Moneual 301

Verdict: An attractive chassis with all the necessary features, but it's a tad pricey.

Moneual is a relatively new name to the UK, although the company has been producing media PC cases since 2001. The 301 is a conventional low-profile design, but none the worse for it. Five embedded screws release the top of the chassis, revealing a well thought-out interior with plenty of room for components.

The 301 takes a full-sized ATX PSU, which will need to be factored into the price, as this isn't included as standard. However, even a PSU with a 120mm fan pointing downwards would work, as the Moneual has a vent at the bottom to accommodate it. There's plenty of space for installing a micro-ATX motherboard, with room around the edge for overhangs.

The single 5.25in bay is designed to house an optical drive, and we had no trouble fitting our LG Blu-ray burner. A brushed metal cover ensures that your drive won't spoil the case's looks. Two internal 3.5in bays are available for hard disks; one is located above the front-facing 3.5in bay and already taken by the 7-in-1 media reader. This also incorporates USB 2 and FireWire ports, plus headphone and microphone jacks. The second bay is located beneath the 5.25in bay, so trying to use the same S-ATA power cable for both drives could be tricky.

A single 80mm fan next to the hard disk is the only source of cool air, but there are grilles above the two most likely spots for the CPU, so processor heat will be vented directly out of the case. Further grilles are placed strategically around the four corners of the side panels to allow the chassis and PSU fans to provide airflow.

The 301 is bundled with an IR remote and incorporates a vacuum fluorescent display (VFD). Once the iMon drivers are installed, the VFD offers a two-line display, and the remote can operate a variety of applications, and even replicate mouse movements. The remote can also be used in Windows Vista MCE mode, so your copy of Home Premium or Ultimate can provide its Media Center interface.

Costing £189 without a PSU, the Moneual is nowhere near as good value for money as the Antec Fusion 430. It isn't as easy to build a system inside it either, but it looks great, so if you're after a low-profile case then it could be worth forking out the extra money.