Here's another Condor-SB65G2 comparison, this time from the back. The Condor doesn't have a full-sized ATX power supply, but it manages to use a significantly larger PSU fan than the Shuttle. I think this is a great idea; the small fans like those used in the Shuttle PSUs have a tendency to get significantly louder over time.

Three slot covers mark the Condor's superior expandability, but the Condor lacks the SB65G2's firewire and rear optical audio ports.

Speaking of expansion slots, here's a close-up of the card retention plate on the Condor. Two screws secure it, and once they're removed, you just lift it up and off. I like this arrangement better than the SB65G2's "flip-up" retention plate, which tends to swing down and get in the way as you're installing or removing cards. However, I'm a little surprised that FIC chose to use screws here. As we'll see shortly, great pains were obviously taken to make the Condor as close to toolless as possible. Given that, using regular screws on this retention plate doesn't make a lot of sense.

OK, remember that silver tab on top that I pointed out earlier? Well, push it toward the front of the machine and pull the top of the box to the left, and the magic happens. The top and left side of the Condor swing down 90 degrees to lay next to the rest of the case, while the right side and bottom remain in place. This picture shows it in operation, but let's look at things from a top-down perspective to get a better idea of where everything sits.

Ah, that's better. You can see that the drives rotate down with the front face, giving one plenty of room to work on the motherboard. Look closer, and you'll notice a couple of other things. First, nearly all of the cables are carefully bundled with mounted cable handlers to ensure that they stay out of the way.

Second, the two turquoise-colored pieces in the middle of the picture are latches for the hinges of the case. Flip them up, and one can actually separate the two halves if needed. Of course, this means you'll need to remove all the cables from the right-hand side of the case, but it's nice that the option is there. How many cases let you literally rip them in half without so much as looking at a screwdriver?

One final point is the large grill area on the bottom of the case. The Condor is designed to draw air up through this bottom grill and exhaust it out the top of the case. Speaking of which, an integral part of this design is the CPU heatsink.

The heatsink for the Condor attaches via four screws rather than a traditional clip. Facing away from the camera in this shot is a fan that faces downward when the heatsink is installed. The fan draws air in from the bottom and pushes it through the heatsink fins. When everything is assembled, the fins sit very close to the top vent on the case, and the ductwork on the heatsink ensures that all of the fan's airflow is used to keep the processor cool.

The design of the screws makes the Condor's heatsink relatively easy to install. Clips on the bottom hold the screws in place, and springs between the screwhead and the heatsink ensure the right amount of tension. Unlike some other retention mechs, which use screws, you don't have to worry about overtightening; just make sure the screws are tight.

The heatsink comes with paste pre-applied rather than a TIM pad, but I would recommend cleaning the paste off and applying your own. I didn't, and when I went to remove the heatsink, the processor remained attached and yanked right out of the socket. No harm, no foul, but it was a tense, vulgarity-filled moment, to be sure. I literally had to use a putty knife to get the processor off of the heatsink.