Darksaber
03-30-2007, 11:37 AM
[page=Introduction]
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/logo.gif
I would like to thank Moneual LAB (http://www.moneual.com) for supplying the review sample.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/207_7.jpg
To give you an idea about the philosophy behind Moneual LAB, here is what the "About Us" section of their website mentions:
Moneual Lab is a leading home entertainment system solution provider headquartered in Irvine California. Started from September 2005, our specialty in creating distinguished designs and combining multimedia technologies has driven us to ensure that we can improve current PC systems to total home entertainment media centers. Experts from PC graphics, TV tuners, wireless technologies, and LCD/PDP TVs have gathered in one place and created a brand name Moneual as a premium home entertainment system and promised to supply the best home entertainment system to our valuable clients who have been looking for a premium consumer style PC product in the market. We will keep our endeavors to provide more convenient solutions to clients and try to lead all the people to easier PC environments than ever. Until we deliver the right solutions required by clients, we will do our best to create the most advanced products.
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Specifications
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="600">
<tr>
<th scope="row">Model number </th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">Moneual LAB MonCaso 932 Series <span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Home Theater PC</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Color</th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">932B (black) & 932P (platin) </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Drive Bays </th>
<td scope="row"><p align="center">- 5.25" x 1 <br />
- 3.5" x 4</p> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Material</th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">Full Aluminum </div>
<div align="center"></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Form Factor </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Standard ATX</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Expansion Slots </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">6 standard slots </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Case Fans </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><p align="center">- 2x 80 mm in HDD cages<br />
- Rear: <span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">2x 80mm Pre-Installed</span></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">TFT Display </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">7 inch screen size using 800 x 600 or 1024 X 768 resolution
</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">17" (W) x 18.5" (D) x 6.75" (H)</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Weight</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">16.6 lbs (w/o Package)</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Front Access </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">1 x USB 2.0, 1 x FireWire & Audio </span></div> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Included Contents </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">MonCaso Wireless Keyboard, MonCaso Remote Control </div></td>
</tr>
</table>
[page=Packaging & Contents]
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/boxs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/box.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/boxopens.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/boxopen.jpg)
The cardboard package of the MonCaso consists of a black background and a full color image of the case. There is not much information printed on any side of the box. The only text reveals the color in combination with a sticker and the fact that this case features a seven inch LCD screen. While this may not be the most informative packaging, anyone spending just under $900 US Dollars will surely know what they will be buying. The wireless keyboard is placed in the bottom of the box, while the other contents can be found in a similar package on top of the case.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casepackeds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casepacked.jpg)
The case itself is placed inside a heavy plastic bag and two foam spacers. Moneual LAB has opted for greatest possible protection of the case, which also translates into a larger and thus more expensive package. While it is something you may expect for such a case, it is nothing to be taken for granted.
Contents
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The smaller cardboard box holds a driver CD, the all aluminum, optical drive bay cover, a very well written and illustrated manual, the remote control batteries, all necessary screws, the Soundgraph ATX/power adapter and a long screw driver. The latter may be the one item to stick out from the bunch, but there are a few hard to reach screws inside the case and Moneual LAB is trying to make the installation as easy and painless as possible. Small thoughts of the sort fit perfectly into the price class of such a case. The Soundgraph remote is placed inside a small white cardboard box. There is a sticker on the remote with the Moneual LAB logo. It would have been nicer if the remote actually featured the logo printed on it instead, as I am not sure if someone with such a case is going to like a simple sticker on their remote control.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/keyboards.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/keyboard.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbsofts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbsoft.jpg)
Moneual LAB also included a wireless keyboard with a trackball for mouse movement. This means that you no not need any further input devices to control anything you wish to place inside the case. A separate software CD is also supplied, which holds the drivers for the keyboard.
[page=A Closer Look - Outside]
A Closer Look- Outside
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The LCD is covered by the same type of protection you would find on normal LCD monitors when you buy them brand new. The MonCaso 932 series does not have any artistic or round features. All edges are straight and clean. The case utilizes a five to six millimeter thick full aluminum front. Odds are that the case will be placed next to some very expensive and high-end audio/video equipment. The overall looks of the case make it a perfect fit. The sides of the case utilize very solid aluminum bars to hide any fan holes or air vents implemented inside the case. This means the case will look great, even if it is placed freely inside the living room.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casebacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/caseback.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/VGAcables.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/VGAcable.jpg)
The back of the case does not have anything out of the ordinary. A few simple holes in the back wall are utilized as air vents for the included fans. It may have been better to use traditional fan grill as they do not restrict air flow nearly as much. There are also black variants out there, which would look just as good on the back of the case. The only unusual aspect of the back is the VGA cable. It is just long enough to be plugged into a graphic card and goes directly into the 7 inch LCD monitor.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/power_irs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/power_ir.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdprotectors.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdprotector.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imoncontrols.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imoncontrol.jpg)
Let's take a closer look at the front. Starting on the left side, there is a large power button about one inch in size. The IR receiver has been placed to the right of that. The afore mentioned LCD is placed dead center and looks much better there than on the left side. Many manufacturers opt for a left placement so that two optical drives can be used. All the way to the right, the iMON Touch LCD can be found. There are buttons for starting the iMEDIAN software, as well as Enter, Start, App. Exit Back and Menu button to traverse various programs and Windows menus. The four directional arrow do just that and move the selection in the selected direction.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontios.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontio.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/cardreaders.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/cardreader.jpg)
The bottom left of the case houses the front I/O. These are a single USB 2.0, a FireWire and the usual audio connectors. A single USB connector may not seem much, considering that other cases feature up to four of them. The MonCaso 932 utilizes three mainboard connectors to connect the LCD touch control, Soundgraph control buttons and the card reader. The latter can be found on the lower right of the case, behind a solid aluminum cover as well.
[page=A Closer Look - Inside]
A Closer Look - Inside
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Once the top cover is removed, the black insides can be seen. To cover the overall layout: all drives are placed in the front of the case, while the back houses the mainboard to the right and the power supply to the left. The mainboard stand-offs have already been installed, so the case is ready to be filled right away.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/opticalbays.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/opticalbay.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage1.jpg)
The two hard drive bays are identical and are made of aluminum as well. They are secured by three screws each. One of which is hard to reach and this is where the included screw driver comes in handy. The middle houses the single optical drive bay. Due to the layout only drives which are shorter than 17 cm can be used. To test this compatibility a Pioneer 16x DVD drive is used, which is just under 17cm long. Both hard drive cages pull air into the case from the side walls with the help of an eight centimeter fan.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcageouts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcageout.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddfans.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddfan.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddfanrates.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddfanrate.jpg)
Once the hard drive cage is taken out, the fan can clearly be seen. It uses a mainboard header with RPM reporting. This is different to the two case fans used in the back of the case, which utilize Molex connectors. The interesting aspect of the included fans is the fact that all of them feature a temperature diode to control air speed. This means even if it is connected directly to the power supply using the Molex connector, it will vary in speed according to the temperature recorded by the diode.
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The single optical drive bay features four relatively small screw holes and is secured by four screws inside the case itself. Both hard drive cages need to be removed to gain access to this drive cage. Moneual LAB suggests to install the optical drive first and then place the mainboard inside the case, to avoid any problems at a later point.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/airvents.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/airvent.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/pcibracketss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/pcibrackets.jpg)
The back of the case houses an air vent at the bottom area of the mainboard. This allows fresh air to be pulled in by the general air flow within the case, which then moves over the expansion slots and out the back of the case. The PCI brackets are easily removable and reusable. There is no use of any fragile plastic, which is a definite plus for such an exclusive case.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/rearfanss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/rearfans.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/psucorners.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/psucorner.jpg)
The afore mentioned fans utilize Molex connectors and are both eight centimeters big. The little green bubble is the temperature diode implanted into the fan. Both cutouts for the backplate and power supply are very clean. The power supply can only be placed inside the case with the possible 12 cm fan facing out of the case. This means that the PSU will only have access to fresh, cooler air.
[page=A Closer Look - Inside Continued]
A Closer Look - Inside Continued
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The card reader is quite standard and does not require any other connection besides USB 2.0. The plug is split into two parts, so it is compatible to the older mainboard headers which have a space between the ground pin and the other three pins.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/pcb1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/pcb1.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/initreslcds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/initreslcd.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/pcb2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/pcb2.jpg)
There are four major PCBs to be found inside the case. The one above the card reader holds all the front media and control buttons while the smaller one below is needed to enable the large volume control knob. The LCD itself only has two buttons, one is to reset the screen, so that it can be found as an additional monitor and the second is for the "auto adjust" feature, needed to center and focus the LCD just like the normal off the shelf variants. The third large PCB does not have any external function but is needed to provide an interface for the iMON Touch LCD electronics. It is wired to the power button to give the user the ability of turning the entire unit on or off with the remote control. The power button itself is back-lit by two blue LEDs which require an external Molex power connector.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/iopcbs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/iopcb.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontconns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontconn.jpg)
The last PCB is found right below the afore mentioned iMON part and is used for the front input & output ports. All connectors are removable, reducing cable clutter as unused cables can simply be unplugged.
These cables are of complete standard variety and do not look out of the ordinary.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdusbpowers.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdusbpower.jpg)
The LCD screen requires two connections. The first is a normal USB 2.0 port for the touch screen function, while the second is a Molex connector to power the screen itself. The power plug pictured here is actually for the blue LEDs of the power button and the LCD features the same plug with three cables instead of two.
[page=Installation & Finished Look]
Installation
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mbinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mbinst.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/vgainsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/vgainst.jpg)
Installing the mainboard is quite straight forward. There is plenty of space and thanks to the desktop format, working inside the case is rather easy. Once the graphic card is installed, the back VGA port can be plugged in. You may have problems here, as the cable is just long enough to plug into the VGA port. A graphic card with two DVI connectors will mean that an adapter needs to be used. This may be a tight fit in and with many new mainstream cards using DVI exclusively as the method of connection, it would be nice to have one or two inches of additional cabling. This would also make the use of PCI cards with external connections like sound cards or TV tuners easier, as the VGA cable would not be in the way.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcagefilleds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcagefilled.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/opticalinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/opticalinst.jpg)
Installing the hard drive and optical drive does not pose any problems either. Both units are secured by traditional screws and the cages placed back into the case in the right order.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/drivecoverinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/drivecoverinst.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/covercloses.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/coverclose.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/problems.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/problem.jpg)
To keep the overall look of the case, Moneual LAB has included a solid aluminum drive cover. It has little stops on three sides, which prohibit sticking the cover on any way you like - or in this case - need. A Pioneer 16x DVD drive was used, as it was just under 17 cm long. This was the maximum length a drive is allowed to have due to the design of the case. Once the drive was placed into the case and the front installed, it became apparent that the supplied cover kept the DVD drive from closing all the way. In a bid to make installation as comfortable as possible, as the little stops are meant to help you center and align the cover horizontally, Moneual LAB has created a compatibility problem. I have let them know about this issue and was told they are working on a fix. The second problem is a complete incompatibility with drives with built-in volume dials. These do not come close enough to the eject button, as the dial usual reaches out of the front a few millimeters and thus cannot be used.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/drivesinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/drivesinst.jpg)
After installing all the drives into the enclosure the case still had a lot of space to work with. This is also due to the very convenient placement of the hard drives.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/psuinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/psuinst.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casefilleds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casefilled.jpg)
Installing the power supply is only possible in a single manner, thus there were no problems at all. The last step consisted of connecting all the various cables and closing the case up.
Finished Look
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The MonCaso T932 was placed on the table and turned on. The big blue LED ring around the power button looks great and certainly adds a nice touch to the overall look. The screen does not work right away. It takes a few seconds for it to initialize and turn on. Booting the PC will be the first visible screen using the internal display. The LCD can handle 800x600 and 1024x768 pixels, which means going into the BIOS using the screen is not possible as it will go black and display an "out of range" message.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mcerunnings.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mcerunning.jpg)
To give you an idea as to how the case will look running Windows XP Media Center Edition, here a screen shot once everything was installed and configured. Even though I was not able to use the front drive cover, it certainly does not look bad at all.
[page=The MK700 Wireless Keyboard]
The MK700 Wireless Keyboard
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/keyboardunpackeds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/keyboardunpacked.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbusbrecs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbusbrec.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/batteriess.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/batteries.jpg)
The included wireless keyboard has a few interesting function. It comes with everything you need to get up and running. There is a USB receiver with an additional, but somewhat short USB cable. The dongle features a pairing button and green LED to let the user know that the keyboard was found. The two batteries for the keyboard are of an unknown brand, but will certainly do the job.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/trackballs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/trackball.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mediabtnss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mediabtns.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mousebtns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mousebtn.jpg)
On the unit itself, you will find a track ball on the right hand corner. The keyboard will go into a suspend mode if not used for a certain period, but can be "woken up" by pressing the track ball. To the left of the mouse control unit are the media buttons, meaning you will be able to control your movie or music with the wireless keyboard. All the way to the left you will find the two mouse buttons as well as Internet navigation keys. MonCaso also included an E-Mail, Powerpoint and Excel button. Working on an excel sheet from your couch may be a bit difficult unless you have an full HD or higher capable monitor or TV.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbstands.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbstand.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/battcomps.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/battcomp.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/connectbtns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/connectbtn.jpg)
Odds are that the keyboard will be used on your lap, while sitting on some very comfortable seating, but if you do decide to use a table, the included feet will raise the keyboard noticeably. The battery compartment is also located on the bottom of the keyboard, while there is a connect button in the center, just to the left of the battery compartment.
[page=The MonCaso T932 In Action & Soundgraph FrontView]
The T932 In Action
To give you an idea how much of a windows installation can be done by using the 7 inch screen exclusively I have included a few shots from the initial setup. While the screen does show the boot process, viewing the BIOS with the included screen is not possible, as a minim 800 x 600 resolution is required. The bios screen uses 640 x 480 pixels. While installing Windows XP Media Center Edition and drivers worked flawlessly, the touch screen cannot be set up without telling the software a multi-monitor setup is being used - even if this is not the case. After that the touch screen can be used to control the mouse.
Windows Setup Gallery
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/winboots.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/winboot.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/wininsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/wininst.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/windowsfinishs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/windowsfinish.jpg)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/moncasoautoruns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/moncasoautorun.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/touchscreensofts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/touchscreensoft.jpg)
Soundgraph FrontView
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedians.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedian.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedianmusics.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedianmusic.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/nofrontviews.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/nofrontview.jpg)
The Soundgraph iMON/iMEDIAN software can also be installed and used with the build-in LCD being the sole display. The Soundgraph FrontView interface in turn requires a dual screen setup. This does not mean that the main LCD needs to be on. It simply needs to be found once and set up in the Windows display properties. I will not go into depth about the iMEDIAN software, but I invite you to read our past Soundgraph reviews (iMON UltraBay (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/), iMON 2.4G LT/DT (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMON24g/) & iMON VFD (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONVFD/)), as these go into great detail. The exclusive FrontView interface is shown below.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/defaults.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/default.jpg)
Once FrontView is started for the first time you will be greeted by the above screen. It may not mean much at first glance, but it is actually the music screen where you will see what is currently playing.
FrontView Colors
There are seven colors which can be selected. They can be cycled through quite easily. While it may not be the most colorful choice, black was used for the pictures as it offers the biggest contrast.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/blues.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/blue.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/greens.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/green.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/oranges.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/orange.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/violets.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/violet.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/wines.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/wine.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/whites.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/white.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/blacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/black.jpg)
[page=FrontView Functions]
FrontView Functions
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/musicplayers.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/musicplayer.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/calendars.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/calendar.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/vkeyboards.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/vkeyboard.jpg)
The music screen which was empty, shows the current song and nicely done moving sound bars. All the needed information from total time, playing time to song title is shown. The second very interesting and certainly useful function is an on-screen calendar. The third images shows the virtual keyboard you can use to input data, displayed on the main screen.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/brightcontrols.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/brightcontrol.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/eqpeaks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/eqpeak.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/volcontrols.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/volcontrol.jpg)
The other functions are much simpler and include a brightness control, an EQ peak setting and volume control.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/eqqualis.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/eqquali.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/applaunchers.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/applauncher.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/taskswitchs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/taskswitch.jpg)
Furthermore, you can set the EQ quality between various settings. The Application Launcher found in the iMON Software can also be displayed on the FrontView interface, as well as a task switcher for all running windows applications.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/weathernewss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/weathernews.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/shutdowns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/shutdown.jpg)
Once you set up the network connection and set the country and city of your choice, the weather information is displayed in a separate interface. You may set multiple locations, which are then scrolled through automatically. The last screen gives you controls to exit the FrontView interface or power off, suspend or lock the PC among other similar functions.
FrontView System information
The following images show the built-in systems information function of the FrontView interface. This covers the CPU & memory load, hard drive space, current network traffic, speaker setup and the amount of total or new emails. All of these scroll through by default once the PC is turned on after setup of the FrontView has been concluded. Taping the display will bring up the main menu to choose the above mentioned features.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/cpus.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/cpu.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/memorys.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/memory.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/harddrives.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/harddrive.jpg)
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/networks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/network.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/speakerss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/speakers.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mails.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mail.jpg)
[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Moneual LAB MonCaso T932 is the company's top of the line offering and carries a price tag of $895 US Dollars. This means that the case is most likely one of the most expensive variants you can get in retail.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Incredible build quality
Gorgeous looks
Great thermal characteristics
Very high quality LCD screen
Remote and wireless keyboard included
Everything you need for installation is included - even a screw driver
Card reader included
Solid Soundgraph hardware & software
Silent operation
Lots of space for installation
Removable drive cages
All fans included - 4 of them
Matching drive bay cover included
Will fit large graphic card and power supply
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>
The price tag may be the biggest hurdle
Very limited optical drive bay compatibility
FrontView requires a dual display setup
Rear fans grills rather obstructive to air flow
VGA cable could be a bit short
No drive LED can be seen
Package not very informative
</td></tr>
<tr><th>8.4</th>
<td>
The Moneual LAB MonCaso T932 is expensive - very expensive. With a price tag of just under $900 US Dollars it costs more than most would spend on an entire system. Considering what you have to pay it would be just natural to expect a perfect case with a lot of extras. This is certainly what you get. The seven inch display is well placed inside an incredible, all aluminum case. The Soundgraph hardware and software is very solid and works flawlessly. Even the installation is made as painless as possible with the inclusion of a screw driver to get to any hard reachable screws. Moneual LAB has even included a wireless keyboard of very high quality with an included mouse in form of a track ball and all the usual media controls. The one negative aspect of the case would be the limited compatibility of optical drives and the fact that some simply will not fit correctly. Moneual LAB is working on fixing this flaw making the MonCaso 932 series one of the most exclusive, highest quality HTPC enclosures money can buy.</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/recommended.gif</td></tr>
</table>
Introduction
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/logo.gif
I would like to thank Moneual LAB (http://www.moneual.com) for supplying the review sample.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/207_7.jpg
To give you an idea about the philosophy behind Moneual LAB, here is what the "About Us" section of their website mentions:
Moneual Lab is a leading home entertainment system solution provider headquartered in Irvine California. Started from September 2005, our specialty in creating distinguished designs and combining multimedia technologies has driven us to ensure that we can improve current PC systems to total home entertainment media centers. Experts from PC graphics, TV tuners, wireless technologies, and LCD/PDP TVs have gathered in one place and created a brand name Moneual as a premium home entertainment system and promised to supply the best home entertainment system to our valuable clients who have been looking for a premium consumer style PC product in the market. We will keep our endeavors to provide more convenient solutions to clients and try to lead all the people to easier PC environments than ever. Until we deliver the right solutions required by clients, we will do our best to create the most advanced products.
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Specifications
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="600">
<tr>
<th scope="row">Model number </th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">Moneual LAB MonCaso 932 Series <span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Home Theater PC</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Color</th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">932B (black) & 932P (platin) </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Drive Bays </th>
<td scope="row"><p align="center">- 5.25" x 1 <br />
- 3.5" x 4</p> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Material</th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">Full Aluminum </div>
<div align="center"></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Form Factor </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">Standard ATX</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Expansion Slots </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">6 standard slots </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Case Fans </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><p align="center">- 2x 80 mm in HDD cages<br />
- Rear: <span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">2x 80mm Pre-Installed</span></p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">TFT Display </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">7 inch screen size using 800 x 600 or 1024 X 768 resolution
</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">17" (W) x 18.5" (D) x 6.75" (H)</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Weight</th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">16.6 lbs (w/o Package)</span></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Front Access </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center"><span lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US">1 x USB 2.0, 1 x FireWire & Audio </span></div> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Included Contents </th>
<td valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">MonCaso Wireless Keyboard, MonCaso Remote Control </div></td>
</tr>
</table>
[page=Packaging & Contents]
Packaging
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/boxs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/box.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/boxopens.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/boxopen.jpg)
The cardboard package of the MonCaso consists of a black background and a full color image of the case. There is not much information printed on any side of the box. The only text reveals the color in combination with a sticker and the fact that this case features a seven inch LCD screen. While this may not be the most informative packaging, anyone spending just under $900 US Dollars will surely know what they will be buying. The wireless keyboard is placed in the bottom of the box, while the other contents can be found in a similar package on top of the case.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casepackeds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casepacked.jpg)
The case itself is placed inside a heavy plastic bag and two foam spacers. Moneual LAB has opted for greatest possible protection of the case, which also translates into a larger and thus more expensive package. While it is something you may expect for such a case, it is nothing to be taken for granted.
Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/contentss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/contents.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/remotes.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/remote.jpg)
The smaller cardboard box holds a driver CD, the all aluminum, optical drive bay cover, a very well written and illustrated manual, the remote control batteries, all necessary screws, the Soundgraph ATX/power adapter and a long screw driver. The latter may be the one item to stick out from the bunch, but there are a few hard to reach screws inside the case and Moneual LAB is trying to make the installation as easy and painless as possible. Small thoughts of the sort fit perfectly into the price class of such a case. The Soundgraph remote is placed inside a small white cardboard box. There is a sticker on the remote with the Moneual LAB logo. It would have been nicer if the remote actually featured the logo printed on it instead, as I am not sure if someone with such a case is going to like a simple sticker on their remote control.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/keyboards.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/keyboard.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbsofts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbsoft.jpg)
Moneual LAB also included a wireless keyboard with a trackball for mouse movement. This means that you no not need any further input devices to control anything you wish to place inside the case. A separate software CD is also supplied, which holds the drivers for the keyboard.
[page=A Closer Look - Outside]
A Closer Look- Outside
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casefronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casefront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casesides.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/caseside.jpg)
The LCD is covered by the same type of protection you would find on normal LCD monitors when you buy them brand new. The MonCaso 932 series does not have any artistic or round features. All edges are straight and clean. The case utilizes a five to six millimeter thick full aluminum front. Odds are that the case will be placed next to some very expensive and high-end audio/video equipment. The overall looks of the case make it a perfect fit. The sides of the case utilize very solid aluminum bars to hide any fan holes or air vents implemented inside the case. This means the case will look great, even if it is placed freely inside the living room.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/casebacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/caseback.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/VGAcables.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/VGAcable.jpg)
The back of the case does not have anything out of the ordinary. A few simple holes in the back wall are utilized as air vents for the included fans. It may have been better to use traditional fan grill as they do not restrict air flow nearly as much. There are also black variants out there, which would look just as good on the back of the case. The only unusual aspect of the back is the VGA cable. It is just long enough to be plugged into a graphic card and goes directly into the 7 inch LCD monitor.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/power_irs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/power_ir.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdprotectors.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdprotector.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imoncontrols.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imoncontrol.jpg)
Let's take a closer look at the front. Starting on the left side, there is a large power button about one inch in size. The IR receiver has been placed to the right of that. The afore mentioned LCD is placed dead center and looks much better there than on the left side. Many manufacturers opt for a left placement so that two optical drives can be used. All the way to the right, the iMON Touch LCD can be found. There are buttons for starting the iMEDIAN software, as well as Enter, Start, App. Exit Back and Menu button to traverse various programs and Windows menus. The four directional arrow do just that and move the selection in the selected direction.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontios.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontio.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/cardreaders.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/cardreader.jpg)
The bottom left of the case houses the front I/O. These are a single USB 2.0, a FireWire and the usual audio connectors. A single USB connector may not seem much, considering that other cases feature up to four of them. The MonCaso 932 utilizes three mainboard connectors to connect the LCD touch control, Soundgraph control buttons and the card reader. The latter can be found on the lower right of the case, behind a solid aluminum cover as well.
[page=A Closer Look - Inside]
A Closer Look - Inside
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/caseopens.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/caseopen.jpg)
Once the top cover is removed, the black insides can be seen. To cover the overall layout: all drives are placed in the front of the case, while the back houses the mainboard to the right and the power supply to the left. The mainboard stand-offs have already been installed, so the case is ready to be filled right away.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage2s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage2.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/opticalbays.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/opticalbay.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage1s.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/hddcage1.jpg)
The two hard drive bays are identical and are made of aluminum as well. They are secured by three screws each. One of which is hard to reach and this is where the included screw driver comes in handy. The middle houses the single optical drive bay. Due to the layout only drives which are shorter than 17 cm can be used. To test this compatibility a Pioneer 16x DVD drive is used, which is just under 17cm long. Both hard drive cages pull air into the case from the side walls with the help of an eight centimeter fan.
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Once the hard drive cage is taken out, the fan can clearly be seen. It uses a mainboard header with RPM reporting. This is different to the two case fans used in the back of the case, which utilize Molex connectors. The interesting aspect of the included fans is the fact that all of them feature a temperature diode to control air speed. This means even if it is connected directly to the power supply using the Molex connector, it will vary in speed according to the temperature recorded by the diode.
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The single optical drive bay features four relatively small screw holes and is secured by four screws inside the case itself. Both hard drive cages need to be removed to gain access to this drive cage. Moneual LAB suggests to install the optical drive first and then place the mainboard inside the case, to avoid any problems at a later point.
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The back of the case houses an air vent at the bottom area of the mainboard. This allows fresh air to be pulled in by the general air flow within the case, which then moves over the expansion slots and out the back of the case. The PCI brackets are easily removable and reusable. There is no use of any fragile plastic, which is a definite plus for such an exclusive case.
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The afore mentioned fans utilize Molex connectors and are both eight centimeters big. The little green bubble is the temperature diode implanted into the fan. Both cutouts for the backplate and power supply are very clean. The power supply can only be placed inside the case with the possible 12 cm fan facing out of the case. This means that the PSU will only have access to fresh, cooler air.
[page=A Closer Look - Inside Continued]
A Closer Look - Inside Continued
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/intcardreaders.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/intcardreader.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/crusbs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/crusb.jpg)
The card reader is quite standard and does not require any other connection besides USB 2.0. The plug is split into two parts, so it is compatible to the older mainboard headers which have a space between the ground pin and the other three pins.
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There are four major PCBs to be found inside the case. The one above the card reader holds all the front media and control buttons while the smaller one below is needed to enable the large volume control knob. The LCD itself only has two buttons, one is to reset the screen, so that it can be found as an additional monitor and the second is for the "auto adjust" feature, needed to center and focus the LCD just like the normal off the shelf variants. The third large PCB does not have any external function but is needed to provide an interface for the iMON Touch LCD electronics. It is wired to the power button to give the user the ability of turning the entire unit on or off with the remote control. The power button itself is back-lit by two blue LEDs which require an external Molex power connector.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/iopcbs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/iopcb.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontconns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/frontconn.jpg)
The last PCB is found right below the afore mentioned iMON part and is used for the front input & output ports. All connectors are removable, reducing cable clutter as unused cables can simply be unplugged.
These cables are of complete standard variety and do not look out of the ordinary.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdusbpowers.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/lcdusbpower.jpg)
The LCD screen requires two connections. The first is a normal USB 2.0 port for the touch screen function, while the second is a Molex connector to power the screen itself. The power plug pictured here is actually for the blue LEDs of the power button and the LCD features the same plug with three cables instead of two.
[page=Installation & Finished Look]
Installation
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Installing the mainboard is quite straight forward. There is plenty of space and thanks to the desktop format, working inside the case is rather easy. Once the graphic card is installed, the back VGA port can be plugged in. You may have problems here, as the cable is just long enough to plug into the VGA port. A graphic card with two DVI connectors will mean that an adapter needs to be used. This may be a tight fit in and with many new mainstream cards using DVI exclusively as the method of connection, it would be nice to have one or two inches of additional cabling. This would also make the use of PCI cards with external connections like sound cards or TV tuners easier, as the VGA cable would not be in the way.
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Installing the hard drive and optical drive does not pose any problems either. Both units are secured by traditional screws and the cages placed back into the case in the right order.
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To keep the overall look of the case, Moneual LAB has included a solid aluminum drive cover. It has little stops on three sides, which prohibit sticking the cover on any way you like - or in this case - need. A Pioneer 16x DVD drive was used, as it was just under 17 cm long. This was the maximum length a drive is allowed to have due to the design of the case. Once the drive was placed into the case and the front installed, it became apparent that the supplied cover kept the DVD drive from closing all the way. In a bid to make installation as comfortable as possible, as the little stops are meant to help you center and align the cover horizontally, Moneual LAB has created a compatibility problem. I have let them know about this issue and was told they are working on a fix. The second problem is a complete incompatibility with drives with built-in volume dials. These do not come close enough to the eject button, as the dial usual reaches out of the front a few millimeters and thus cannot be used.
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After installing all the drives into the enclosure the case still had a lot of space to work with. This is also due to the very convenient placement of the hard drives.
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Installing the power supply is only possible in a single manner, thus there were no problems at all. The last step consisted of connecting all the various cables and closing the case up.
Finished Look
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The MonCaso T932 was placed on the table and turned on. The big blue LED ring around the power button looks great and certainly adds a nice touch to the overall look. The screen does not work right away. It takes a few seconds for it to initialize and turn on. Booting the PC will be the first visible screen using the internal display. The LCD can handle 800x600 and 1024x768 pixels, which means going into the BIOS using the screen is not possible as it will go black and display an "out of range" message.
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To give you an idea as to how the case will look running Windows XP Media Center Edition, here a screen shot once everything was installed and configured. Even though I was not able to use the front drive cover, it certainly does not look bad at all.
[page=The MK700 Wireless Keyboard]
The MK700 Wireless Keyboard
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The included wireless keyboard has a few interesting function. It comes with everything you need to get up and running. There is a USB receiver with an additional, but somewhat short USB cable. The dongle features a pairing button and green LED to let the user know that the keyboard was found. The two batteries for the keyboard are of an unknown brand, but will certainly do the job.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/trackballs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/trackball.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mediabtnss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mediabtns.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mousebtns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/mousebtn.jpg)
On the unit itself, you will find a track ball on the right hand corner. The keyboard will go into a suspend mode if not used for a certain period, but can be "woken up" by pressing the track ball. To the left of the mouse control unit are the media buttons, meaning you will be able to control your movie or music with the wireless keyboard. All the way to the left you will find the two mouse buttons as well as Internet navigation keys. MonCaso also included an E-Mail, Powerpoint and Excel button. Working on an excel sheet from your couch may be a bit difficult unless you have an full HD or higher capable monitor or TV.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbstands.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/kbstand.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/battcomps.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/battcomp.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/connectbtns.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/connectbtn.jpg)
Odds are that the keyboard will be used on your lap, while sitting on some very comfortable seating, but if you do decide to use a table, the included feet will raise the keyboard noticeably. The battery compartment is also located on the bottom of the keyboard, while there is a connect button in the center, just to the left of the battery compartment.
[page=The MonCaso T932 In Action & Soundgraph FrontView]
The T932 In Action
To give you an idea how much of a windows installation can be done by using the 7 inch screen exclusively I have included a few shots from the initial setup. While the screen does show the boot process, viewing the BIOS with the included screen is not possible, as a minim 800 x 600 resolution is required. The bios screen uses 640 x 480 pixels. While installing Windows XP Media Center Edition and drivers worked flawlessly, the touch screen cannot be set up without telling the software a multi-monitor setup is being used - even if this is not the case. After that the touch screen can be used to control the mouse.
Windows Setup Gallery
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Soundgraph FrontView
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedians.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedian.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedianmusics.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/imedianmusic.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/nofrontviews.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/nofrontview.jpg)
The Soundgraph iMON/iMEDIAN software can also be installed and used with the build-in LCD being the sole display. The Soundgraph FrontView interface in turn requires a dual screen setup. This does not mean that the main LCD needs to be on. It simply needs to be found once and set up in the Windows display properties. I will not go into depth about the iMEDIAN software, but I invite you to read our past Soundgraph reviews (iMON UltraBay (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONUltraBay/), iMON 2.4G LT/DT (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMON24g/) & iMON VFD (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Soundgraph/iMONVFD/)), as these go into great detail. The exclusive FrontView interface is shown below.
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Once FrontView is started for the first time you will be greeted by the above screen. It may not mean much at first glance, but it is actually the music screen where you will see what is currently playing.
FrontView Colors
There are seven colors which can be selected. They can be cycled through quite easily. While it may not be the most colorful choice, black was used for the pictures as it offers the biggest contrast.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/blues.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/blue.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/greens.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/green.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/oranges.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/orange.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/violets.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/violet.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/wines.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/wine.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/whites.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/white.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/blacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/black.jpg)
[page=FrontView Functions]
FrontView Functions
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/musicplayers.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/musicplayer.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/calendars.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/calendar.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/vkeyboards.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/vkeyboard.jpg)
The music screen which was empty, shows the current song and nicely done moving sound bars. All the needed information from total time, playing time to song title is shown. The second very interesting and certainly useful function is an on-screen calendar. The third images shows the virtual keyboard you can use to input data, displayed on the main screen.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/brightcontrols.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/brightcontrol.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/eqpeaks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/eqpeak.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/volcontrols.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Moneual_LAB/MonCaso_T932/images/volcontrol.jpg)
The other functions are much simpler and include a brightness control, an EQ peak setting and volume control.
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Furthermore, you can set the EQ quality between various settings. The Application Launcher found in the iMON Software can also be displayed on the FrontView interface, as well as a task switcher for all running windows applications.
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Once you set up the network connection and set the country and city of your choice, the weather information is displayed in a separate interface. You may set multiple locations, which are then scrolled through automatically. The last screen gives you controls to exit the FrontView interface or power off, suspend or lock the PC among other similar functions.
FrontView System information
The following images show the built-in systems information function of the FrontView interface. This covers the CPU & memory load, hard drive space, current network traffic, speaker setup and the amount of total or new emails. All of these scroll through by default once the PC is turned on after setup of the FrontView has been concluded. Taping the display will bring up the main menu to choose the above mentioned features.
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[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Moneual LAB MonCaso T932 is the company's top of the line offering and carries a price tag of $895 US Dollars. This means that the case is most likely one of the most expensive variants you can get in retail.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>
Incredible build quality
Gorgeous looks
Great thermal characteristics
Very high quality LCD screen
Remote and wireless keyboard included
Everything you need for installation is included - even a screw driver
Card reader included
Solid Soundgraph hardware & software
Silent operation
Lots of space for installation
Removable drive cages
All fans included - 4 of them
Matching drive bay cover included
Will fit large graphic card and power supply
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The price tag may be the biggest hurdle
Very limited optical drive bay compatibility
FrontView requires a dual display setup
Rear fans grills rather obstructive to air flow
VGA cable could be a bit short
No drive LED can be seen
Package not very informative
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The Moneual LAB MonCaso T932 is expensive - very expensive. With a price tag of just under $900 US Dollars it costs more than most would spend on an entire system. Considering what you have to pay it would be just natural to expect a perfect case with a lot of extras. This is certainly what you get. The seven inch display is well placed inside an incredible, all aluminum case. The Soundgraph hardware and software is very solid and works flawlessly. Even the installation is made as painless as possible with the inclusion of a screw driver to get to any hard reachable screws. Moneual LAB has even included a wireless keyboard of very high quality with an included mouse in form of a track ball and all the usual media controls. The one negative aspect of the case would be the limited compatibility of optical drives and the fact that some simply will not fit correctly. Moneual LAB is working on fixing this flaw making the MonCaso 932 series one of the most exclusive, highest quality HTPC enclosures money can buy.</td></tr>
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