AeroCool PowerPanel

AeroCool, synonymous with uber leet PC accessories has recently released the PowerPanel.  Yet another multi-functional panel you say?  Yes, but this one has powered USB ports for your power hungry devices.  I hadn't heard of it either so I was intrigued to say the least.  Does this new addition to the AeroCool family carry on the tradition AeroCool has built their reputation on?  Read on to find out!

Specifications

The Skinny

AreoCool states this is the worlds first multifunctional panel with power USB.  Ok, I can accept that, what does power USB mean anyway?  There are two powered USB ports, one 5V and one 12V.  The 5V can be used to power a USB hub, 2.5" HD-External Box, cell phone charger or an iPod charger.  Way cool!  The 12V can power an external optical drive, 3.5" HD-external box, LCD monitor or a scanner.  Even better!  No more having to use those annoying wall warts to recharge or run your electronic accessories.  With the spiffy aluminum panel it even looks cool.

The packaging shows a colorful layout of the panel and all of the features at a glance.

The back of the box shows all the features and explains power USB and it's uses.

Here's all the items that come in the box.  Everything is well packaged and arrives in pristine condition.  There's the unit itself, instructions, drivers an extra USB cable if you don't have enough sockets on the board and of course the screws to install it (not pictured).  The instructions are very easy to understand and the USB connections come setup using the wires individually pinned with connectors.  A hassle, but yet ensures maximum compatibility.  You will notice the SATA cable standing out in the bundle, nice to have for those external drives.  Even nicer is the SATA power plug along with it.  Formatting a drive without opening up the case has never been easier!  You just need a standard SATA data cable and a SATA power cable female/female connector and you are set.  Rounding out the huge list of features packed into this unit are the standard "every flash card you could possibly have" ports and headphone/mic connections.  All this packed into a 5.25" drive bay, not too shabby.

Installed into my Lian-Li aluminum case, it looks like it was designed especially for it!  Makes my Lian-Li multi-reader look anemic in comparison!  Installing the drivers was a breeze with the cute little mini-cd.  I had plenty of ports on my motherboard so I didn't need to use the extra external cable.  I didn't get any of the power USB cables that AeroCool sells as a companion product so I was unable to try out the power USB ports.

Conclusion

On a coolness factor the PowerPanel is way up there.  The quality packaging and easy to read instructions are a bonus. Installation is a breeze, though routing the large number of cables is time consuming.  The downsides of note are this guy is heavy, weighing in at a whopping 480 grams and the required cables to make the power USB ports work are extra.  If weight is not an issue then the point is moot.  If they had included a really cool display panel on it, then I would have given it a 10 for innovation.  I was unable to determine availability or pricing in US dollars, what I did find that it averaged around €40 in the European community.  Overall I like the unit and it looks uber leet too.

Club Overclocker Rating
Innovation:	9.0 out of 10
Performance:	9.0 out of 10
Quality:	10 out of 10
Stability:	N/A
Overclocking:	N/A
Software/Drivers Pack:	N/A
Value:	7.5 out of 10
Overall Rating 8.5
Skill Level
Project Skill Level (10 being hardest)	3 out of 10