AOpen Slim B300 Series Case Provides the Most Comprehensive Performance-Enhancing Design for the BTX PC Standard

AOpen Slim B300 Series Case Provides the Most Comprehensive Performance-Enhancing Design for the BTX PC Standard

B300 Enables the Industry to Strike a Better Balance in Thermal Management, System Size, Shape and Acoustics

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Working closely with Intel to address the growing needs of smaller, sleeker and cooler PCs, AOpen(R) Inc., an award-winning global leader in PC component and barebones systems design and manufacturing, today introduced a Balanced Technology Extended (BTX) PC case for use in the worldwide distribution channel. The slim B300 series case enables the industry to strike a better balance in performance, thermal/acoustics management, and system size -- all critical attributes to innovate desktop PCs for the digital home and office.

The AOpen black B300 series features a sleek desktop PC case look from the outside. Its slim, quiet design makes it a great fit with the MediaCentersoftware; the system is so quiet that it's barely audible in a home environment, yet it's powerful enough to handle demanding tasks.

Front panel audio, USB and FireWire connectors are housed under a flip-out door on the right side of the case. The grill conceals the intake vent for the BTX thermal module.

Inside, the B300 provides an improved motherboard layout and chassis design that delivers improved airflow to high power components while using fewer fans and lower fan speeds, allowing the systems to run cooler and quieter. The B300 series layout supports better component placement for back panel I/O controllers -- important as the signal speed of external devices continues to increase.

"Computer makers have begun phasing out the current decade-old desktop PC chassis in favor of a newer design aimed at giving PCs the thermal headroom they need to handle new, hotter-running processors and graphics cards," said Tony Yang of AOpen Inc. "AOpen's B300 answers the call of the industry by pushing the envelope in design and providing technology that meets and exceeds the needs of the marketplace."

The BTX thermal module retention plate is installed under the main motherboard section, between the case cover and the sheet metal. The thermal module doesn't merely cool the CPU; it draws in cool ambient air and uses it to cool the processor, the north bridge and the graphics card.

The fan intake is in the front of the case. A soft rubber surround is attached to the metal, and a foam air filter prevents dust from being sucked into the case interior. The power supply and optical drive bay flip out, providing easy access to the hard drive bay by removing three screws. The top half of the drive section swings out, allowing easy access to the 3.5-inch drive housing. Also, to simplify front panel connections (power/reset buttons, power/HDD activity lights) AOpen grouped them into a single plug to make things easier.

The case features drive bays at the front of the case on the left side. There is a single 5-1/4" drive bay which makes use of "fixing bars" to secure optical drives in place. Beneath the 5-1/4" bay is space for two 3-1/2" HDDs also utilizing the same fixing bars to secure them in place. Directly behind the drive bays and mounted to the fold out frame is the FSP 275W SFF power supply with an 80mm fan. The backside of the case consists of 3 vertical half height expansion slots and one full height slot which is positioned horizontally.

The slim B300 series case comes with a 3-year limited warranty. The case is available from national distributors in north America, and their value-added resellers, system integrators, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) throughout the United States and Canada starting at approximately $79.99.

For more information about the B300 series case from AOpen, please visit the AOpen Web site at: www.aopen.com.

About AOpen

AOpen is a publicly listed company under the Wistron Group. Besides developing micro bare bone systems, portable computers, standard systems, motherboards, imaging products, multimedia cards and monitors, it has recently established a Strategic Product Division to strengthen it products in the market, and integrate its combined resources to actively expand AOpen's market share around the globe, including that in Taiwan, China, Japan, Asia, the Americas and Europe. With a strong R&D background, ample production experience within the Wistron Group, and combining AOpen's marketing and assembling advantages, AOpen is aggressively expanding in the Chinese market, offering local services, and providing a 3C parts and components solution for small and medium sized businesses.

CONTACT: Marti Miernik of Neale-May & Partners, +1-650-328-5555, ext. 140, or miernik@nealemay.com, for AOpen; or Michele Sun, Marketing Manager of AOpen, +1-408-232-1253, or michele_sun@AOpen.com.


Source: AOpen Inc.

CONTACT: Marti Miernik of Neale-May & Partners, +1-650-328-5555,
ext. 140, or miernik@nealemay.com, for AOpen; or Michele Sun, Marketing
Manager of AOpen, +1-408-232-1253, or michele_sun@AOpen.com

Web site: http://www.aopen.com/


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