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AeroCool makes some
of the coolest multi function front panel devices around and today we
were invited to take a look at their latest creation, the AeroCool
Infinite 4-Slot 25 in 1 card reader with 2.5" removable hard drive bay.
AeroCool really gives us a some really nice features such as 2 USB
ports, headphone and microphone ports, 4-Slot 25 in 1card reader, and
2.5" IDE hard drive bay with lock. The Infinite also comes with silver
and black front covers so you can match the color of your case.
Specs
A closer look...
The
overall structure feels durable and well made. The features in the front
of the panel are well organized and spaced well. It also looks very
stylish. The Infinity quickly installs in any standard case with 1
available 5.25" drive bay. You simply slide it in like you would with an
optical drive and then plug the USB cables directly into the
motherboard. Most motherboards made these days have USB expansion ports,
but you definitely need to look at your motherboard before purchasing
such a device.
The kit comes with everything you need neatly and securely packed in the
box.
The
Infinity comes with a extrasilver front cover, however AeroCool would
have been better off by offering a silver version of the Infinity. The
reason I say this is because the front cover requires some disassembly
in order to be changed out. It's not exactly a quick job because the key
lock has to be removed and then reinstalled on the new cover. It's not a
difficult procedure and the directions will step you through the
process, it's just a little more work than I expected.
The Infinity-Drive is a pretty sweet 2.5" hard drive bay that slides out
nicely. I've always been fond of these removable hard drives and
AeroCool did a nice job.
Peek inside the Infinity and you'll see there really isn't much to it,
but the wires are cleanly routed and the circuit boards are firmly
secure.
AeroCool uses a USB plug
for the removable hard drive with is far more durable than most plugs
other bays use.
Again, the Infinity-Drive is compatible with 2.5" IDE hard drives only.
Sorry, no SATA drives will work. The hard drives are quickly and easily
installed in the Infinity-Drive.
Screw Problems...
Everything about the AeroCool Infinity was great, right up until I got
to the screws. When I tried to remove the screws, I quickly realized all
4 screws had been stripped out at the factory. Although the housing is
metal, the screws are threaded into very thin plastic. Sadly, all 4 of
these screw holes were stripped out and would not tighten even the
slightest bit. Normally I use a small jeweler's screwdriver so I don't
over torque small screws, but there was no hope for these.
Conclusion
Other than the little screws holding the end caps on the Infinity-Drive,
AeroCool has another great product. It has some very nice, well thought
out features that will be a great asset to any computer case. The
quality of the drive was great, right up until I discovered the screw
problem. The cheap design of the end caps and screws is a very tough
flaw to overcome. I've come across similar problems in products, but
usually you can at least get the screws to tighten enough to work, but
these screws just simply do not tighten at all. It's as if the screw
holes are too large or the screws are just too small. Epoxy or super
glue will solve the problem if your Infinity-Drive has the same issue,
but who really wants to deal with issues? Hopefully AeroCool will fix
this problem immediately. Until then, I simply can not recommend this
product to our readers.
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Innovation: |
9.0
out of 10 |
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Performance: |
5.0 out of 10 |
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Quality: |
3.0
out of 10 |
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Stability: |
N/A |
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Overclocking: |
N/A |
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Software/Drivers Pack: |
8.5 out of 10 |
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Value: |
4.0 out of 10 |
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Overall Rating
6.0 |
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Project Skill Level
(10 being most difficult) |
4
out of 10 |
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