Price: $259.99



Introduction:

Microcool is an Italian based company that was founded in 2003 to make effective cooling solutions for demanding computer systems. With this strong emphasis on heat control, the company has released several well-designed lines of cooling products such as chipset coolers, core protective rubber frames and thermally conductive tapes. One major success for the company has been NorthPole line of chipset coolers, which utilizes a modular design, is extremely quiet and reduces heat very efficiently, making it perfect for many PC users. Even though Microcool is a company built on cooling, the release of the Banchetto 101 shows us that they are far from limited to any one segment of the market. This product is the end result of over two years of development to create a light-weight, open and transparent case that is perfect of modifiers and PC Professionals. This open design makes it ideal for users that are constantly changing out their component and don't want to be restricted by the more closed design of a typical chassis. In addition to these features the Banchetto 101 also offers some aspects that might not be entirely new, but when combined with Banchetto's design make them quite unique. These include the ability to choose from multiple water-cooling setups that fit directly to the case and a removable motherboard tray that will make installation much easier. One thing I can't get by without mentioning above all the features listed is the look of the case. With the clear design highlighting the installed hardware and chrome accents it is extremely appealing to the eyes and is the reason behind the name Banchetto, which is the Italian word for feast.

Closer Look:

The Microcool Banchetto 101 comes packaged in a black cube-shaped box that is consistent in size for a case of this sort. The front and back of the packaging show an image of the case, with the images being relative to the direction it is actually facing within the packaging. Directly in front of these images is the Banchetto 101 logo with the slogan "a new style for your PC" under the logo. Both these panels have a nice clean look and give an interesting top and bottom view of the 101. Turning to the side of the packaging you will find some of the listed information about the case. The info comes in the form of listed specifications, a explanation about the case in multiple languages and an image of the Banchetto in use. This image shows two large HD3870 graphics cards being used on the table, showcasing its ability to not be hindered by the size of some of the larger products on the market. The last panel simply has the company's name on it and a large 'Z' like line stretching across the panel. The side is actually where you will open the packaging and the 'Z' shape functions as a seam that can be opened and closed, securing to the box with Velcro.

With the Banchetto 101 out of the box you can see that it comes almost entirely encased in Styrofoam. With such a large area of the case protected it makes it much more secure during transit and should prevent the case from damage prior to removing it from the Styrofoam. The accessories that come with the case are actually found within the Styrofoam and include around sixty thumb screws, seven stands that are used to secure rear expansion cards in place and the installation guide. The included screws come with two different threads, with one thread being used to install add-on components and the other to secure the cases modular bays in place.

Now that we have everything unpacked, let's move on and see what the Banchetto 101 has to offer.