SPACIOUS INTERIOR
The FBM-06 computer case is versatile and suitable for building a simple gaming PC or elegant office style system. Its compact design features a roomy interior to house all your hardware, encased by sturdy steel and plastic that provides lasting performance.
CONVENIENT TOP I/O PANEL
Easily connect various peripherals or devices to the top I/O panel with one USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, as well as audio-out and microphone-in ports.
Pros: Contemporary appearance. Sturdy side panels and overall construction. Rolled steel edges and no sharp points. Special consideration for SSDs (3 dedicated mounting locations). Satisfying button actuation on power and reset buttons. Fully painted interior. 80mm rear exhaust fan included. Muted manufacturer logo. Substantial clearance provided by case feet (15mm / .6in). Ideal as-is for mini-ITX builds with SSDs.
Cons: (minor) Top mounted PSU. No option for included PSU Top mounted USB/audio ports (Substantial) Low quality screws; I found all the screws included felt like they were made of a lower quality material. The thumbscrews have a plastic component that may very well last but felt cheap. Though all the included screws are black to match the case. Break-away expansion slot plates; Like me, some prefer these plates/covers to be more modular. So that they can be reinstalled if the configuration changes in the future. 3.5in HDD; If you are installing a mini-ITX board or not installing any 3.5in drives this does not impact you. Upon installing a micro-ATX mother board (Intel DQ45CB) I found that the standard height RAM modules would not allow for a 3.5in HDD to be installed in either HDD bay. If the front break-out plate was removed, I was able to fit the drive comfortably with the front panel still on, but now have no way to secure the drive as the screw holes do not align. A possible improvement may be to replace the fixed screw holes with channels as we see in optical drive bays. A more drastic solution would be to increase the case length overall (would resolve 2 cons in one). Optical Drive; This obviously does not apply to those not looking to install a CD/DVD/Blue-Ray optical drive. Though the mounting position does look nice from the outside when done, there is hardly room to accommodate a standard optical drive with a standard PSU. With a 140mm /5.5in in length PSU + cables, regardless whether modular or fixed, there is barely and in some cases no way to properly position a standard 170mm /6.7in optical drive. In the best case scenario it is very cramped, but in some cases likely impossible. A possible improvement may be to increase the size of the cable passthrough located between the PSU and optical drive. A more drastic solution would be to increase the case length (would resolve 2 cons in one) or reconfigure the case to accommodate the PSU at the bottom.
Overall Review: I will be keeping this case and reconfiguring my storage options. Lowering a micro-ATX motherboard into the case for installation was a challenge, but could have been made easier if I had removed the rear fan. I would like to see a slightly larger version of this case, especially with an option that includes a PSU for convenience. All in all I find this to be a very attractive case, with good options, and at a good price. I’m computer enthusiast with many years of professional system building experience. I would recommend this case even without the recommended improvements at 28 dollars shipped, especially for those not using optical drives or 3.5in HDDs.