Ultra m998 ULT40069

As enthusiasts in the PC world, we at Benchmark Reviews find ourselves seldom ‘wowed' by the relentless tick-tock refreshes of components that add only minor updates here and there; updates that end users rarely see any real benefit from. This, despite many marketing campaigns, is the sad truth regarding the PC industry, with revolution and innovation taking a back seat to the "steady as she sails" mentality that's so prevalent today. That being said however, there's always a company or two that can shake things up a bit from time to time, even reinventing a segment or the whole industry with a new design. Among those few companies Ultra Products is one that stands out, being renowned for their recent innovation (modular cables) that revolutionized the power supply industry these past few years. Now Ultra is hoping to follow up on that success with their newest innovation, the Ultra Powerbar. A feature that comes pre-installed in the Ultra m998 Aluminum Mid-Tower ATX Case ULT40069, one of its many features that we'll be looking at today.

Having been based off a tried and true design, the Ultra m998 features all the amenities of many modern cases, while also incorporating Ultra's new patented Powerbar, a modernization that could revolutionize the industry; just one of the many features that are under the hood of the m998.

The Ultra m998 is so named for the exalted m998 HMMWV (better known as the Humvee): a lightweight, high performance, four wheel drive, air transportable & droppable, land mobility system. For comparison: the Ultra's m998 is constructed mainly of lightweight aluminum and plastic parts, sports four optional castors (wheels), a removable motherboard tray, the ability to remove every panel, and also boasts a roomy interior. In concept at least the m998 sounds akin to its name sake's description. Benchmark Reviews however wants to see if Ultra's m998 Aluminum Mid-Tower ATX Case ULT40069 can live up to this legendary reputation, so we've taken this baby for a test drive.

Engineered with an obvious design meant to appeal to a wide range of customers, from first time buyers, all the way up to enthusiasts, the Ultra m998 sports a very large acrylic window on its side , in addition to letting you "show things off", it provides needed ventilation, either by way of the mesh screen, or by the CPU air duct mounted into the clear acrylic. Other notable features include: tool-less access to most components via thumbscrews, removable drive bays, built in cable management, and enough real estate to park any modern hardware...with room to spare.

About the company: Ultra Products

From Wikipedia:

Ultra Products is a division of the Systemax group of companies, a US-based computer parts manufacturer, importer and distributor. The company's main focus is on PC accessories, and offers a full gamut of products including computer memory, computer cases and power supplies, custom cooling solutions and uninterruptible power supplies. The company attracted attention in PC publications when they produced the first modular computer power supply, the Ultra X-Connect.

The history of Ultra Products dates back to 1991 with the Fletcher, Ohio based PC builder, MidWest Micro. Ultra was the brand name for MidWest Micro's white-box personal and laptop computers sold through their Infotel computer product distribution division. In late 1997, Global Industrial Products purchased Infotel and the MidWest Micro and continued to sell product under the Ultra brand name. In 1999, Global changed it's name to Systemax and Global Industrial became a division of the Systemax corporation. The Ultra Products brand name was expanded to include LCD monitors.

In 2003, Tiger Direct used the Ultra brand to sell computer memory and low-end graphics cards. By mid-2003, the product line expanded to light kits, hard drive, memory and CPU coolers and flash memory card readers. This proved to be successful and the decision was made to put the brand out into the retail channel. It was determined to use the existing ChieftecUSA channels to distribute product, so in late 2003 ChieftecUSA became Ultra Products and could not only be purchased at Tiger Direct, but also Fry's Electronics, Micro Center as well as a number of other retail and mail order computer components dealers.

Here is an excerpt from Ultra's website:

"Ultra Products is a global, technology-solutions provider with headquarters in Fletcher, Ohio. The company strives to offer a wide range of solutions, products and services all with a common thread: Innovation, value and quality."

"It is Ultra's mission to be the best provider of technology-solutions in the global market. By offering superior, innovative products and ensuring a high level of customer service, Ultra guarantees its customers receive an exceptional value in everything they do."

"To ensure your complete satisfaction, all Ultra Power Supplies and Cases now carry a three-year warranty that they will be free from defects in materials or workmanship. In addition, that warranty can be upgraded to a LIFETIME warranty by simply registering online for the Ultra Advantage. The incomparable Ultra Advantage provides the most comprehensive warranty coverage possible. If you opt for the Ultra Advantage, all power supplies, cases and memory products are protected by our Lifetime Warranty, upgraded from three year. Under Ultra Advantage, all our other products are upgraded from the standard one-year to 3-year coverage! No other company delivers a consumer care package that can top ours. At Ultra, customer service is our most important mission. That's why every Ultra product must meet the highest industry standards for quality and reliability. And our warranty program is second to none."

Ultra m998 Features

ULT40069 Specifications

Closer Look: m998 Exterior

Most of us take for granted a products packaging, that is till the day we receive something that's been damaged in transit due to lack of, or improper packaging. Equally important to protection is proper labeling. For these reasons we are always critical of how a company packs their product. Asking: Is the package well labeled? Informative? Is it secure enough to make the punishing journey through shipping? As such, we will always spend time in reviews on what most people will probably throw away without a second thought.

This Ultra m998 sample arrived in a very well labeled, double-walled box, that displayed not only every vantage point of the cases exterior, but also detailing its many features and selling points. I have to admit here my surprise at just how lightweight this case is (17lbs). To underscore this, the box containing the m998 has no handholds, nor are any needed.

To protect the m998 during shipping it has been encased with thick packing foam at either end, and the entire case has been wrapped in an unsealed poly bag. This allows for easy repacking of the case for future shipping and/or safe dust free storage.

One extra detail seen here is that the acrylic side panel has been covered with a fitted sheet of sticky vinyl, thus adding further protection during shipping. Not pictured here is that there is also another sheet applied to the inside to prevent damage should any parts come loose in transit. None did, and all of the case was free of scratches upon arrival.

Once the protective film has been removed, it's difficult not to admire the great vantage of the interior afforded by the crystal clear acrylic side window.

As for the extras, Ultra includeds two small boxes secured to the case via zip-tie. Inside the smaller of the two boxes are found the cases accessories including: two standard eSATA cables, I/O shield, three bags of unlabeled case screws, a bag containing the motherboard stand-offs, their accompanying screws, and insulating washers.

Ultra m998 Exterior Continued

Also in the same box are found the shortened version of Ultra's Flex-Force cables (needed to use the Powerbar feature).

There is also an instruction manual presented in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian, with basic instructions and supporting images. Should it be misplaced, the full updated manual can be found on Ultra's website in PDF format. Simplfied may be to kind of a word to describe the manuals instructions, which failed to indicate the additional case screws used to secure the motherboard and removable drive cages.

In the second larger box are four 51mm (optional) castors and the hardware needed to install them (16 screws). Two of the castors have locking mechanisms that prevent the wheels from spinning (and your computer from rolling away). The castors are easily installed, and their mounting holes on the cases bottom even come pre-threaded.

Upon initial scrutiny of the m998 case exterior, I noted a flawless finish and paint job, treated with black powder coating on the aluminum, that gives a smooth matte finish. Barely discernable here on the anodized aluminum panels is the remnants of machining; a handsome grain effect that matches throughout the entire case.

The m998 has a typical layout for the back panel, with a quiet 120mm exhaust fan, seven PCI expansion slots, and honeycomb vent holes; this honeycomb design minimizes air resistance and has been proven over grilled vents allowing for maximum air flow.

The top panel of the m998 is sadly void of any features. As a note here: some form of venting in the top panel, preferably toward the PSU, would have been a nice addition since the PSU mounting bracket can be installed either way, and would allow for isolating the PSU air intake.

Here is shown the bottom of the m998 case, featuring rubber non-slip feet, and pre-threaded screw mounts for the included castors. You may also note the embossing stamped into the bottom panel, intended to add strength to the thin aluminum. The main chassis body is riveted together, a design that allows for a natural flexing, something a weld would oterhwise prevent.

ULT40069 Detailed Exterior Features

Some readers may recognize the Ultra m998's "borrowed" design as the Globalwin YCC 61F1, or recently it's more refined european cousin the Akasa Eclipse-62 twin. The reason for this is that the Ultra m998 is an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) case based on a design that has had several iterations before its life as an Ultra product. Originally intended as a server case, this design boasted amenities unheard of in other cases at its introduction in late 2001. Today, many of the m998's features seem right at home, especially with Ultra's modernizations, and is still unrivaled by most modern mid-tower designs.

The front bezel of the m998 is one of only three components of the chassis made of plastic. And though the aesthetic of the bezel is dated, its look is not out of place with regards to the rest of the case. Finished in a black matte paint to match the rest of the chassis, it's a tough paint job that's resistant to fingerprints. The m998's front bezel is made of a rugged hard plastic with off-set vent slots that break the monotony of an otherwise tired look. In this image you can also make out the fine grain effect in the side panel that was mentioned earlier.

The power button, power LED, Hard-drive (HDD) LEDs, and reset switch are conveniently located toward the top of the case. Yes there are twoHDD activity LEDs, a holdover from the designs original intent as a server case, though not many desktop motherboards support this feature today. The power and reset buttons have a nice sturdy feel to them, giving a good amount of resistance and a firm click when pressed. Though the reset switch is too exposed, potentially resulting in an accidental restart if bumped, and should have either been recessed into the panel, or placed behind a door.

Just below the reset switch is the stealth door that hides the front I/O brackets. The door itself is made of the same material as the rest of the bezel, and would go unnoticed save for the words "open" embossed onto it. The door uses a spring lock system, and you only have to push in for the door to open, snaping shut the same way. Behind the door are two I/O brackets, the top one is a standard 2x USB 2.0, the bottom I/O plate features: Hi-def Audio, IEEE 1394 Firewire, and refreshinglyan eSATA port. The lower I/O plate also happens to be a PCI expansion bracket that is user replaceable. More on that in a bit...

The m998 features a nearly tool-less chassis that utilizes a lot of thumb-screws; fourteen on the back panel alone. Another hold-over from the server world is the case lock pictured above. Though you may not use it, it's good to know it's there in case you have to. Note that the whole back panel (which is part of the motherboard tray) is made of a high-polish stainless steel. Though attractive, it will visibly show fingerprints, and if not cleaned they will eventually etch themselves into the metal finish.

Standard thumbs-screws are used to hold the PSU (power supply unit) in place via its removable bracket that independently attaches to the PSU for a quick install. It is not possible to install any PSU through the opening in the back of the case, for that you will have to remove the top panel and drop in the unit; more on the PSU install latter.

ULT40069 Disassembled

In this section, Benchmark Review digs deeper into the Ultra m998 mid-tower ATX case and reveals some of the finer features kept hidden on the inside as we break down the ULT40069 for field use.

All of the m998's panels are removable, including the top, for easy access to every aspect of the hardware install, especially helpfull in routing power cables. Additionally, most of the rest of the chassis components are removable via thumb-screws, making this a very modular design.

The windowed panel on the m998 has some rather nice accommodations, most notably is the fresh air duct for the CPU cooling fan (adjustable/removable for aftermarket coolers), the opening for the duct also just happens to be 80mm (in case one wanted to add extra cooling with an 80mm fan). The other vent is intended to deliver fresh air to the VGA (video) card, doing so by the negative air pressure created in the case via the PSU and rear exhaust fan. The entire acrylic panel is fastened to the side panel with screws (should one want to replace it with their own), and the whole unit easily slides into place thanks to the large rail located at the bottom of the panel. There is no dust filter for either of these intakes, however, with their placement high off the ground dust should be a non issue.

The removable front bezel of the m998 uses six clips along either end to detach, and although it's a dated design, it retains its functionality, and has simple ease of use with its off-set vent grills, and stealth door.

Moving to the back of the bezel you can better see the off-setting of the air vents, also the clips needed for the removal of the bezel. For external 3.5" and 5.25" dive installation you will have to remove the drive plate covers that are held in place with two clips at either end.

Here is an exploded view of a case similar to Ultra's (based of the same basic design) , and gives a better idea just how modular the m998 case is.

Closer Look: m998 Interior

Inside the m998 is where this chassis really shines, litterally, with a mirrored motherboard tray accenting the matte black finish, creating a silver and black motif. Because the m998 has been painted inside using the same powder coating treatment as the exterior, it will ensure a tough scratch resistant finish that should last the test of many hardware installs. Once again owing to its server design, the m998 is wider (9.45") and longer (20.47") than most mid-tower cases today, and is technically an "extended mid-tower". With this roomy of an interior installing the latest hardware, even long style video cards, should offer little trouble.

Made of 1.5mm thick anodized aluminum sheets, the multi-functional chassis of the Ultra m998 supports ATX, Micro ATX, and 12" to 13" server motherboards (12" and 13" motherboards will require removal of the Powerbar). Roomy is an understatement here as this interior offers a large clean work space. And though made entirely of metal, every edge inside the m998 is either rolled or ground down to equal zero sharp points.

The Ultra m998 uses a standard ATX layout, with handy thumb-screws for the PCI expansion slots, and a 120mm exhaust fan that's whisper quiet (spinning at 1500rpm). The mirror like stainless steel motherboard tray adds the illusion of even more depth to this already roomy interior; by design I'm sure.

Even with a spacious layout, there's no compromise for a removable motherboard tray when doing system builds (if any reader has ever used one they will knowingly agree here). For the m998 motherboard tray Ultra uses high-polish stainless steel, and though most of it will be covered by the motherboard it still offers a nice accent to the interior of the case. Here is also shown the Ultra Powerbar, which requires removal to install extended server motherboards, this being easily done via four screws and stand-offs (more on the Powerbar in a bit). Alongside the Powerbar is a built in cable harness (with attached Pizo speaker) for routing data and power cables; a very handy feature for minimizing cable clutter around the drive stack. Every aspect of installation here is very straightforward, however, when first trying to remove the motherboard tray from the case I was surprised to find it had been screwed into the chassis using two case screws, one above and one below the Powerbar, something I unhappily discovered twenty minutes later, and after several failed attempts at removial... There is no reference to these screws in the maunal.

With all the panels removed, gaining access to any area of the Ultra m998's chassis is convenient and easy. And when stripped down this case certainly qualifies to have a water cooling mod or two done.

The drive stack for the internal 3.5" drives is removable as is the 3.5" external bay via two plastic quick release rivet style clips, first however, you will have to remove the screws mounting them to the case from the front panel (this only took five minutes to figure that out... Again, there is no reference in the manual). The 3.5" internal drive bay is attached via quick release clip to the 3.5" external drive bay, and the external 3.5" drive bay attaches to the 5.25" external drive bay the same way. It is possible to mount the 3.5" internalbay without the external bay, mounting it so will require screwing back in the drive stack, thus losing the quick release feature. It may sound complicated here, but that couldn't be further from the truth as the whole process is set up intuitivly. For maintaining HDD (hard drives) temperature and subsequently the lifespan of drives, having air movement around them is critical. Ultra remedies this by placing the 3.5" internal drive stack directly in front of a 120mm intake fan ensuring a constant air flow over the drives.

Seen here are the cable leads from each of the front I/O ports, each lead is labeled at the end as to what it is, and there are referenced in the manual for correct pin orientation during their install. To help maintain cable clutter for the cables Ultra has used intelligent cable routing via two mounted clips. One aspect I liked about this set-up is the ability to remove the cables you don't need or want, thus reducing the clutter even more.

m998 Interior Details

One point of interest shown here is the large space to the side of the drive stack; this area will be directly behind the cable harness and will allow for storing the extra slack of the power and data cables. Also pictured here is the motherboard tray slider, though functional, I would recommend applying some lubricant to this as removing the motherboard tray was not as smooth as it should be.

Here is a unique feature of Ultra's m998 case. The front I/O plate is really a PCI bracket in disguise and is user replaceable! Removing two screws is all it takes to swap out the stock part for nearly any PCI expansion bracket. A feature that ensures m998 will be upgradeable for years to come.

Here is the PCI bracket removed, note the pin headers that allow for removal of unwanted cables. All of the ports here are straight pass-troughs, and any device should act as if directly connected to the motherboard. The audio leads have pin headers to connect directly to any audio device (sound card, onboard audio), and support the AC97 and HD audio standard.

The font 120mm fan sports an easily removable and replaceable dust filter. The m998's two 120mm fans are branded with the Ultra logo, thus covering the fans OEM, so no info on the fans manufacturer can be found here. I can report here that the two included fans spin at 1500 rpm and are whisper quiet. Regarding the airflow direction of the front fan, I would recommend reversing it , making this fan an exhaust would further increase the negative pressure in the case thus drawing more cool air in through the vents located on the side panel for the VGA and CPU. This should have no effect on the HDD as they will still receive a good amount of airflow drawn over them. Also this setup will prevent the constant vacuuming of the floor by the front bezel, drastically reducing the amount of dust in the case that will occure despite any filter.

The 5.25" and 3.5" bay guards come attached to the chassis by a slender bit of aluminum on either side. Since aluminum has low tensile strength a quick few twists removes them in no time. And unlike steel there are no razor sharp barbs left over from removal. One feature regarding the drive plates: even after removal you can replace them again via threaded holes in a backplate on either side.

Installation: Ultra m998 ULT40069

For this installation I wanted to put a fully functional modern system in the m998, mainly to see how the Powerbar feature would function, but also to see if this update to a classic design could really accommodate a fully loaded system of today.

Since there just happened to be an Ultra X3 1000 watt power supply handy, I thought it would be fitting to demonstrate the Powerbar feature with it, also I was curious to see just how well these two Ultra products would get along together.

For installation the mounting plate for the PSU easily attaches to the X3 using four screws, (Though I used one, the Ultra m998 is not just for Ultra PSUs, and should accommodate any PSU on the market today that uses the ATX standard). It is possible to install the PSU with either the fan (bottom) facing up or down, and again I feel that Ultra could have really made an improvement regarding PSU temps by adding a vent in the top panel to isolate the PSU intake air from the rest of the case.

Installing the PSU is a snap, with the opening on the back of the case being too small, the only way to mount the PSU is by dropping it in through the top (a good thing the top panel is removable) and aligning it with the thumb-screw holes. This couldn't have been easier. Even with a monster PSU like the X3, there is still plenty of room left in the bay (this is a server case after all), and there might even be room for a second PSU; however, that would require the previously mentioned vents in the top panel.

Here is Ultra's coup de grace regarding the m998, the Ultra Power Bar power distribution system. Intended to minimize cable clutter, increase airflow, and make cable management a non-issue. For use of the Powerbar with a common multi-railed PSU you will have to attach two of the Molex power connectors (included with the m998 are the short Flex-Force cables to use if you have an Ultra modular PSU) one to each port labeled CON9 and CON10 (the Ultra X3 1000 watt only needed one power lead to connect the PSU with the X3, since it uses a large single rail set up rated at 70amps). After that it's a simple matter of connecting your components via the Powerbars four Molex connectors using the included short Flex-force cables. For newer video cards that require a six or eight pin power connector, Ultra provides short eight pin Flex-Force cables to connect to, and from the Powerbar. None of this information is provided in the manual, and the installer is left to fend for themselves here, though it's all pretty straight forward. Perhaps the greatest feature regarding the Ultra Powerbar is that it can be installed in any case that supports extended motherboards, providing the same functionality shown here. Sadly though it's not for sale on Ultra's website at this time, and the only way to get the Powerbar currently is through the purchase of an Ultra m998 case.

The drive install uses a typical screw mount design, and using a screwdriver here is a must since the m998 offers no tool-free options with regards to drive installation. Of the many unlabeled screws I happened to use ones with teethed washers for the install of two Western Digital Raptors; hoping to minimize drive vibration. The installation of the drives is typical, and is done in no time thanks to the drive cage being easily removed. However, installation did scratch the finish of the drive cage where the screws dug in. And only after installation did I realized what the insulating washers in the unlabeled bag of screws were for...

The motherboard and the PCI add-in card install is pretty straight forward, with the included stand-offs you simply have to line up the motherboard on its tray, install the appropriate stand-offs, and screw the motherboard into place. The whole process is made very easy with the tray being able to come out of the case, and I cannot stress enough my delight in working with it.

When finished installing the motherboard and its components, all that's remaining is to slide in the motherboard tray, fasten the thumb-screws, and plug in cables. The onboard wire harness helped a great deal with the last part, arranging the power and SATA cables, and allowing the space behind the drive stack for stuffing the excess cable slack into. Thanks completely to the Ultra Powerbar there is virtually none of the unsightly clutter that happens with typical power cables, thus maximizing air flow inside the case.

Testing Methodology: Ultra m998

For testing I wanted to establish what temperatures the Ultra m998 would keep my different components at. To achieve this I used the onboard sensors from the motherboards chipset, the HDD S.M.A.R.T monitoring, the internal GPU diode, and the internal CPU diode. To discern the ambient room and case temps I used an Acurite RF indoor/outdoor thermometer that is accurate to the tenth of a degree.

For each test, the system was powered on and left to idle for ten minutes prior to recording the idle temperature with EVEREST Ultimate Edition v 4.20.1170. After the idle temperatures were recorded, Orthos Blend (two instances of prime95) was used to create 100% load on both CPU cores and stress the RAM as well. After ten minutes of full load, the temperature was again recorded. This was repeated five times for each test to gain the average readings. To stress the video card, I used the 3D view feature of ATI Tool v0.27b2, (a utility for overclocking ATI and Nvidia based video cards) that drives GPUs and their vRAM to higher temps then any game or benchmark I have seen to date.

Test System:

• Motherboard: Asus P5K3 Deluxe Wi-Fi AP
• Processor: Intel E6600 Core 2 Duo 2.44GHz 1.5v (Stock@266 MHz FSB)
• Cooling: Stock Intel HSF
• Memory: 2 GB (1,024 MB x2 modules) Patriot PC3-15000 @ 1066Mhz
• Video: VisionTek HD2600 Pro 512MB @ Stock
• Audio: SB X-Fi
• Hard Disk: 2xWD RAPTOR 74GB 16MB Cache Raid 0 10,000rpm, 1x WDC WD4000AAJS-00YFA0 (372 GB, IDE)
• Optical Drive: SONY DVD RW DRU-830A SCSI CdRom Device, HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM GDRH10N (16x/48x DVD-ROM)
• Enclosure: Ultra m998 Aluminum Mid-Tower ATX Case ULT40069
• PSU: Ultra X3 1000 watt modular cables
• Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP-2 with IE7 (OS Version 5.1.2600 WinXP Retail)

Test Results:

Though there are no other cases for comparison, I hope these results will give a good idea of the performance you can expect with Ultra's m998 case, with the hardware used representing a good mix of both high-end, and mainstream parts common today.

Final Thoughts: Ultra m998

Borrowing off a design that's been tried and tested time and again, the Ultra m998 has had a lot of engineering thought put into it. Regarding its cooling scheme, the two included 120mm fans are whisper quiet, and with the added PSU exhaust fan there'll be a lot of negative air pressure inside this case, guaranteeing a constant source of fresh air through the acrylic side window vent and CPU duct. This method is ideal for stock coolers that require an uninterrupted airflow. The m998 uses is a subtle approach to cooling that might just be the ticket for Overclockers and those who worry about not only their CPU temps, but also the chipsets, voltage regulators, RAM, and all other components that are subject to heat, assuring that they will get fed a constant source of fresh air via the air duct.

ULT40069 Conclusion

Packaging for Ultra's m998 is outstanding: A clearly labeled box that lists all the vital information, many clear images of the case from different angles, and protection from double foam inserts, a poly bag, and scratch guards for the window, all ensuring your purchase arrives undamaged.

In reference to the aesthetics of the m998: You will find it painted inside and out with a matte black finish that adds a visual allure many will find irresistible. The side window here is tastefully done, with its faux rivets adding an industrial look to the whole case. Having a side window though means you will have to worry about cable management. Thankfully, the m998 has a brilliant way of dealing with that nuisance via the Powerbar and wire harness, allowing for an unobstructed view of all your components. The only detractor to the m998's appeal here is the dated look of its front bezel, though still fully functional, it's reminiscent of the days when every case was a beige featureless box.

Constructed of mostly aluminum, means Ultra's m998 is both lightweight and sturdy. With all of its panels fitting snugly in place, it appears to be a well made design. The front bezel is made of rugged high grade plastic, which is true of all the plastic components.

Offering a unique solution with their Powerbar, Ultra has again come up with an innovation intended to make the end users life that much simpler when it comes to system builds, this paired with a removable motherboard tray, the modular ability of the panels and drive bays, included castors, spacious innards, great cooling, and user replaceable front panel I/O bracket all equal up to be a case design that's hard to beat.

Ultra has given the m998 an MSRP of $199.99, a pretty steep price for a dated design; even with its modernizations. However with some searching you can find a street price in the ballpark of $150.00, which makes the m998 a much more attractive solution for those looking for such a feature rich offering.

With the inclusion of the Powerbar feature, Ultra has seemingly solved the problem of power distribution with cable management, and I feel they have truly set a precedent here that other case manufacturers must now follow. In short, the Ultra m998 is truly an off-the-shelf solution for those who don't want to worry about heat problems, or cable management with its related air flow issues.

Pros:

+ Unique Power Distribution
+ Built in Cable Management
+ Castors
+ Removable Motherboard Tray
+ Sleek Design
+ Exceptional Cooling
+ Quiet Stock Fans
+ Spacious Interior

Cons:

- Dated Front Bezel
- Overly Simplified Manual
- Lack of top venting
- Lack of tool-free drive options
- Unlabeled accessories bags
- Exposed Reset Switch
- Motherboard Tray Does Not Slide Out Smoothly

Ratings:

• Presentation: 9.00
• Appearance: 8.75
• Construction: 9.00
• Functionality: 9.50
• Value: 8.75

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10.

Excellence Achievement: Benchmark Reviews Golden Tachometer Award.

Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.

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