Inside the iStar Nitro AX case there is a good amount of space to work with, but much of the area on the parameter of the removable motherboard tray is occupied by drive racks. The iStar Nitro AX case will easily accommodate a full sized desktop ATX motherboard up to 10" wide. Large server or workstation type motherboard that extend beyond this depth will not fit; the hard drive rack extends from one side of the case to the other with no clearance for an extra wide motherboard to slip under.

The internal layout of the iStar Nitro AX chassis based on a very familiar design that several manufacturers use. It is an efficient use of space, and all components are accessible even in a fully installed system. the quick release hard drives racks are especially handy. The motherboard tray is removable and will easily fit a full sized ATX motherboard in without any difficulty. Don't forget to install the brass standoffs onto the motherboard tray in the correct pattern so all the screw holes on the motherboard line up! We've seen boards shorted by incorrectly positioned standoffs.

Motherboards mount to small brass stand offs. You will need to install these on the removable motherboard tray to match the mounting hole pattern of your motherboard (you would be surprised how often we hear about people forgetting to do this). The motherboard tray attaches to the chassis with two thumb screws, which can be a little tricky to get at with a motherboard in place.

The motherboard tray slides in on these posts, and two thumb screws at either corner hold it in place.

The 5.25" optical and 3.5" floppy drives use captive rails and tray mechanisms to support the drive when they are installed into the chassis. It's not quite tooless, but it is certainly easier to attach a rail to the drive in your hand than attempt to screw in each and every drive to the chassis with four screws. The rails click into the drive slot, squeezing the hand hold releases it.

There are five 3.5" drive bays for hard drives. Since modern hard drives can get quite warm during operation, venting ensures good airflow from the front. The HDD's snap in place with a tool free tray.

On the topic of rounding over all the sharp edges and corners, the iStar Nitro AX case does a good job for the most part. Areas you hand is likely to hold are rounded over, but all around the drive bays there is some sharp steel which may cut fingers.