Design

“No need to go the back… Do it in the Front!!” is what it says on the front of the box. Yes, the translation is a bit dodgy there but the product does actually allow you to do it in the front. The Master Panel II re-routes and adds audio, USB, Firewire, and eSata ports into a front 5.25” drive bay. It even features a dual-channel fan controller and a multi-card reader.

In the box you get, the Master Panel II itself, cables (power, fan, USB, audio, FireWire, line in/out, SATA, RCA), accessories package, a driver CD and a user manual.

The Master Panel II comes with all the necessary extension cables to make connectivity to your motherboard possible and includes the driver disk for the media card reader functionality. There is also a manual which shows you how to hook up each cable and how to power the unit.

The Master Panel II takes up a 5.25” drive bay, so make sure you have one free before you go out and get one of these. You must also be careful if your case has a front door which might cause problems due to the knobs on the front of the unit.

Although there are many cables that come with the Master Panel II, it can be installed very easily. Of course, you get the instructions with it but who actually reads them? Simply plug the connecter from the device to the appropriate plug within your computer. Each socket on the back of the device has a unique shape so you can’t really go wrong at all. Just to note, the eSATA functionality is only possible if your motherboard supports it, the Master Panel II will not add eSATA capability.