Review: Build State-Of-The-Art Systems: Step One

Many motherboards in production are now of the MicroBTX form factor, which measures 10.4 inches by 10.5 inches vs. the 12.8 inches by 10.5 inches of full-size BTX motherboards. In order to build systems to accommodate these MicroBTX motherboards, a MicroBTX-compatible chassis is required.

Enter Antec's BK640B chassis, which provides a solid foundation on which to build state-of-the-art systems that adhere to MicroBTX specifications.

As with the full-size BTX, the Micro form factor was designed to balance thermal management, acoustics, system performance and size, with the latest technologies such as Serial ATA and PCI Express in mind.

The Micro form factor specifies the use of a single cooling fan to generate an in-line airflow that passes front-to-back, past all of the high-power components. (The CPU is first as it typically is the hottest component in a system.) Also specified is the use of a Support Retention Module (SRM), which is a metal plate that runs underneath the motherboard supporting the CPU's thermal module. The result of this design is quieter and cooler systems with lower heat sink costs and improved performance.

To accommodate this, the Antec BK640B includes a universal input 380-watt ATX12V 2.0 power supply with active power factor correction. A single cooling fan is located inside the power supply, and the case also has space in the rear for two optional 92mm fans for further cooling.

Highly expandable and measuring 15.75 inches by 7.1 inches by 15.75 inches, the BK640B chassis features six drive bays consisting of two 3.5-inch internal bays for hard drives, two 5.25-inch external bays for optical and tape drives and two 3.5-inch external bays for floppy drives and memory card readers. Cages for all of the drive bays are removable for speedy assembly. For added user convenience, front-mounted ports include two USB 2.0, one FireWire and audio In and Out. Backed by a three-year warranty, the BK640B costs $89.95.