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Thermaltake Matrix Computer Case

Wednesday, April 19th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, News | No Comments

The Thermaltake Matrix computer case is toutes a “case for LAN parties” according to the detailing on the box. LAN party cases usually have unique designs, clear cases, some cold cathode lights, great cooling and good layouts inside to add to the pleasing look of the case.

The Blue LED 120mm fan located at the bottom and the 120mm fan at the back give it good airflow. The clear side panel lets you see all of your cool components inside and its light enough to lug around to any LAN party you wish to go to.

The case incorporates a tool-less design. All of the peripherals come out with just clips. This applies to PCI slots, hard drives and all the other stuff besides the motherboards screws to the case.

The case does basically what it is supposed to in a case thats priced at about $75. It has good looks and works fine. It’s nothing to write home about and won’t leave any jaws on the floor, but it does provide another option for those looking at cases in this range that are suitable to be lugged around, but are also not lacking in the design department.

LINK

Three System Cases from ASUS

Thursday, April 13th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, News | No Comments

X-bit labs takes a look at 3 different mid-range cases from Asus. Although Asus are not well-known for their cases they do offer decent looks, but plain. Their Vento system was a bit of a failure, having good looks, but bad functionality. Their focus now is just for those who want a middle of the range case, without too much cost involved.

The funniest one of the lot is the TA-370 which has cool looking, chess board like cover, which although may not appeal to everyone’s tastes has a unique styling to it. All of the buttons blend with the checked look of the cover, so they are almost completely covered up. The other parts have covers that slip down for use. There is a doorknob on the side panel that allows you to open it. Inside parts almost all have clips for easy undoing of parts.

The TA-252 has a more plain design, and the whole cover is white. There are large areas of mesh for good airflow. Another thing I like is that you don’t need to open a cover to get to the USB and audio ports. There is no tool-free design here and the little clips apparent in the above mentioned case are not there. The internals are plain.

The TA-212 shares the same internals, but a different front cover with the TA-252. It’s a completely gray, almost silver looking front cover where all the drives have flaps that come down to conceal them. They are  functional.

They find the TA-252 the best one in its class, which I would agree with, as its the most traditional, has things placed in the right places and provides enough cooling through big vents.

See the full review at X-bit labs.

LINK

Cooler Master Stacker CM 830 Aluminum Case

Friday, March 10th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, News | No Comments

The Cooler Master Stacker CM 830 breaks a little witht he tradition of quite standard cases and offers one with as many options as you can think of, styling that is impeccable and cooling suitable for the most hot-headed of overclockers.

With support with up to 9 120mm fans there is amost no way that it will not provide the necessary airflow to whatever setup you have. Part of the styling is balck mesh sides and top, which allow lots of fresh air to come from the outside. There are panels in the side of the case where extra fans can be installed and one exhaust fan at the top of the case to expel hot air.

The case is designed with Cooler Master’s liquid cooling system in mind and is designed to easily take their system, which could be an option for anyone that gets this case, as long as they have some money left after that.

Is is worthy of noting that all of the fan spots can take fans of up to 140mm in size. This is great for getting the throughflow you need without the buzz of many smaller fans.

The hard drives can be isntalled without the use of tools and are installed in small kind of container that has a 120mm fan at the front. I takes only the space of 3 traditional hard drive spots but they are kept cool by the fan. The drives themselves can be installed without tools using the little goodies given with the case. Alternatively, you can still use screws after removing the toolless stuff.

At nearly 300 bucks, this case is expensive. It is certainly worth it as you get a fine case which will last forever. There are enough extras for anyone and others will drool over its great lines and styling. Check out the full review at extremeoverclocking.

LINK

Hell’s Illusion: Project Lament II Case Mod at CaseModGod

Tuesday, March 7th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, Modding, News | No Comments

Utterly fantastic, there are not too many people who will go to this degree of detail to create their perfect case. Most cases are just slight reworks on bought cases, but why stop there. CaseModGod has made a case based on hellraiser, the end result, which at time of writing has not come yet is a case which is inspired by hellraiser with a puzzle box worked into it.

Massive browny points for creativity and total coolness. Look here if you want to creat a case that is truly unique.

LINK

XG Viper 2 Red Gaming Case

Monday, March 6th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, News | No Comments

The Viper 2 red gaming case might not be to everybody’s taste, but it does do a fairly good job at what it claims to do. Have a newer style of more aggressive styling it will certainly make those who like more traditional cases take a second look.

In a review at bjorn3d they have a closer look at the case and how it competes in the market it is aimed at, the gaming market.

It takes quite a lot to make it into the gaming sector as they are quite choosy about the parts they put into their computer. And with the slightly higher budgets, or just more willingless to spend it has become a cometitive market. The aggressive red front of the case is just a matter of taste and doesn’t effect the overall effectiveness of the case itself.

Internally there are many tool free solutions so that you need the minimum of effort install and take things out. The included 80mm fans and the small slots for them are a little disappointing with discrepencies between what is featured on their website and the final product. It ran hotter than their reference Antec case, which is a little disappointing, attributed mostly to the 80mm as opposed to 120mm fans.

A cool case with aggressive styling. If you are in the market for this kind of case give it a look, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised.

LINK

Aerocool ExtremEngine 3T Aluminum Computer Case

Thursday, March 2nd, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, News | No Comments

The Aerocool ExtremEngine 3T case is built around the bigger is better mentality clear from this cases design. The case is big and designed with lots of circulation for cooling in mind.

The most unique thing about them is their airplane turbine shaped fans, with one huge 25cm one directed over the CPU in the side panel. This design allows a huge amount of air to pass through the system, but is reported to create very little noise at the slowest settings. Their are 3 knobs to control the speed of the 2 fans that are supplied, leaving an extra one for an extra fan if you choose to install one.

The looks are nothing to write home about, but are decent enough. Considering the great cooling that comes from so much air passing through the system, I would overlook the looks for the functionality of the system.

Accessibility through the opening front doors is easy and their are no extra covers for the USB ports at front. Certainly worth having a look at.

LINK

Cooler Master Centurion BTX-B541 Case

Tuesday, February 28th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, News | No Comments

3dgameman reports on the Cooler Master Centurion BTX-B541 computer case.

Featuring a mostly steel construction with a little aluminum it weighs in at 7 kilograms, features 2 large and 2 small bays at the front.

It comes in cool black coloring with a little silver trim at the two sides of the front panel. Removable front panels to access air filters are a neat extra and the power and reset buttons are styled nicely.

There is a full compliment of ports at the front, which are not hindered by a panel.

Installation of parts is made easier by tool free bays covers at the back. There is adequate room inside for those things you need to install, it also takes an ATX power supply if needed, making it that little bit more useable.

LINK

Thermaltake Armor Case VA8000

Sunday, January 29th, 2006 | Computer Case Reviews, Reviews | No Comments

Thermaltake Armor case VA8000 with its strong and protective shield is one of the sturdier cases around. The model is basically a fully compatible Water Cooling System. There are plenty of spaces for fans so the Thermaltake Armor VA8000 provides great cooling for computer systems.

Since the Thermaltake Armor PC Case VA8000 is equipped with a number of fan slots, it provides great cooling. There are two 120 mm fans on the front and rear of the chassis and an additional 90 mm fan on the top of the chassis, allowing good airflow through the whole case. The fans inside the Thermaltake Armor Case, being 120mm in diameter allow a greater flow of air through the case (almost double that of an 80mm fan) meaning more cooling without extra noise.

The Thermaltake VA8000 even contains retaining holes that hold all types of water-cooling kits. As Thermaltake are also in the market for water-cooling systems, they are suited to make installing their name brand water-cooling sytems as easy as possible. Although water-cooling systems haven’t really caught on with the non-techy crowd, the options available for an easy add-on system make it that much more accessible.

Here is the list of the major features of the Thermaltake Armor Case VA8000:

• 10 External 5.25” Drive Bays
• 6 Internal 3.5” Drive Bays
• 7 Expansion Slots
• 2 Front USB Ports
• 1 Front FireWire Ports
• 2 Front Audio Ports
• 2 90mm Fans
• 2 120mm Fans
• Power Button Reset
• Back Panels

Thermaltake Armor case VA8000 is black, breaking from the mould of traditional grey PC cases, but nothing spectacularly bold. One of the more notable features is the ability to relocate the power and reset switch into any of the drive bays. A nice option, although the usual placement is good enough for me, but why complain, I’d rather have more options than less, as long as they don’t become cumbersome.

Pros

• Optimized airflow
• Excellent thermal management
• Maximum flexibility
• Cheapest price
• Maximum expandability and accessibility
• Minimized noise level
• Optimized internal space

Cons

• Limited warranty

The Thermaltake Armor Case VA8000 is a great choice for those who want to implement a hassle-free water cooling system, or just a case with a lot of space inside. And with decent looks to boot.

Thermaltake Tai Chi Aluminum Full Tower Case

Friday, December 16th, 2005 | Computer Case Reviews, Reviews | No Comments

Most of the time I get to look at budget range cases, and as cool as they can be at times they are always just budget cases. They all follow a similar mold and most often just alter some of the looks for what people want to see.

But not with the Thermaltake Tai-Chi

Thermaltake have taken a massive leap in the right direction in producing a case of exceptional quality. It’s not just good, its excellent. There is something special about coming across a product that is truly solid and great. Just like I feel about a audiophile sound system, this case oozes coolness.

Features…

• All aluminum
• Really solid
• Spacious interior
• Easy to upgrade to liquid cooling

Well, enough of the praise. The case is an all aluminum deal with cooling fins running down both sides of the case. The front has a split door and there is a grill at the bottom of the case to bring new air in when warm air is expelled.

The massive case design (it really is massive) is a wonder to work on as there is always enough space to do things inside it. It is designed, with pre-cut holes, to take a water cooling system, most likely their own if you were to ask them. There is another model available that combines the Thermaltake Tai Chi with one of their water cooling solutions.

The case is solid and includes all the usual extras that we have come to expect from cases, like Firewire, USB and audio ports. There is a 120mm fan which is joined to a 3 hard drive rack that goes in the case. There are enough DVD drive size bays for anything you would want to install too.

The Thermaltake Tai-Chi is heavy, at around 17kg it really needs to handles that are included to carry it around.

I could not recommend this case to the average computer user. It’s price just makes no sense for someone who doesn’t really love their computer. But with that said the case really is a wonder. It has everything you could need, looks to match and solid build. It is futureproof enough that it could last a decade or more. It really is just gorgeous.

Pros

• Good looks
• Solid build
• Spacious interior
• Nearly tool-less design

Cons

• Expensive (but worth it)
• Cheapy PCI card retaining clips

Aspire X-plorer ATX case with clear sides

Wednesday, November 16th, 2005 | Computer Case Reviews, Reviews | No Comments

The X-plorer is aimed at the mid-range custom computer case market. At around 60 dollars of so it lacks a few of the features of its more expensive brothers and sisters. It’s still a good case for the money, but as you will see it has a few issues that might stop it from becoming a true winner.

It’s basic features are…

• Standard ATX size
• 80mm fan at top and front included
• 5 fan speed controller
• Temperature display
• Good paint job

Of all the Aspire computer cases, this one disappoints a little in terms of things that needed to be thought about.

One of the most notable omissions in the lack of a simple guide to installation of parts. Seeing as the guide is aimed at the mid range, there is a good chance that someone who buys it is attempting their first case upgrade. You can find instructions on the Aspire website.

The case has been cleverly designed upon Intel’s Air Guide Design Guide. Intel basically specifies some things that need to be on a case to make it have good airflow.

Well the cases overall airflow is okay. There is space for 2 80mm fans at the front (not included) and space to upgrade the back 80mm fan to a 120mm.

The case still looks good and does do a good job in terms of styling. As with other Aspire computer cases it has a removable motherboard tray, making installation a snap.

So although the case might make it in the looks department, you are probably better off with one of their other cases, which are fantastic buys.