Introduction:
Today we have a beautifully styled case from APS (ATX Power Supplies). It's a great case for the cheap; and it also includes a 450 watt power supply. The case has great styling's for the price, and is great for a bench pc, or an easy way to cut the exuberant build costs, and spend more on a decent video card. Another plus; due to the thin steel, and no excess plastic parts the case retains a great stock weight. Even loaded the case is very light. Overall this case has many features; read on to see all features, and for the full review.

Specifications:
-16.25" Tall
-18.25" Deep
-8" Wide Four 5.25" Bays
-Six 3.5" Bays, 4 internal & 2 external
-Accepts ATX, Mini ATX, Micro ATX, & Flex ATX motherboard form factors.
-Seven expansion slots

In the Box:
-APS PowMax Matrix (1)
-Accessories Pouch (1)
-Power supply plug (1)
-Large Styrofoam bricks (2)

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Contents:

The APS PowMax arrived in the box showed above. It shows a little information about the case, and case features. The box opens to reveal the case wrapped in a large plastic bag, and on the top and bottom of the box are very large Styrofoam bricks to prevent any damage during transport. After I removed the packaging material, the case was revealed... The case is very stylish. The black face is accented by a shiny center and there is a big power button, with a reset button above that. There is also front USB, front audio, and lights for power, and H.D.D. The face is clean, yet behind the door are all the drive bays. I like this in any case I ever buy. It ends up cleaning up the case, and making the whole package look more professional. More pictures including the inside of the door are shown in the detailed examination. (page 2)

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Examination-External:
The exterior of the case is beautifully styled with a black blanket hinting silver accents. The front is compromised of a dull black outline of a shiny reflective black insert. The top is a door and the bottom holds the large black power button and the reflective reset button. Also on the front is a power and reset led. Below the control panel are two usb ports and a headphone out and a mic in.

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The front says alot about a case and I prefer doors for this reason. The front of the case looks more integrated when the drives are covered by an uniform door that fits with the whole design of the case. Following the style of the case the main side has a plexiglass window that showcases your parts. In the center of this is a fan that helps circulate air through the case evenly. The plexiglass is secured by what looks like rivets.

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The other side of the case is a standard black side panel with the handle curved in.

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Next on the list of the exterior stylings are the top and bottom of the case respectively. The top is simple, just black, and the bottom is simple, just metal...

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Last but not least is the back. From the back you can see the power supply which has a turn off switch and a standard power plug. There is also a place for a 120mm fan. The motherboard connector rectangle is standard size and it includes a universal blank. The only thing that is troublesome on the case is the pci bracket. If you look the bulge at the back of the case is the bracket to hold the pci in. There are no screw holes to screw them down, only the bracket that consists or two screws. It doesn't hold the pci cards very well and with my experiences Ihad to adjust the video card a few times because it would come disconnected. This seems to be the only turn off to the case and could easily be revised.

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All together the external stylings of the case are great. The case is a traditional black case with minimal reflective accents. The front usb and audio are great and the side panel makes the case a great showpiece.

Examination-Internal:
The inside of the case is basic. It includes four 5 1/2" bays and six 3 1/2" bays, a motherboard tray, and a power supply. Included are motherboard mounting screws, and standoffs. Shown below are shots of the inside of the case full view, a view of all the bays, and a view of the bottom of the case and all the wires for the front devices.

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Performance:
Hardware:
-Processor: AMD Athlon XP 2800+
-Motherboard: Shuttle AN35N Ultra
-Memory: 2 x 512 Corsair
-Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce 4 64MB
-Hard Drives: Western Digital 160Gb
-Optical Drives: Lite-On 16x DVD Burner
-Cooling: Scythe CPU Cooler
-Case: PowMax Matrix
-Power Supply: Stock
Software:
-Operating System: Windows Xp Professional

The tests proved the case to block out a substantial amount of sound from the components, while allowing proper circulation. The case performed well and looks great with all the components installed. The only drawback as explained earlier is the pci bracket which could be engineered differently.

Conclusion:
The PowMax looks great and performs very well. The price is very right for what you get. I would highly recommend this case to anyone that is on a budget and wants a beautifully styled case.

Pros:
-Great price
-Looks great
-Front USB
-Front audio
-Side Panel display
-Colored Fans

Cons:
-Wacky PCI bracket
-No switch for colored lights

All and all this case is great, many features, gives you bang for your buck, and looks great; I give the ATXPS PowMax Matrix a 9/10!