Rosewill Line-M Case Review: Wherefore Art Thou Micro-ATX?
by Dustin Sklavos on February 26, 2013 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- MicroATX
- Rosewill
Assembling the Rosewill Line-M
Provided you're at least prepared for it, assembling a system inside the Rosewill Line-M can actually be a fairly simple experience. Since it's such a small case and such a direct design, assembly is actually pretty self-explanatory. What you want to do is make sure you assemble things in the right order.
The first thing to go in is the motherboard, and Rosewill demonstrates why I'm starting to seriously bristle when manufacturers don't make some kind of allowance for motherboard installation. Despite being an inexpensive case, the Line-M comes with the motherboard stand-offs pre-installed. Snapping in the I/O shield was easy enough, but you'll have to tilt the board into the case if you're using a full-sized Micro-ATX board, as the drive cage overhangs the tray just a little. This also unfortunately makes one of the screws very difficult to install.
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Next you'll want to install the optical drive and the storage drives, as they're most liable to get buried under cables. The 5.25" bays employ a toolless clamp on the left side that's actually very effective, but you need to snap the front fascia off first. From there, just take the shield off and slide the optical drive in. The single 2.5" drive mounting point is just that, and not a bay. In the bottom floor of the case are four holes for screws to bottom-mount the drive. It's not ideal but it does get the job done.
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Expansion cards go in next, and the power supply goes in last. There are no expansion slot covers; the slots themselves have perforated metal that pops out, which is common with cases in this price bracket. Despite the fact that this is a budget case, it does benefit tremendously from a modular power supply. Modular power supplies aren't hard to get anymore; Corsair sells one for $50 that would be well-suited to the Line-M, but I must stress that you really are limited to 160mm of PSU depth unless you eschew using the 5.25" bays entirely.
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Cabling the Line-M is the most complicated part, due primarily to the limited space, lack of space behind the motherboard tray, and open fan blades of the front intake fan. I was able to do a messy job but nonetheless keep everything out of harm's way when assembling our testbed; there's really no way to not do a messy job with this case, though, so keep that in mind. Small cases are rarely clean.
The Rosewill Line-M actually isn't too difficult to assemble, and as far as servicing it goes, the worst part will probably be navigating the cable spaghetti (something a modular power supply helps mitigate tremendously.) I think I would've preferred some means of mounting the SSD up near the rest of the drives, though, as stretching the single SATA power lead down to the bottom of the case seems to needlessly complicate things.
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paulshardware - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
"...there's really no way to not do a messy job with this case, though, so keep that in mind."I beg to differ!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H51pFVZ0M14
;)
- Paul
Dustin Sklavos - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
It's a little shady to promote your own reviews on someone else's review.beemeup - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
I think he was just trying to make a point that even small enclosures can look tidy with modest effort. Though I suppose posting a picture would've sufficed all the same.I still prefer video reviews though. They help you get a better "feel" for the case in a way that pictures alone just don't do.
CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
Anyone notice there's a giant gaping cutout for the motherboard ? (in the video vs in the review the whine there is not hole for cpu hs mounting)No of course not, you're all too busy complaining and moaning.
I started reading the review and though what a spoiled brat bad mouther of a review it is.
So if it is the same case, expect either a cutout or not. I will say I've seen this type of thing occur, as you don't always get what you order.
God forbid one would have to use screws to mount 5.25 bay items...
I mean this case is no where near barebones, nor as barebones as it gets.
SPOILED WHINING BRATS - that's what I see and hear.
uditrana - Wednesday, April 24, 2013 - link
Calm Down.I doubt anyone will respond but what Corsair PSU were you referring to. I would like to get it but m confused in the sea of PSU's
WeaselITB - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
I don't really see it as that much neater, anyway. He routed the 12v line a little different and doesn't have a graphics card with two power plugs hanging out in the middle of the case, which makes a big difference in terms of appearance.-Weasel
CeriseCogburn - Tuesday, February 26, 2013 - link
Why the blue case fan the review whines....Because all the little crazy PC brainwashed idiots on every website in the world squeal it must be BLACK and any leds are preferred BLUE.
That's why, we have a populace of lemmings and parrots who think they are in with cool as their personal tastes are declared completely in line with the "popular cool" line of total frikkin BS for no reason pop culture stupidity.
Black makes it very difficult to see and assemble, and with all the assembling WHINES in every freaking direction, one would think the idiot masses could choose another color more in line iwth correcting their constant complaints.
But no, BLACK is "cool" no matter what, and BLUE must be the LED color.
There you have it, the RETARDS of the world on fire for their proclaimed "personal preference" which is nothing more than an absolutely thoughtless regurgitation of the pop culture.
That's why "amd fanboyism" has been and is the scourge it is as well, too.
Ricadan - Sunday, March 3, 2013 - link
Why do you have to be such a damn supremacist? Just because some people may think blue LEDs on what is clearly an office-style case is ridiculous, that makes them a mindless sheep? Just because your opinions are different than what is popular, doesn't give you the right to feel superior. People have different opinions, deal with it.Also, why would you use the Fan LEDs to light the case up while assembling rather than just working in a well lit area?
Ilias78 - Friday, March 1, 2013 - link
He did a 10x times better cable management on that little case than you will ever do. Instead of criticizing the man, how about getting better at your work?ilihijan - Sunday, March 3, 2013 - link
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