which hints at the possibility of dismantling some of the internal partitions in the chassis.
The total height of the legs is 27 mm, small rubber patches are glued on the bottom of them.
Let’s look at the interior of the case.
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