Overview of the Aerocool P7-C1 Midi Tower Case (Part II)

Main Features

According to the manufacturer’s specifications, the case may accommodate very large components: a video card up to 375 mm (or 400 mm in the absence of the front fans) and a power supply of up to 200 mm in length. CPU cooler may be up to 165 mm high.

Despite the construction of Aerocool P7-C1, the power supply is placed in the most common way, and the board is set to the standard six-millimetre racks. The thumbscrews for fixing it are not supplied.

Let’s have a closer look onto the drive installation. The carriers for 3.5" storage devices are simply stretched on hard drives. They are to be straightened a little to be installed. The 2.5" storage devices are attached to the carriers’ by cogs, and it is possible to mount them not only to the ends, but to the ground as well.

The carriers with the mounted hard drive are simply retracted and sit in place securely enough. And the solid-state drives are fixed to the carriers by thumbscrews.

The tested new product does not allow to set the optical drive or other 5.25" device, such as fan controller, though in the age of digital distribution its presence is not so important (as opposed to USB 3.0 port), so it is not a real disadvantage.

The expansion cards are the next to be considered. In their case, quick release fasteners are missing, but the fixing points are closed a decorative metal plate, which is secured by two thumbscrews.

Now that all the components are in place, let’s deal with wires. A long vertical opening is very convenient for cabling. Let’s as well note that the upper openings are conveniently used for a motherboard four-routed power cable. The front side looks perfect in terms of cabling. In general, the case manufacturing quality is at the highest level.

Case cooling system

The default Aerocool cooling system consists of one branded fan Aerocool 12025, which is located on the rear panel behind the CPU socket and removes the heated air out of the case. This is a 20 x 120 x 25 mm made of black plastic.

However, the engineers have provided a possibility for a significant expansion of the cooling system. For example, two 140 mm or three 120 mm fans can be installed on the front panel. And on the top panel – a couple more 120 mm turntables or it can be used for an LSS.

The liquid cooling system support is expressed in the possibility to install a 240/280/360 mm radiator under the front panel, a 240 mm radiator t the top and a 120 mm – at the rear one.

The system works expectedly quiet. The only one complete (~ 1200 r/min) fan and a thick (0.6 mm) high-quality steel casing highly influences the situation.

Conclusion

The Aerocool Company has created just perfect case. First and foremost, the two-piece design and cable management system are worth noting.

As for the case’s appearance, his assessment is always subjective, but such a «hexagon» solution will always find its supporters. Let’s not forget the Aerocool P7-C1 zest – the front panel LED backlighting with eight colors, three modes and support for cyclical color change.

Additionally, the manufacturer has provided two color variations of the case execution: black and white with black inserts, each of which may be with a standard acrylic window or a side panel of tempered glass.

Aerocool P7-C1 Pros

• • Two-piece design;
• • High manufacture quality;
• • Good capacity;
• • Excellent cable management system;
• • Removable dust filters;
• • Four USB ports on the top panel;
• • The card reader on the front panel;
• • High capacity cooling system.

Case Cons:

• • No front panel fans supplied.

Aerocool P7-C1 Specifications

• • Material: steel, plastic
• • Dimensions: 550x244.6x446.4 mm
• • 5.25" storage devices: –
• • 3.5" drives: internal 3
• • 2.5" drives: internal 4
• • Motherboards: ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX
• • PS: ATX 12V power supply (optional)
• • I/O: 2 x USB 3.0; 2 x USB 2.0; HD Audio; SD (hc, xc), microSD (hc, xc)
• • Cooling facial: 3 x 120/2 x 140 mm fan (optional), VAC or 240/280 / 360mm radiator (optional)
• • Cooling back: 1 x 120 mm or 120 mm fan radiator (optional)
• • Cooling top: 2 x 120 mm fan (optional) or 240mm radiator (optional)
• • Cooling ground: –
• • Cooling side: –
• • Expansion slots: 8