Cooler Master ATC-610-GX1

Thank God it's not illegal to copulate with inanimate objects, as that's exactly what we wanted to do to the Cooler Master ATC-610-GX1.

Thank God it's not illegal to copulate with inanimate objects, as that's exactly what we wanted to do to the Cooler Master ATC-610-GX1. We thought we'd seen sexy cases until we opened the box of this stunner -- after quickly cleaning up the sticky mess we'd all made downstairs, we gaped in awe at the wonder that is the ATC-610-GX1.

Looking more like a component from a Bang & Olufsen hi-fi setup than a computer case, the ATC-610-GX1 wouldn't seem out of place in Jamie Packer's lounge room. It's a very similar case to Cooler Master's ATC-600, but the front panel has been reworked this time around: instead of having a glass panel, there are now two swing down Aluminium front doors which cover up two 5.25in drive bays, a 3.5in floppy bay, a couple of USB ports and a single IEEE1394 port. These front doors slowly swing down in a way that would be perfectly matched by the swooshing sound of the doors in Star Trek.

Surprisingly absent from the front of the case is a reset button, but a little fiddling with your Windows settings will allow you to use the power button for this instead.

Like all Cooler Master cases the ATC-610-GX1 is constructed from Aluminium, but this isn't immediately obvious due to the exquisite metallic black paint job - it's so perfect that the surface of the case could actually be used as a mirror, if you happen to be that vain. A negative side effect of this is that fingerprints stand out like the inevitable erection that occurs when a teenage boy is called to the front of the class, and it also seems quite prone to scratching.

You'll be able to fit a full sized PSU into this unit, but unfortunately there is only enough room to install a Micro-ATX motherboard. This is a little disappointing due to the relatively large size of this case -- we initially expected to be able to fit in a full-sized ATX motherboard when we first saw this beastie. As you'd expect from such a premium case, all edges within the interior are finger friendly, and a single 60mm fan at the rear should help out with cooling, with space for two more.

All of this goodness comes at a cost: $440 without a PSU, to be exact. Yowsers. However, compared to the earlier models of Cooler Master cases we've seen, this is cheaper than we expected. If you're after the ultimate in high-end cases, nothing comes remotely close to the beauty of the ATC-610-GX1.