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[nextpage title=”Introduction”]
The RS-4 is part of Aerocool’s PGS R or “professional” series of cases, and it features a carrying handle, a memory card reader, an analog fan controller and other interesting features. Let’s take a look at it.
The first thing you will notice when looking at this case for the first time is its sturdy carrying handle located at its top panel.
Figure 1: Aerocool RS-4 case
Figure 2: Aerocool RS-4 case
The RS-4 supports two optional 120 mm fans on its left-side panel. See Figure 3.
Figure 3: The left-side panel
[nextpage title=”The Front Panel”]
The front panel of the Aerocool RS-4 looks like a solid, heatsink-shaped block. You may think this case has a front door, but it doesn’t. There are four external 5.25” bays, all using meshed covers with air filters. Below the four 5.25” bays there is one of the highlights of the product, a memory card reader supporting xD, MS, CF, SD, Micro SD, MMC and M2 formats. The manufacturer advertises this device as being a “58-in-one” memory card reader, but we couldn’t figure out the math they used to achieve this number.
Figure 4: Front panel
Figure 5: Memory card reader
At the bottom of the front panel there is a 140 mm fan (Aerocool Shark, 1,500 rpm, 96.5 cfm, 29.6 dBA) that glows red when turned on, featuring an air filter. This fan uses both a three-pin fan connector and a standard peripheral power plug, so you can install it on your motherboard, on the power supply, or on the fan controller that comes with the case.
Figure 6: Front fan
[nextpage title=”The Top, Bottom, and Rear Panels”]
The top panel of the RS-4 is shown in Figure 7. There we have the carrying handle, the single-channel analog fan controller, two USB 2.0 ports, one eSATA port, the power and reset buttons, and the audio jacks. The top panel also has a 140 mm fan that is identical to the one available on the front panel.
Figure 7: Top panel
Figure 8: Buttons and connectors
The bottom panel, seen in Figure 8, has an air filter for the power supply fan.
Figure 9: Bottom panel
The rear panel and the interior of the Aerocool RS-4 are painted black, with the motherboard tray and slot covers (which are meshed) painted red. The power supply is installed on the bottom part of the case, and it comes with seven expansion slots. There are two holes with rubber covers for passing hoses of liquid cooling solutions. One drawback of the RS-4 is that it doesn’t come with the rear fan (it accepts 80 mm and 120 mm models).
Figure 10: Rear panel
Let’s now take a look inside the Aerocool RS-4.[nextpage title=”Inside the Aerocool RS-4″]
Both panels of the RS-4 are fastened to the case using black thumbscrews. As mentioned before, the interior is painted black, but the motherboard tray is painted red, which gives the product a very unique look. The motherboard tray has a hole for you to access the backplate of the CPU cooler without having to remove the motherboard from the case, three holes with rubber covers for you to route cables behind it, and several metallic clips for you to fasten cables behind the motherboard tray using cable ties.
Figure 11: Overall look
Figure 12: A view behind the motherboard tray
In Figure 13, you have another overall look inside the case. Expansion cards are fastened to the case using regular screws. The RS-4 supports video cards up to 11” (280 mm) long or up to 15.8” (400 mm) long, if the top hard drive cage is removed.
Figure 13: Overall look
The RS-4 comes with a set of four nylon ties for you to secure your video card. See this diagram for a better explanation. Although this solution works, it definitely doesn’t have a professional appearance.
Figure 14: Ties for fastening the video card
Note that the power supply can be installed with either its bottom fan facing up or facing down, so you can decide if you wa
nt the fan of your power supply pulling air from inside the case or from outside of it. As already shown, there is an air filter outside the case for the power supply fan.
Figure 15: Power supply compartment
[nextpage title=”The Disk Drive Bays”]
The Aerocool RS-4 has four 5.25” external bays and six internal 3.5” bays. Only two of the four 5.25” bays come with tool-less installation mechanisms.
Figure 16: Disk drive bays
The six internal 3.5” bays are divided into two hard drive cages. The top one, which is red, is removable, allowing you to install longer video cards. Hard drives are installed using tool-less mechanisms based on rulers, i.e. you have to install one ruler at each side of the drive and then slide the drive into the bay you want to use.
Figure 17: Top hard drive cage removed from the case
The product comes with one 3.5”-to-2.5” adapter, allowing you to install a laptop hard drive or an SSD unit.
Figure 18: Adapter
[nextpage title=”Main Specifications”]
The main specs for the Aerocool RS-4 include:
- Style: Mid-tower
- Application: ATX and smaller form factors derived from this one
- Material: Zinc-coated steel (SECC)
- Power supply: Doesn’t come with the product
- Available colors: Black
- Side panel: Meshed
- Dimensions: 18.7 x 7.9 x 18.7 inches (475 x 200 x 475 mm) (H x W x D)
- Net weight: 15.5 lbs (7 kg)
- Gross weight: 18.5 lbs (8.2 kg)
- Bays: Four external 5.25” bays and six internal 3.5” bays; one internal 2.5” bay converted from one of the internal 3.5” bays
- Expansion slots: Seven
- Maximum video card length: 11” (280 mm) long or up to 15.8” (400 mm) long, if the top hard drive cage is removed
- Maximum CPU cooler height: NA
- Fans: One 140 mm fan on the front panel (1,500 rpm, 96.5 cfm, 29.6 dBA, glowing red) and one 140 mm fan on the top panel (1,500 rpm, 96.5 cfm, 29.6 dBA, glowing red)
- Optional fans: Two 120 mm fans on the left panel and one 80 mm or 120 mm fan on the rear panel
- Additional Features: Single-channel fan controller, memory card reader
- More Information: https://www.aerocool.com.tw
- Average price in the US: We couldn’t find this case being sold in the US; in the UK it is sold for the equivalent of USD 86.00
[nextpage title=”Conclusions”]
The Aerocool RS-4 can be an interesting option if you are looking for a mid-tower case with a sturdy carrying handle, a built-in memory card reader supporting dozens of card formats (58, according to the manufacturer), and a single-channel analog fan controller, provided you can find it for sale in your country.
Strong Points
- The 5.25” bay covers are meshed featuring air filters
- Supports one 2.5” device
- Supports six hard drives
- Meshed slot covers
- Memory card reader supporting several formats
- Analog fan controller
- Air filter for the front fan
- Air filter for the power supply fan
- Sturdy carrying handle
- Support for video cards up 15.8” (400 mm) in length, if the top hard drive cage is removed
- A huge hole in the motherboard tray for accessing the backplate of the CPU cooler
- Holes for routing cables behind the motherboard tray
Weak Points
- No air filter on the left-panel meshes
- Missing two tool-less installation mechanisms on the 5.25” bays
- Doesn’t come with the rear fan
- Expansion cards are fastened to the case using regular screws
- The video card retention mechanism looks amateurish