HighSpeedPC Standard HSPC Tech Station v2.0

When we looked at the original HighSpeedPC Standard HSPC Tech Station in December of last year, we were most impressed with the innovative design for the open-air computer workbench. Since that time HighSpeedPC has been hard at work improving the Tech Station to handle the demands of computer professionals and hobbyists while taking into consideration a great deal of user feedback and reviews. Today, we're pleased to present version 2.0 of the HSPC Tech Station. Similar to the first release, there are the standard and large kits available along with a multitude of colors. What we have in front of us today is the Standard HSPC Tech Station v2.0 black model, so let's begin!

Features:

· Puts all your PC hardware within easy reach
· Non-conductive design - High grade polymers - HDPE bench surfaces
· Heavy-duty construction - Sturdy and stable - Can support over 160+ lbs!
· Attractive look - High quality materials - Proudly display this test bench
· Dimensions: Std: 14x9.5x8.5 Lrg: 14x13x8.5 (custom sizes/colors available)

Contents:

Shipping with all sizes and colors for the HSPC Tech Station v2.0 are two polymer bench surfaces, one AGP/PCI support brace, four black rubber bumpers, 16 screws of varying sizes, eight washers, four screw covers, seven nylon thumb screws, four angle brackets, six fan screws, one 120mm fan with fan grill (two fans included with the large model), hard drive storage rack, neoprene rubber mat, motherboard bumper standoff kit, and one ATX control kit. Consisting of the hard drive storage rack parts are two acrylic guide rails, four screws, and four spacers while the ATX control kit makes up a CMOS speaker, power and reset switches, and power and HDD activity LEDs. Along with the many improved features of the 2.0 revision, the ATX control kit is of much higher quality than the original parts. Also included with the latest version is an entirely revamped set of instructions for assembling and using the unit. Rather than the single sheet of paper that accompanied the Tech Station previously, now there's six pages that cover more in detail the build procedures as well as color pictures from the different steps.

Examination:

HighSpeedPC has made some important improvements to the Tech Station. The changes include a larger bench (the base now measures 14 x 9.5-inches, rather than 14 x 8.0-inches), a top bench neoprene mat for a non-slip non-conductive surface, improvements in fan location, thicker AGP/PCI support brace to reduce flex, and motherboard rubber standoffs. Although we appreciate all of the improvements made, we found our personal favorite advancement to be the rubber standoffs. The standoff system is similar to that found in any ATX computer chassis where it lifts the motherboard off the bench to allow for under-motherboard heatsink mounting brackets. In addition, from two of the rubber mounts extend nylon screws for keeping the motherboard in place rather than having it slide around with the previous model. One of the optional methods with this new mounting system is that nylon wing nuts can be used for securing the motherboard in a more permanent fashion.