Although the spec sheet lists the finish as gloss black, I would call it a semi-gloss at best. In fact it is nearly a flat black and has a textured surface. The entire front of the M9 is made up of mesh 5¼" bay covers, nine of them that run from top to bottom. Only the very top of the case houses the front panel controls such as power and reset buttons, indicator LED, two USB ports and microphone/headphone jacks. Although I like the minimalist approach that keeps the design very clean looking, having eSATA up front would be a nice addition.


The side panels are very plain, with only two perforated areas to interrupt the otherwise featureless surface: a rectangular section in the area of the video card and a round, slightly convex opening up higher for the CPU. One panel is held on by two thumbscrews whereas the opposite side uses standard Phillips head to secure it in place. The rear of the case shows a perforated section for a 120mm fan, with mounting holes for 92mm and 80mm also. The power supply opening is in the typical location at the top of the case and knock-out plates fill the motherboard I/O and riser slots.


Continue on to the interior of the M9.