Value Case Roundup: A Look at the Affordable

Linkworld 3210

We threw in another case from Linkworld, the heavily modified 3210 to show the amount of modifications we can get for such a price.

External Design

The front bezel is really something to look at. It has lots of curves and a paint job we can only expect from higher end cases which cost 2-3 times more. There are a total of four 5-1/4" drive bays which are all occupied by optical drive bezels. When we do use these drive bays, it is usually for optical drives anyway so the manufacturer decided to include four optical drive bezels instead of just one. Under those bays we see two 3-1/2" drive bays with the bottom bay occupied by a floppy drive bezel to match.

Beneath the drive bays we see two chromed buttons side by side which are the reset and power buttons, in that order. We are concerned that we may accidentally press the reset button instead of the power button, or vice versa. Separating them by as little as half an inch could make a world of difference.

At the bottom of the case we see a small chromed grill and what looks like two headlights on either side. Now, most of us believe that extra lights on the bezel become an annoyance after a while, but the look of this case makes us believe were running a Benz under our desks!

We see at the top there is a handle which is very strong and can withstand the weight of a filled case. This case is definitely aimed at gamers with its mobility.

The right side of the case features a simple panel but also a door which hides the auxiliary ports. These ports include audio in/out and two USB ports.

The left side panel features a large window with an 80mm LED fan mounted on a diagonal over the CPU area. It looks to be an intake which will provide the CPU's heat sink fan with "fresh" external air. To remove this panel we remove two screws at the back of the case and slide the panel pack.

Internal Design

Looking inside the 3210 we notice a similarity between it and the 8654BL. First off, it has seven total 3-1/2" drive bays, two being exposed which provides us a lot of room for expansion. The drive bays are design differently but the basic layout is the same.

The motherboard tray is also very similar and features raised stand-offs like the 8654BL as well as the 3131G. Linkworld also includes plastic stand-offs for greater flexibility and plastic insulators for those raised stand-offs that won't be put to use to avoid shorting a motherboard circuit.

The expansion slots are also similar to those on the 8654BL with their external mounted design. There is a cover on the back which hides the point of contact of the expansion slots and the add-in card.