Installation

 

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I mounted a full size ATX power supply and motherboard into the XClio A380 Twin Engine case without problems.  Because the case is relatively large, there is plenty of room to work around all the various components.  The motherboard and expansion cards lined up nicely in their respective openings.   

 

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A large 8800 GTX video card fit in with ease and the double-wide brackets fit and were held securely by the tool-less PCI slot retention mechanism.

 

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Both the 5.25′ and 3.5′ drive bays use plastic drive rails for easy installation and removal of all the various drives.

 

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Up to seven HDDs can be mounted into the internal 3.5′ drive cages.

 

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Up to five 5.25′ and one 3.5′ devices can be mounted into the exposed drive bays.

 

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The XClio A380 Twin Engine case loaded and ready for liftoff!

 

 

Ventilation and Noise

 

You would think a large case with two 250mm fans would provide excellent ventilation and case cooling, and overall the A380 delivers.  The side mounted fan does an excellent job of cooling the entire motherboard area.  Unfortunately, airflow from the front fan into the case is partially blocked by various internal case components.

 

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Another important consideration is: air in = air out.  Both of the 250mm fans are blowing air into the case.  The two major exit points are the rear 120mm fan opening and the power supply.  For additional airflow, one or more blow-hole(s) with, or without fans could be added to the top of this case.

 

Noise is also a concern for many PC enthusiasts so I measured the sound pressure level (SPL) of the two fans running at Hi and Low speed settings.

 

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*Sound pressure level readings were taken 3′ away from the front of the case in an otherwise quiet room.  The ambient noise level was ~30 dBA.

 

When set on Hi, the two air turbines spool up to full speed and while the noise is definitely noticeable, it’s not excessive.  Turning both fans down to Low speed reduced the fan noise to a whisper (but still not silent).

 

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