 |
Yeong Yang 5603 Mars Case |
 |
|||||
 |
|
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
Intro
Yeong Yang is a name many people will recognize. The YY cube for instance has been a favorite of PC builders since its introduction. Both for its spacious interior and superior build quality, as well as its enormous modding potential. Still there are others who may not be familiar with the name. While true that Yeong Yang may not have the name recognition of Chieftech or Chenming, they have been in business since 1978 and have been building quality PC chassis's since 1990. Today we are fortunate enough to be reviewing the latest offering from Yeong Yang, the 5603 or “Mars” case.
The Mars is based on the same chassis as the 5601 released late last year. While the 5601 had many unique features, such as louvered front intake, it is not a case that would appeal to most gamers. The 5603 is a step in the right direction if Yeong Yang wishes to appeal to the enthusiast crowd. There are still no bright lighted fans or a window option. But compared to the frumpy Volvo like boxiness of the 5601, the Mars' sleek scalloped lines and bright red bezel are near Ferarri like.
I was a bit apprehensive about a case being shipped all the way from Taipei. Generally cases are relatively safe when in a herd on a shipping pallet. But once separated from the herd they become easy prey for shipping predators. The last case that was shipped to me had become yet another casualty of Attila the UPS guy. The damage was severe enough to warrant a insurance claim and a new case. ALWAYS take the insurance guys and gals, it’s a small price to pay if shipping gets ugly. But I need not have worried; the YY case was double boxed with Styrofoam bumpers protecting the front and rear. It arrived relatively unscathed.
The only apparent damage was a broken bezel retention tab. I've never liked the way oh so many bezels are attached by little plastic tabs. But to change them to something more sturdy requires raising the cost. I'll live with it. The psu hung a bit low from the trip as well. I simply bent the little shelf it sits on back into alignment with a pair of pliers. Neither affected the final fit and finish. Five tabs seems enough to hold the bezel flush. And the psu is now level.
YY wanted us to know the packaging was strictly a “sample only”, box and not the final packaging. I’m sure they’ll come up with some kind of graphic to attract customers and beautify dumpsters. Personally, I think double boxing looks very attractive. Of course I’ve been emotionally scarred at the sight of a mirror finish black WaveMaster with its side panel viscously dented in and may not be the best judge of that.
The 5603 is what YY refers to as a “Thermal Advantage” Chassis. Their recent press release claimed, “T-ambient 38 degrees C environment at an ambient room temperature of 35 for Intel® Pentium® processor 3.06GHz up.” I think that may have suffered a bit in translation considering my processor runs less than 38 C. And an indoors ambient even in Phoenix is generally much less than 35 C (95 F). What I suspect it means is the case meets the minimum requirements for the new Intel processors. And the 38 C refers to the die temp.
Specs
Case dimension:
- 211mm W x 510mm D x 440mm HMotherboard configuration:
- Micro ATX/ ATXDrive configuration:
- 10 drive bays:
• 4 - 5.25" exposed
• 1 - 3.5" exposed
• 5 - 3.5"(1") hiddenOptional system cooling fans:
- 2 * 12 cm fans for front-mounted and rear-mountedFront panel control:
- Power switch, Reset switch, Power LED, HDD LED
USB2.0, Audio, IEEE1394Power Supply:
- PFC function available
- Standard PS2/ATX Delta 250W/300W/350WOptions:
- 2x12cm fans (front & rear mounted)
- Intrusion switch, Air Guide
Initial Impressions
My first impression of the case was its weight. The shipping bill lists the weight as 13.4 kilos or 29.5 lbs. Even allowing for double boxing, I could tell this was no feather weight aluminum lan rig. Figure a minimum of 25 lbs. with the power supply in place. The Yeong-Yang web site lists it considerably lighter. It’s steel. It’s massive. It’s a freaking tank. Looking through the rear fan grill the thickness is the better part of 1/8”. If ever attacked in my home by disgruntled postal workers I’m hiding behind this case.
My second impression of the case was, “Damn that’s red!” The front bezel is changeable and also comes in silver with black vents or silver with red vents. The vents line the outside edge and bottom of the front bezel to facilitate air flow. This is by far the best stock solution I've seen for stealthing front air flow. The USB and auxiliary ports are located conveniently at the top of the bezel. As are the power and reset switches. Both of which have the nice solid action characteristic of a quality switch and the reset switch is large enough that you don't need to grab a sharp pointy object to use it, yet recessed enough you won't hit it by accident. The body of the case is a lightly textured black that should resist finger prints.
. 
I find it a bit odd that the fans are optional. Not that it’s odd to have a fan as optional. That is becoming very common. What’s odd is YY obviously spent a great deal of time and effort to create a very specialized front mount only to leave it empty. A single120 mm fan in back provides the lion’s share of cooling as this model did not come with a front fan.
Other options included with this particular case are a side mounted fan guide and a High Power 350W power supply with PFC function. That’s not a description, it’s a brand name. "High Power" power supplies are made by Sircon.
