NZXT APERTURE M 5.25 Bay Multi-Media Mesh Style Card Reader w. Dual USB 3.0

Pros: The USB 3.0 ports worked well and the face-plate was a nice fit for my chassis.

Cons: Card reader did not work at all, was completely dead and didn't register on my system. The bigger disappointment and why I'm getting a refund and not a replacement is that while this product is advertised with "USB 3.0" in the title, the actual card reader uses a USB 2.0 controller and thus is limited to USB 2.0 speeds. I was specifically looking for a CF card reader which would give me USB 3.0 speeds.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello there Arkasha,

Sorry to hear about the Aperture not working for you, we love to RMA that for you, if you could please visit our http://www.nzxt.com/support/ and create a ticket, so we can help you getting an Aperture that works properly!

Thanks for being an NZXT Customer, and we are looking forward from hearing from you!

Best Regards,
NZXT Support

Pros: This thing gets some "off" reviews but it works great for me. so the USB 3.0 ports are a little crooked, they work; and how often do you look directly at the front of your case at eye level anyhow.
I have a Corsair 600T and this solved my passthrough problem as well as a need for a card reader.

Cons: doesn't keep my coffee hot.

Pros: • fits like a glove
• durable material that doesn't bend
• included 4 screws for mounting
• looks fantastic and matches my Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 case perfectly
• accepts the SD cards and USB 3.0 thumb drive in the "normal" orientation and not "upside down"
• the LED only comes on when data is being transferred

Cons: • requires both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 headers to be plugged in
• didn't come with $1M in the box

Other Thoughts: This was my first NZXT product and I would definitely buy from them again. Great product that worked right out of the box and transfers at the advertised speeds. What more can I ask for?

Pros: installs easily, works as described.

Cons: none

Pros: See below

Cons: See below

Other Thoughts: Even if the USB 3.0 ports work and the card reader will not this is not a defective product. I've experienced issues with my BIOS on booting that if it gets upgraded it may not always detect this reader and even though it's plugged in will not power on during start-up. To fix this you must unplug and replug the usb connector when your PC is off. Then it should be detected during boot.

Pros: Great looking. Goes along very well with black mesh cases. Sturdy product, doesn't feel flimsy or cheap.

Cons: Running on Windows 7 x64 the SD card slot will not work. Tried multiple SD cards & the onboard USB 3.0 as well as a USB 3.0 addon card. Nothing even registers in Windows when the SD card is inserted. The light on the Card reader doesn't turn on when SD card is inserted. USB 3.0 slots both work fine which leads me to assume that this is a manufacturer fault. Contacted NZXT support forums, 3 wks & still no response. Was sent an automated email saying if I didn't log onto NZXT site & update the status of my ticket it would be automatically deleted. Still waiting for a response...

Other Thoughts: Done buying or supporting NZXT

Manufacturer Response:

I just wanted to thank you for being a customer of NZXT.

I also wanted to apologize about the issue with the aperture M, we would like to hear more from you and also hope to find a resolution for your problem, please give a direct call at 1-800-228-9395

We look forward hearing from you.

Best Regards,

NZXT Support

Pros: I'm an amateur photographer and currently use three of the five slot on this device to transfer my pictures. It's nice to have a built in one instead of a USB one hanging on the front of my computer now. The CF card reader slot is really handy as is the SD one.

Cons: The only con is losing the two USB ports on my case. But since there are two USB 3.0 on the device to replace them it's not a big loss. One day I will get a motherboard with two USB 3.0 internal connector ports and I'll be in the money. for now I'll settle with two. Was also a little fidgety going in to my 5.25 tooless slot but after some wiggles and some cursing and a little push it slid right in.

Other Thoughts: Jury is still out. only had it a month now but so far so good

Pros: Looks good
Seems to be the only decent USB 3.0 option right now

Cons: Design defect

Other Thoughts: Design defect documented in a lot of the Big River reviews that results in bent CF port pins. Inexcusable.

Manufacturer Response:

Dear Valued Customer,

We apologize for any inconvenient we caused you. Please visit our support center at www.nzxt.com/support , any type of feedback is very usefull for us and we would like hear more about it. We hope to be intouch with you very soon and provide you any answers you have from us. You can also contact us directly at 1-800-228-9395 for direct assistance. We appreciate your patience and your continued support with NZXT!


Best Regards,
NZXT Service

Pros: Easy to install, looks great in an Antec Nine Hundred case, So many card options.

Cons: slightly crooked looking USB 3.0 ports but nothing worth docking an egg for

Other Thoughts: This is a very attractive and very functional addition to my system, especially since I have the first version of the Nine Hundred with USB 2.0 ports on the front.

Pros: No issues yet, everything works so far.

Cons: 1. As others said, it should have a couple USB 2.0 ports to go along with it. There's room for them, but they just didn't do it.
2. Docking an egg for this one - the USB ports aren't straight. You can totally see this in the picture. It just looks unprofessional.

Other Thoughts: I built my own USB reader a few years ago using a left-over drive bay cover, USB PCI add-on, and some JB weld. From the front, it looked great. The USB ports were straight.