Directly below the 5.25 drive bays is the 3.5" drive bay which is located on the lower bezel, this would be the perfect location of the card reader to be installed. Located centrally on the bottom bezel are the four USB 2.0 connectors along with the Headphone and Microphone connector ports.

The rear of the M40 has the standard opening for the power supply, you also have an opening for an 80mm fan and directly below it you can see the dual 80mm mounting bracket.  There are a total of 4 I/O slot which means that you will have room for a video card a WiFi card if needed and perhaps a TV Tuner card.  Lastly the opening for the I/O shield that is specific to the board you will be installing.

A Look Inside

If you remember from the beginning of the review when we stated that the AeroCool M40 has a a split bezel.  If you look closely at the pictures directly below you can see where the top half of the case hinges over opening up the lower portion of the case for easy access to install the motherboard, video and accessory cards.

To release the top half of the case from the lower unit one must unscrew a thumbscrew that is centrally located in between the two latches that keep the two halves snuggly together.  In the event that you wish to completely separate the two pieces from each other you can remove a single screw to remove the rod that holds the two halves together.  Of all the Small Form Factor cases we have reviewed this means of separating the top from the bottom of the case is the easiest means to install all of the required components.

What you see here is the 3.5" drive bay that can be removed to make installing the power supply easier, remember the power supply must not exceed 140mm in lengths.  The drive cage is held in place by a simple machine screw and then by pressing the latch the drive bay can be lifted from the side-rail of the case.