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| CoolerMaster AFP-U01 CD Faceplate |
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| Written by Alexandru Spataru | |
| Wednesday, 13 June 2007 | |
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CoolerMaster, the well known manufacturer of coolers and aluminum cases, has recently launched a number of accessories for both overclocking and esthetical purposes. One of these accessories is the AFP-U0, an aluminum CD face plate. Some of you already know what an aluminum CD face plate is used for and either have one or are planning on purchasing one, while others have no idea what I am talking about. Aluminum cases are becoming more and more popular for many reasons. First of all, they are much lighter than steel cases, and are much easier to cut. Prices for aluminum cases have dropped considerably in the last couple of years, so now almost everyone can afford one. But many people that purchase an aluminum case immediately run into a rather annoying problem, aesthetics. The drives, optical (CD-ROM, CDRW, DVD-ROM and DVD-RW) or magnetic (FDD or even Zip), do not match the rest of the case in color. The drives are beige and the case is usually silver (or rather has a metallic shine). Now, this problem can be solved in a number of ways. The easiest way is to paint the drive in the color of the case, preferably using a special metallic paint for cars. Besides the fact that you lose the warranty on your drive, you can damage it by getting paint inside, on the electronics and loading mechanism. Also, metallic car paint is quite expensive. Another way to match the drive and case is to hide the drive. For this you must use one of the drive bay covers that come with the case. You simply attach the cover on the drive. Problem is that the drive becomes totally invisible, so you can't brag about it when you friends come visit ;-) The third way is to use an aluminum face plate. You can either build your own if you have the right tools and skills, which not many have, or you can buy one, such as the CoolerMaster AFP-U01. Like all recent CoolerMaster products, the AFP-U01 comes as retail in a clear package, the flat type:
After that, install the bezel but not the tray bezel. Check if the tray opens correctly and then install the last part. It's not a very difficult task, but it does require some patience and a steady hand. The official installation guide is to be found here. When you're all done, your drive and your case will match perfectly. The drive I put the bezel on was installed in a CoolerMaster aluminum case, and the difference is huge.
Pretty easy, right? Unless you have a case that uses a rail system for the drives. There are two types of rail systems, the one that uses rails with predefined holes for screws, in which case you won't be able to use the AFP-U01 because you will not be able to move the drive back so that the drive is aligned with the case. The other rail system uses cutouts, long ones, so you'll have no problem moving the drive back about 6mm. Anyway, I tried the new "improved" drive on a number of aluminum cases, and in most of them it will fit just fine. The only ones that did not work at all with the new drive were the ones based on Cheiftec's aluminum cases. Thermaltake Xaser II 6000 Plus for example. With the AFP-U01, CoolerMaster brings new hope for the people that want to hide or mask their ugly beige drives that ruin the look of their aluminum case. Installed on any drive, the AFP-U01 look awesome, I admit, and it creates a nice overall impression, especially in conjunction with CoolerMaster cases. When I first saw the drive in the ATC-210 I could hardly believe my eyes, the once dull beige drive that ruined the entire look of the case was all gone, and now I was looking at an all aluminum beauty. Too bad though it doesn't fit all drives and cases. Pros
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 27 June 2007 ) |
