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Asys CK-1022-5 review: Asys CK-1022-5

Asys CK-1022-5

Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials
  • Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
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Dan Ackerman
At first glance, the Asys CK-1022-5 has a lot going for it: an obscene number of optical drive bays, no front-panel door to get in the way, and an appealingly industrial design. Upon closer inspection, the $135 full-tower case fell flat in basic usability, adding layers of complexity that most PC builders will want to avoid.

The front of the case has more drive bays than you'll ever need. From top to bottom, bays one and two are configured as a USB/FireWire/audio input panel and a 3.5-inch bay, respectively. Bays three through five are open for use, and bays six through eight can hold 5.25-inch drives if you remove the fan bracket that's preinstalled there.

5.5

Asys CK-1022-5

The Good

Eight total front-panel bays available; can be converted to accommodate BTX motherboards; exploded-view diagram included.

The Bad

Convoluted drive installation; converting to BTX is more trouble than it's worth; crowded interior.

The Bottom Line

Copious drive bays are a plus, but the overly complicated Asys CK-1022-5 tries for too much, making even simple chores a hassle.

Actually getting those drives installed, however, is another story. We had to open both sides of the case, flip some plastic latches by the drive bays, then try to wrestle the plastic drive rails from their storage space in the hard drive cage. Even though you can install hard drives without removing the cage, we were forced to yank it out to get at the drive rails, which were literally stuck in there.

There's an optional ATX-to-BTX conversion package, which involves installing a few new parts and taking apart and reassembling large parts of the case so that the motherboard sits on the opposite side. Anyone who wants to build a BTX-style computer would do better to just get an off-the-shelf case made for that purpose.

5.5

Asys CK-1022-5

Score Breakdown

Design 6Features 5Performance 0Support 0