Outside:

Front bezel	Left panel	Right panel
Mesh flanked with aluminum	5.25" access holes	5.25" galore
Reset button	Close-up of hinge	Magnets x3

    The Tuniq 2 case is an upside-down chassis layout. So things will be, well, upside-down!! Starting at the front, the bezel is different from a lot of other cases I have reviewed. The front bezel is a combination of aluminum, plastic and steel mesh. Two uniquely shaped aluminum pieces flank each side of the bezel, with the black steel mesh in the middle. The only other thing on the front is the Tuniq name plate. Behind the bezel things get interesting. When I opened the door, which was a tough task since it being secured with 3 sets of magnets, I was shocked to see EIGHT 5.25" bays. Four sit atop one 3.5" bay and four lie below this 3.5" bay. The other thing I noticed, or did not notice, in this case is the presence of a power switch. No sign of it on the front of the case; the only switch present is the reset switch. HMMM... maybe it turns on and off with my mind............OUCH! Now I have a headache.

    Around to the left side of the case. This is the side that usually has a window and is the panel that is removed to install the components. Well, in an upside-down case the components are installed from the right side of the case. So, on the Tuniq 2 this left panel is not removable. By the panel not being removable, securing hard drives and opticals can be a chore. To remedy this problem, holes have been predrilled in the panel. These holes allow access to the mounting screws for the optical drives. The holes also have decorative caps to keep things looking clean... and still no power button.

Panel connections

Elusive power switch

    Now around to the right side panel. This is the business side of case. First off, this panel is removable and uses a tool-less clip that slides to lock/unlock the panel. This panel is the main access point to the internals of the case. On the right side panel is a large circular opening covered with more of that black steel mesh. This opening is 292.10 mm. Yup, that is correct: 292.10 mm or 11.5". When I see this I think of a modding idea by using one of those 3 speed table top fans that oscillate. That would make for one hell of an intake fan. Also on the right side is the location for the two USB, along with one IEEE, connections and Audio/Mic connections. Still no power button. Maybe it's on the back?

PCI slots	120mm exhaust
PSU mounting location	Tool-less panel clip

    On back end of the case everything is upside-down and backwards. The opening for the power supply is at the bottom, and the PCI slots are at the top. The motherboard I/O panel and 120mm fan are still in the middle area but have swapped positions.  P.S.: still no power button. HMMM... the only other place to look is on top the case. HEY! What do you know? Here is the location of the power switch, along with the power and HDD LEDs. This is great location for the the switch and LEDs, especially if the case sits on the floor. Also, everything is flush mounted to keep the looks smooth and clean.

Inside:

Internals	Duct with VGA fan
Duct removed	120mm intake

    After removing the panel and inspecting the guts of case, the first that grabs your attention is the ducting used for the CPU. This duct work is designed to draw air over the CPU. This is done with the help of the 120mm rear exhaust fan. Air drawn in from the side panel and forced over the CPU heat sink. This duct does triple-duty work. First off, it serves a dual role in cooling the CPU by drawing from the exhaust fan and by having a secondary opening for the CPU heat-sink. Thirdly, it acts as a support base for the included 120mm LED fan that blows onto the video cards. At the front of the case is the structure for the eight 5.25" bays and single 3.5" bay. Also at the front is the 120mm intake fan, but this fan blocks 3 of the 5.25" bays. DOH!!!!!    

5.25" tower	HDD cage	120mm exhaust
PCI slots	PCI tool-less clips	Wiring

    Just behind the 5.25" structure and under the intake for the duct is the location for the hard drives. A total of 4 HDDs can be secured here on the floor of the case. The power supply is also on the bottom of the case, just behind the HDDs. With the 120mm intake fan blowing over the HDDs and the power supply fan blowing out, this should create a nice flow to remove heat created by the hard drives. For the PCI expansion slots, there are a total of seven and these are also tool-less in nature, utilizing a plastic locking clip to secure the cards into place.  

Installation:

5.25" installed	HDDs installed	Glowing VGA fan
PCI clips	Hardware installed	Panel on and glowing

    Installing components is really no different than on any regular ATX. To get an idea, just flip your regular case upside-down. To install the motherboard the duct work needs to be removed first. A simple task, but not a tool-less one. There are two clips that attach to the 120mm exhaust fan and one screw that affixes the duct to the hard drive cage.

Conclusion:

     I'm starting to like these upside-down cases; they are really starting to grow on me. On this particular case, I didn't find any faults other than the possible blocking of the 120mm intake fan, but this will only happen if you decide to use all eight 5.25" bays. The large round mesh opening on the side actually serves a purpose, too. You can see this in both the introduction picture and the last picture in this review.  The 3 functions I mentioned in the review can be clearly seen: the 2 intakes for the CPU and the VGA fan on top. I'm sure a second fan can be modded next to the VGA fan to provide additional cooling.

    Another nice feature is the location of the power button and LEDs. This location is great for users who like to keep there cases next to them on the floor. This location provides easy access without opening the bezel like on most other cases, and keeps the end user from leaning back to check the HDD light for activity. Overall, I would recommend the Tuniq 2 to anyone looking for something different or for those who like to have their case sitting on the floor or to the left of them.