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| Thermaltake Armor + (Plus) ESA / Steel Full Tower Case / Side Panel Window / Black / VH6001BWS |
| Part #: cst-763 |
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Price: $249.95
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Average Rating:  |
Results: 1-1 of 1 |
Solid ESA Starter Case
09-24-2008
Reviewer: Mumm (1)
The only real difference aside from price is the included ESA module. It comes pre-mounted in the top slot. Not an issue for most but some water cooling kits will require you to move it. The module connects to a USB header on the motherboard via a single 4 pin header. You can actually place it on there wrong so you need to make sure you line up the arrow with 5v+ pin.
The madule has connections for 2 fans, the PSU, a liquid cooling system, and 2 thermal probes. The 2 thermal probes are included and come with a nice sleaved cables that are long enough to reach pretty much anywhere inside the case and still hide the cable. Tape is also included to attach the probes.
I''ve been running this unit for a few months now and have had no issues with either a 680i or 780i NVIDIA chipset. The only downside I''ve run into is support from Thermaltake. They fail to list anywhere the max current specs for the fan connectors so Im not sure if it will run anything that draws more then .5 Amps. It could be higher however as my Scythe Ultra Kaze 3000 have worked sofar and they can draw up to .6 Amps. Thermaltake has failed to respond to requests for information on this.
Apart from the ESA module the case is pretty well constructed. One of the few 10 expansion slot cases available these days for under $300. It is an all steel case and as such can be heavy. I don''t mind a heavy case but I would question thier choice on using glue to hold the case feet with this in mind. I did lose one sliding it out from under my desk. I suggest investing in some aftermarket wheels if you can.
I fit the case with 120mm x 38 mm in the back, top, and bottom. The front only has room for a 25mm thick fan due to clearence issues with the drive rail cage. The top fan may need to stick to a 25mm aswell if you have a longer PSU. The Antec Neo 500 in my build was short enough to use a 38mm.
There is more then enough room for some major video cards. I have atleast 3-4 inches left with a NVIDIA 9800 GTX+ installed. The is a bracket included that you could even fit another fan between the video cards and the drive cage. My Nirvana 120 CPU cooler also fits with room to spare.
The tool-less system isn''t teh best I''ve seen but its not bad. You also have the option to go with standard mounting. That allows for the use of anti-vibration methods.
Paint quality is pretty nice too. It has a good thick layer that should last a long time. I''d give it a 4/5 only because it needs a little polish to make it true mirror class quality.
For the money this is one of the best cases I''ve ever owned. Adding ESA control for the case fans and other cooling features is an awesome bonus. If you are a hardcore case modder this is a great buy.
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