Introduction:

   Most of you out there are probably aware of the multitude of case manufacturers out there, along with the many cases they sell. Almost any type of case can be found to suit your needs, whether you need a lightweight aluminum model for a LAN party, a slim, small case for a HTPC or a behemoth for a monster system. When looking for the last type of system, one is usually wanting to house many components, anything from a RAID setup to a dual-CPU system, to even a watercooling rig. Such a case must not only be large, but strong as well; in addition, there should be features on the case to facilitate moving such a heavy system. Such cases also may tailor to the entry-level server market, a thing I touched on in my Enermax CS-10182 review earlier.

   As I mentioned before, features of entry-level server cases make them ideal for enthusiasts. Such details as easy access for upgrading or changing components, provision of proper cooling and ample space for hardware are wanted features common to administrators and computer enthusiasts. Therefore, many cases once intended for the entry-level server market eventually made their way into not only the consumer market but also the hearts and minds of many users. The success of the Antec/Chenming line of tower cases is a prime example of the "market duality" of these server cases. However, there are other options that one can consider in the quest to find a strong, robust case for an extensive mod project.

   Yeong Yang has been around since 1978, and having gained experience in metal pressed production, they started into the PC case/chassis manufacturing business in 1990; thus, they have over 12-13 years of experience in making their own cases, quite a bit in the computer industry. It's safe to say that they know a thing or two about what users need in a case. Today, I'll be looking at one of their older case models, the YY-0221, better known as the "Cube Server Case".

   While you may have seen this case around the Internet for some time, it's gone through several revisions, the latest of which I'll be reviewing. After doing some anecdotal research through Google, I found that the YY Cube case is most popular in Europe, Germany specifically, as the vast majority of articles I found on the YY-0221 were in German. I would hazard a guess that Yeong Yang cases have not achieved a lot of market proliferation over in North America, and are better selling in Europe and maybe Asia.

   However, ProCooling.com, an excellent site, did a write up on the Cube a few years back.

   Despite the fact that the YY-0221 may not be readily available over here, that should not exclude it from scrutiny. Does this short and stocky case fit the build for a case worthy of your attention, or should it not be bothered with? I'll try to touch on the major points concerning this question...

Specifications:

   As you can see, the dimensions of the YY-0221 do make it sort of a cube, with its width and height being equal. This gives the case a lot of area on the top, and makes it ideal for modding in chimney fans or other cooling devices, or provides a nice space to put all sorts of things on top of. The stocky shape of the case also makes it impossible to knock over, and because it's shorter than almost all entry-level server cases, it'll fit into a lot of areas that are out of the way.

   The thing that'll catch your eye, beyond the physical appearance of the case, is the drive capacity: Eight HDD bays are truly a lot, and ought to satisfy the most profligate of RAID users. Note that I found a discrepancy between the number of internal 3.5" drive bays listed on Yeong Yang's site and the actual number; Yeong Yang says there's only room for seven (7), but with four HDD cages, each of which holds two drives, you can see there's actually room for eight (8). Adding to this are six 5.25" drive bays, which ought to be enough for almost anyone, even with a fan controller and LCD thrown into the mix.

• Case dimension 13.4"W x 17.3"D x 13.4"H

• Motherboard configuration Full size AT/ATX, Extended ATX

• Drive configuration Up to 16 drive bays:

• 6 - 5.25" exposed

• 2 - 3.5" exposed

• 8 - 3.5" hidden

• Optional system cooling fans 1 x 12cm Front-mounted (left side) fan for M/B and inside air circulation

• 2 x 9cm Rear-mounted exhaust fans

• 1 x 9cm side intake fan.

• Slot Bracket 7 slots

• Expansion slots 1 x DB25 port, 2 x DB9 port, 1 x SCSI III(68), 1 x SCSI(50)

• Speaker 2.25" audio speaker

• Front panel control Power switch, Reset switch, Keylock

• Front panel LED positions: Power, Power error, HDD*3, Fan error

• Net Weight 13.4kg without PSU

• Colours available: Cool gray / Black

• PSU: Enhance 460w EPS12V

• More details available here.

   While the case does have an adequate amount of fan positions, with 2*92mm exhaust, a 92mm side intake fan and a 120mm front intake position, you may want to mod the case to add another. The biggest change I could notice between this latest version of the YY-0221 and previous variants was in the fan punchout grills of the rear 92mm exhaust fans; in this version the punchouts appear to be more conducive or better for airflow. As this was designed to be a server case, there are no front USB/firewire/audio ports, and for some users this may be a problem; I know I've grown a little accustomed to front USB ports as they're nice for USB drives in particular.

   The case has options for many different PSUs, but an Enhance 460w EPS12V PSU was included; EPS12V PSUs come with a 24-pin ATX mobo power connector (instead of the standard 20-pin) and an additional 8-pin Processor Power connector, and are designed for server motherboards, suiting the case perfectly. However, since I did not have a server motherboard available, I did not use this PSU during testing. Lastly, the weight of the case, between 13-14kg, is quite a lot; adding a PSU will push the empty weight well over 30lbs, and so thankfully the case comes with casters/wheels that allow for easy movement; with its normal depth and short height the case will fit nicely underneath desks or tucked away somewhere.

   The YY-0221 came well packaged in a box, and I was thankful the shipping man brought the package all the way up to my apartment door, as I would have hated carrying the thing, even from the lobby to the elevator. The white box contains the accessories, and was heavier than I expected to be, as there was much included with this case. As you can see, the black case has a lockable door on its front panel, which isn't very useful as we'll see later, but the presence of the door is a nice thing, as it somewhat covers up drive faceplates that don't match the look of the case. Overall, the case has a very plain, simple, but tough look to it; this case is like a cold mofo who you know not to mess with just by the look on his face...

 

Hard to carry this package!	The YY-0221 (black).
Front of the case.	Door opens to reveal the external drive bays.

   The left side of the case features a 92mm intake fan designed to blow air right over the CPU area, a popular place to put a fan nowadays; I do not believe earlier versions of this case had this fan, which partially explains why Yeong Yang's site does not list the fan in the specifications. The rear of the case shows you the two the sides of the case, one for the motherboard, and one for the drives. Because the case is short and wide, things are split so that the motherboard is mounted into the left side of the case (as viewed from the front), and the drives are mounted in the right side. Two 92mm exhaust fans are present at the back, and they suck air out from where the HDDs are mounted. The PSU is mounted just below this area.

   Both sides of the case are removeable, but the top is not; the side panels swing out like doors, but are hinged in place just with hooks. If you have seen the Supermicro SC-750 or any Addtronics cases, you'll know what I mean by this, as their side panels also swing out the same way. Once the side panels are swung out, they can be removed by sliding them upwards, thus freeing the hook from the chassis. It would have been better if the top were removeable, as modding it would be made much easier.

Rear of the case.	Case is longer than it is wide or tall.
Side 92mm intake.	Both sides removeable.

  The front door lock merely prevents someone from opening the door; it does *not* prevent someone from getting access to the inside of the case, making it a little less useful than locks on other cases. Accessing the inside of the case involves removing the front panel by pulling it out, like how the front panel of the Enlight 7237 (reviewed by Wolfman here) or Supermicro SC-750 is removed, and then unscrewing several screws that hold the side panels closed. Whether or not the front door is locked, this can be done; thus, someone could easily remove the front panel to access your 5.25" drives if the door was locked! This is hardly a deterrent, as you don't have to break anything to properly gain access.

   On the upper left side of the front panel is a line of six LEDs, or at least the positions for six. They are, from top to bottom, Power, Warning, Fan Fail, HDD1, HDD2 and HDD3. However, for some reason, there wasn't a LED provided for the Warning position; why this was the case is mystery to me. I mean, why couldn't YY just throw in another LED, which would have cost them so little? In any event, there are only five LEDs provided, though you can easily install the sixth into the aforementioned "Warning" position; five LEDs is still a lot, though. The power and reset buttons are hidden behind the door, and both can be easily pressed.

 

Front door lock.

LEDs.

Power and reset switches.

   The bottom of the case shows the 'handle' that is used to help you remove the front panel; this handle also doubles as an air intake for any 120mm fan you place in the front, so you'll want to elevate the case some to allow for free passage of air into this vent. To do this, and to give the case better mobility, four casters/wheels are provided. These must be screwed into the proper positions at the bottom of the case. Only two of these wheels can be locked to prevent rolling, and this should be enough. If you don't want to use the casters, four grip-feet are provided, and can be stuck into position at the bottom of the case.

Bottom of the case.

Casters are provided.

   The entire case is a solid black colour that doesn't make the case look like something out of an eye-dazzling movie, but instead makes it look sleek and professional. Although it'll go nicely on the floor, it'll be a little hard to access DVD/CD-RW drives when the case is here, so if you have a big desk you may want to put it on top of there, and if you do, you won't be ashamed of the YY-0221's appearance.

   About the only thing I would have liked to see on the exterior of the case are front access USB/firewire/audio ports, though because this case wasn't designed for this kind of usage, this couldn't be expected.