As I'm sure many people will tell you, frequently reviewing or benchmarking lots of different computer hardware can be a real pain in the butt. Sure, trying out new gear is usually fun and it's always exciting to get our hands on leading edge technology, particularly before it's publicly available. But the physical act of constantly replacing components in our test machines can get a bit monotonous, especially when you spend so much time disassembling, then installing, only to disassemble it yet again.


One of the biggest causes of all this extra work is often the traditional computer case, typically comprised of an enclosed box with screws and other hardware not only holding the box itself together, but also all of the components inside as well. One way around this of course is to simply let all the components lie out on a desktop, table or workbench. In fact that's probably how the term "benchmarking" got started. But this can look messy and increases the chances of something getting knocked around by accident. So over the years there have been a small number of manufacturers that make cases designed specifically for the reviewer or "bencher", such as the one we have for review today, the Banchetto 101 from Microcool.


The Banchetto (pronounced bon-key-toe) is Italian for banquet. The name implying I suppose, that all the components are spread out and easy to reach, just like food at a banquet table. Microcool, an Italian company, originally developed the Banchetto back in 2008, however November last year they released a v1.2 that incorporates stronger steel supports between the bottom two acrylic layers of the "case". I say "case" because unlike most computer enclosures, the Banchetto is completely open to the air, exposing all the hardware while still maintaining a sense of style and organization to the components. Join me as I take a closer look at the Microcool.it Banchetto 101.