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Road to the Pentium 4: AMK 18" LED
By Kelly Lu - July 25, 2001
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For the second part of our Road to the Pentium 4 series, we take a look at the case needed in order to set up a Pentium 4 processor. For those of you who have not read the first part of this series, I suggest you do so, since I outlined the technology behind the Pentium 4 and the basic components needed to set up a Pentium 4 system in it.
Today, we bring you the 18" LED-1003 case from AMK Computers. Recall that I mentioned in the first part of this series that the Pentium 4 requires both a new ATX 2.03-specification power supply and case; the 18" LED-1003 is considered to be one of the few that are ATX 2.03-compatible. Dubbed to be a "P4 ready" solution, the 18" LED-1003 has the extra mounting holes and the extra power connectors that the ATX 2.03 specification calls for. At only $99 CDN (about $65 USD), this case is also one of the cheapest P4 solutions around.
Aside from the P4-ready feature, this case is actually much like your everyday mid-tower case. With 7 expansion slots, 3 x 3.5" and 3 x 5.25" drive bays, the 18" LED is actually pretty normal when it comes to the specifications. It is, however, very different if one looks at it from the front, as, unlike the conventional 1 or 2 LED's that are usually found on most computer cases, the 18" LED boast 2 rows of 6 (!!) LED's for a total of 12 LED's down the front cover of the case! This is what intrigued me so much about this product-I will explain their purpose later on in this review.
The 18" LED-1003 model that I received came with a 300W P4-compatible power supply, which supplies the extra power connectors as well as the regular ATX motherboard connector (pictures below) needed for Pentium 4 motherboards. At 300W, it should also provide enough power for most people. Our model came with a built-in intake case fan at the front to improve air flow and also allows for an extra exhaust fan at the rear, which, if the user chooses to utilize, will allow for even better air flow and cool'age. AMK Computers, being one of the few companies around that targets hardcore overclockers, has models available with extra cooling features such as an exhaust fan built-into the top of the case, finger guards for the fans or even thumbscrews-of course, for an added premium.
The above images show the power connectors that go to the motherboard from an ATX 2.03-spec power supply. The one on the right is the standard ATX connector found on all standard ATX power supplies, and the two on the left are the new connectors.
First Impressions
Upon first inspection, the AMK 18" LED looks much like any other 18" mid-tower product, except for the extra LED's running down the front. Unfortunately, I found that the extra LED's, coupled with the bright blue trim, actually took away from the overall aesthetic appeal of the case--but that's just my personal opinion.
 Inside, however, is another story. The AMK 18" LED is one of the roomiest cases around, probably because, after I compared a few other cases to it, it is an extra inch or so longer than most ATX cases.
Not only is it roomy, but I noticed that there was a lot of details put into the interior of the case as well. For example, there are labels on most of the mounting holes in the case; labels for which holes are for which type of motherboard (ATX, P4, AT), and which holes are for which type of drive (floppy or hard drive). Although these labels might not be helpful at all by many, they could be useful for some, especially for first-timers building their computer from scratch.
 
Notice the labels near the mounting holes... (sorry, not the best camera)
The 18" LED is reasonably sturdy and its edges are nicely rounded so that the user won't get cut when running theirs fingers along the edges. I actually (accidentally) swiped my arm across one of its edges quite hard when I was installing it, but it only left a very faint pink mark, which is very good (for me and for it).
Finally, the case is fairly light, which is good if moving around your computer a lot fits your fancy.
Powering Up
Putting the guts into this case is very easy, since AMK provides everything needed (even an extra twist tie for those cables) and since the case is so roomy. The fact that the back mounting plate is not removable is one of my biggest gripes about it, however.
The case is somewhat loud in comparison to other cases, but not to a point that it becomes a hindrance.
The fans did a good job of venting out the heat, and if the user chooses to install an extra exhaust fan at the back (where the grill is) and another one on the top (which would involve cutting holes), the 18" LED should be able to handle any amount of heat that your computer could throw at it (unless, of course, you're overclocking a 1GHz processor to 23GHz...).
 After running the case, I managed to figure out what the LED's are for. When the hard drive is being utilized, most cases will only flash their HD-LED's, but with the 18" LED, not only does the HD-LED flash, but the row of LED's will pulse as well. The pulsing of the red LED's does give a neat look to the case, but I would have preferred the LED's to perform some other useful purpose, such as pointing out the temperature, rather than just for aesthetics.
Conclusion
Although the specifications might suggest that it is much like any other 18" mid-tower case with 7 expansion bays at the back and another 6 drive bays at the front, AMK has a few tricks up their sleeves that makes their 18" LED unique from other cases. Two of these features are the labels on the mounting holes inside the case, which could help out first-time system builders and the row of pulsing LED's at the front, which adds to the aesthetic appeal, but lacks actual usefulness. The 18" LED is one of the most roomiest cases that I've worked with, too, although, I would have liked to see the back plate be removable.
Finally, and probably the most important feature, the AMK 18" LED is one of the few Pentium 4-ready cases that features the extra power and holes required by the Pentium 4--and it's also one of the cheapest at $99 CDN. For building a Pentium 4 system, this is a great case to start with.
Check back within a week or so for part 3 of the "Road to the Pentium 4," where I will take a look at another key component in setting up a Pentium 4 computer system...
Pros
- Pentium 4-compatible; ready to house that shiny Pentium 4 processor
- Very roomy
- Labels on mounting holes are signs that a lot of attention has been paid to details
- 7 expansion slots, 6 drive bays--lotsa room to expand.
- 12 (!) pulsing LED lights at the front of case
Cons
- Stationary motherboard back plate; would have prefered removable one (-1.0)
- Not the most aesthetically appealing (-0.5)
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