AMKcomputers.com ACE 122 C
5 1/4" Media Port

 

Construction - Features

I was warmed to the bone in opening the box and seeing how well packed everything was. Installation was as simple as screwing the thing into the case, running the wire to the back, and installing the bracket that holds the wire harness into a spare spot in the case. After that its a matter of plugging all the stuff in that you want access to at the front of the panel. Expect to take a wopping 10 mins tops installing this product.

No instructions were included and none were needed.

		The contents of the package are everything you need to use the ports: - Ports / 5 1/4" mounting bracket (pre-wired) - All wiring / plugs - Screws for installation

Everything plugs in easily and the wiring is well labeled to prevent you from somehow cramming the Gameport plug into a sound card jack. After everything is plugged in, you can pretty much forget about it. The media port just kinda sits there just waiting for you to use it.

		Total Tally on the ports are: 1 x Sound Input 1 x speaker output 1 x Master Volume Control 1 x PS/2 (mouse/keyboard) 2 x USB

One of the best features of this box 'o ports, is something you wont see when your finished. The thickness and quality of its wiring harness makes it very durable. And its long enough to reach pretty much anywhere you want it too. Though its thick, I would be careful running it too close to things that are HOT and or Spinning. Just because the Cable would most likely be fine, doesn't mean you have to tempt Murphy's unbreakable laws.

		Some Assembly is required but its not rocket science and really involves plugging things into their labeled places. The main plug that hooks up to the back of the box is of high quality and can be permanently secured using its built in screws. Basically the whole purpose of the system is to move some of the stuff that's on the back of the case, to the front where It can be reached with ease.

Our Thoughts:

There are a few goods and bads with this kind of product. Before I touch on the bad keep this in mind. Something like this is for convenience and not necessarily esthetics. If you want to be able to quickly add and remove a joystick, USB Scanner or Camera, mouse, external speakers, a head set or whatever, then this type of upgrade is something you will always be glad that you have. The esthetic downfall is that you have cables coming out the front of your PC.

Personally I use parts of this kit all the time. IM forever using the USB to hook up the old digital camera and other devices that I use often but are a pain to plug in and remove. I have a gamepad that's not USB, so I can add it and remove it without having to crawl behind my machine.

The sound features are very handy indeed. I have a headset and the darn wires are too short for me to plug into the back of my PC comfortably. Now I have lots of slack in the wiring for it because IM literally 2 feet from the plugs. Also the volume controller lets me adjust the volume out into the headphones without having to minimize the game IM playing to get at my volume properties.

On the bad side I wish they offered a DELUXE model as well. The only thing this lacks to make it the PERFECT LAN add-on is a network cable plug. For those that have been to LAN parties you will understand how handy a thing this would be. One more feature that could be seen on a DELUXE model would be a rear channel speaker output and or digital output, to make this 100% compatible with popular cards like the SB live. Not that your necessarily going to have 4 speakers at a LAN event and nothing stops you from using the back plug for the second set so this isn't really a big deal.

 

 

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