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Cases

CM Storm Trooper; great case but a lousy shot with a blaster

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 29, 2011 - 02:21 PM |
Tagged: cooler master, storm trooper, XL-ATX

The Cooler Master Storm Trooper joins a small group of XL-ATX cases available to fit such large motherboards as the EVGA SR-2.  Not only will it fit extra large motherboards, you can add 14 drives and several 240mm radiators if you so desire in this 250 x 605.6 x 578.5 mm (9.8" x 23.8" x 22.8") case.  With all that space they could fit a lot on the outside of the case as well, a 2.5" external docking station, a pair of USB 3.0 and a pair of USB 2.0 connectors, as well as an eSATA port.    Headphone and microphone jacks and an LED On/Off button for the fans and three LED lights to indicate what setting you have the 6-speed fan controller set to.  Head over to Bjorn3D for a full review.

bj3d_stormtrooper.jpg

"Ever since the HAF X was released last year in June, we haven't seen anything too exciting from Cooler Master. The HAF X supported XL-ATX motherboards like the GIGABYTE G1.Assassin or the EVGA Classified, but for extreme enthusiasts, it is a disappointment that there are only a limited number of cases that actually support these motherboards. Users can get modded cases, but that will cost a fortune, so Cooler Master designed a case that is not only very customizable, but also easy to carry around. This is a new addition to Cooler Master's Storm lineup of products, called the Cooler Master Storm Trooper."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: Bjorn3D

Want to swap out a case fan? NZXT can help with that

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 26, 2011 - 03:01 PM |
Tagged: nzxt, FX140, FX120, FS200-R, fans

If you have a case fan you want to replace due to poor performance, loud operation or any other reason, NZXT has some nice new options for you.  If you need 120mm, 140mm or even 200mm; their new offerings will meet your needs.  Legit Reviews tested all three, the two smaller FX series might be a little noisy but they do deliver results.  The large FS-200, if you can fit it into your case is much quieter and still pushes a serious amount of air.  Check the full review here.

nzxt_fs_led_series.jpg

"For the first two products today, we have two of NZXT's newest entries to the cooling fan market; the FX Series of fans are Enthusiast grade products with Fluid Dynamic Bearings and high performance specs. With high RPM fans with huge static pressure and airflow ratings, NZXT's looking to capitalize on those who need well built, high performing fans for their multi-GPU or CPU cooling solutions. The FX Series of fans specialize in Airflow & Static Pressure allowing them to maximize the cooling potential of any radiator or heatsink. The FX Enthusiast Series fans from NZXT come with 3 speed, dip-switch controls to adjust fan speed between low (5v), medium (7v), & high (12v) settings. We'll be looking at both the FX-120 and FX-140 models in today's review, which is very exciting for me, as it's one of the few 140mm fans to come out in recent years that actually uses a standard 140mm frame instead of a custom design..."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: Legit Reviews

Just smack the drives in until they fit, the Hammer HPTX enclosure from Lian Li

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 20, 2011 - 06:14 PM |
Tagged: Lian Li PC-P90, hammer, Lian Li

The Lian Li PC-P90, also known as the Hammer, is a vertically challenged HPTX case.  An HPTX case is a rare bird, but is used in server builds as well as anyone wanting the Extreme Machine from the HWLB as the EVGA SR-2 happens to be an HPTX board.  At 230mm (0") by 512mm (20") x 489mm (19") the Hammer is a little shorter than most case that support board of this form factor but Lian Li has managed to pull it off, as well as leaving space for 10 expansion slots and up to a dozen 3.5" disk drives.  TechPowerUp was very disappointed with the fact that the expansion slots on the back of the enclosure did not match the SR-2's slots, but did find some nice things to say about it.

You can find a review of the perfect heatsink to go in this case at Hardware Secrets.

pc90b.jpg

"HPTX cases are usually so tall that they do not fit under a normal desk. Lian Li - the company who first offered such a chassis - has managed to shrink things down to mid tower size while still offering HPTX compatibility and the ability to install up to 12 hard drives. We rip the case apart to see how everything is suppose to fit in such cramped spaces."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: TechPowerUp

Thermaltake Oversees Production of New Overseer RX-1 e-Sports Computer Case

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 20, 2011 - 11:08 AM |
Tagged: thermaltake, mid tower, gaming, case

Case and processor heatsink manufacturer, Thermaltake, recently announced a new gaming centric computer case under their e-Sports lineup. The new Overseer RX-1 case is a full tower design with lots of external ports and airflow options. Set to debut in September, the company claims that the steel (SECC) chassis is made specifically for e-Sports fanatics, and lives up to the full tower name with dimensions of 21.1 x 8.7 x 22.8 inches.

Overseer RX-1.jpg

The exterior of the case is dark black with blue LED accents. The top of the case features ridges and two 20mm fan mounts. The top of the case also features a top loading hard drive hot swap bay, two internal USB 3.0 connections, two USB 2.0 connections, and one eSATA port. The front of the case includes a “breath” logo and 20mm fan both back-lit by blue LEDs, as well as four externally accessible 5.25” bays. The fan cover is a black mesh grill with the Thermaltake logo in the center. In total, the case supports six fan mounts. In addition to the previously mentioned fans, there are two optional mounts on the bottom and side panel, and one rear 120mm fan.

The internals are gamer friendly, and support graphics cards up to 12.5” in length. Painted the same dark black as the outside of the case, the interior of the case features a bottom mounted power supply (PSU), six 3.5” drive bays (one externally accessible), three 5.25” bays, a multitude of expansion card slots, two access holes for external water cooling radiators, and tool-free installation for the 5.25” bays. Other notable features include cable management holes, 3.5” bay carriages that are also compatible with 2.5” SSDs, a PSU dust filter, and a front fan dust filter (both removable).

The full tower gaming case is slated to debut worldwide in September, and while its looks are certainly subjective, it does have a lot going for it if you’re into the stylized aesthetics. Unfortunately, there is no word yet on MSRP.  More photos of the case can be found on its product page.

Source: Thermaltake

This lower end OCZ PSU features some high end insides

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 15, 2011 - 02:22 PM |
Tagged: PSU, ocz, OCZ ZS series

If you are looking for a really good deal for a power supply, consider the OCZ ZS Series 650W PSU, currently $65 thanks to a MIR at NewEgg.  The price will fool you as to the quality of the PSU, though don't expect perfection at this price point.  The ZS series seems to be a mix of both good and bad, with good efficiency and stable power in all but one condition.  TechPowerUp did not like the low maximum operating temperature and would also like to see longer cabling.   Take a peek at it in their review, but you should probably only consider the PSU at the discount price, there are better alternatives at the full $90 price tag

TPU_OCZ_ZS600.jpg

"OCZ is very busy lately releasing new PSU models. Today we have the chance to test the OCZ ZS 650W. The main difference compared to the bigger ZS 750W, besides capacity, is the reduced number of available PCIe connectors, only two. Like all ZS units it has 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency, its OEM is Sirfa and it uses a non-modular cabling design."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: TechPowerUp

Antec's barely there LanBoy Air

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 13, 2011 - 06:13 PM |
Tagged: antec, lanboy air yellow

The new Antec LanBoy Air Yellow has a very different look to.  The exterior is almost entirely mesh apart from some very yellow highlights and the design is modular allowing you to remove parts of the case for easy access.  There are quite a few fans installed by default with space for more and two rubber grommets on the back allow for an external radiator for those who prefer liquid cooling.  RealWorldLabs warns that the over $200 price tag may scare some off but they feel the case is worth every penny.

lanboy_air_yellowa.jpg

"The latest Antec offering in their gamers PC case line called the LanBoy Air doesn't only feature a modular design never seen before, very good build quality, low weight and superior airflow but it also allows you to customize pretty much every aspect of it in order to meet your exact needs."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: RealWorldLabs

Enermax - They've gone to platinum!

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 7, 2011 - 06:49 PM |
Tagged: enermax, 80 platinum, platimax 1200W, kilowatt, modular psu

Enermax has really taken the cake with their new Platimax 1200W PSU, so named because it carries an 80+ Platinum rating.  That high of an efficiency rating is very rare and is usually seen on PSUs in the 500W range but Enermax has more than doubled it.  You get over a half dozen 8pin PCIe power plugs as well as a plethora of SATA and other power plugs.  If you need this much power for your rig it is worth investigating this level of power efficiency as it will save you money eventually.  [H]ard|OCP gave this PSU a Silver Award, missing out on Gold due to pricing only.

plaid.jpg

"Enermax is one of our long time favorite brands when it comes to PSUs. Enermax has proved over and over again that it is one of the world's premier PSU builders. Today it steps into a realm that is tough to compete in and in fact has not ever been seen by any other PSU builders as of yet. 1200 watts that is 80 Plus Platinum certified."

 

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Thermaltake's Chaser enclosure focuses on removable storage

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 6, 2011 - 03:22 PM |
Tagged: thermaltake, chaser mk-I, hotswapping

For those who take advantage of one of the features of the new generation of storage and spend a lot of time swapping hard drives in and out, finding a case can be hard.  Many will have a single easily accessed eSATA port and possibly a hotswappable drive bay or two that are not terribly hard to get at but not many cases make hotswapping drives the main priority.  Thermaltake has changed this with the $160 Chaser MK-1 which has a SATA hard drive dock on the top of the case which can accommodate 2.5" or 3.5" drives, four easily accessed 5.25" bays on the front and a nice hard drive cage inside that can handle up to six 3.5" drives.  Unfortunately Hardware Bistro discovered a major design flaw in that hard drive cage; there are no integral SATA plugs for power or data transfer, which defeats the purpose of the hotswap rack altogether.

Chaser_40.jpg

"Thermaltake is a well known computer peripheral vendor specialize in thermal & cooling. Chassis is one of the famous line of business as its uniqueness and creativity make them as the market leader. In May 2011 Thermaltake just released Chaser MK-1 chassis; a brand new full ATX tower series which is integrated with a HDD docking station within the chassis as its major unique selling point."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: Hardware Bistro

A new cooler company on the market; is Phanteks phantastic?

Subject: Cases and Cooling | September 1, 2011 - 12:59 PM |
Tagged: phanteks, air cooling, PH-F140TS, PH-TC14PE

Over at eTechnix you can catch a review of two cooler from Phanteks, who have just entered the enthusiast cooling market.  They sport some impressive acronyms like P.A.T.S (Physical Anti-oxidant Thermal Shield) and C.P.S.C (Cold Plasma Spraying Coating) to describe their coolers and their fans have UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) bearings.  Part of that alphabet soup means that the coolers can come in a variety of colours apart from black or bare metal.  Their Phanteks PH-F140TS is a 140mm fan sold separately which can be mounted with noise reducing screws or attached to a PCI slot with the included adapter.  The PH-TC14PE is a 1250g dual tower heatsink that can use up to three of the 140mm fans and provides some very competitive cooling.  Phanteks seems to be a name we will be hearing more about and seeing near the top of cooling shoot outs with some of the other big name coolers.

eT_phtc14pe.jpg

"Today we will be reviewing the 140mm Phanteks PH-F140TS fan. The 9 bladed F140TS is designed for use with CPU coolers and as a case fan. It uses an UFB (Updraft Floating Balance) bearing which should ensure low noise and a healthy lifespan hence the low 19dbA acoustic rating and greater than 150,000 hours MTBF. Offering a rated speed of 1200RPM (+/- 10%) and whopping 78.1 CFM of airflow, this is one fan that we definitely are keen to observe in action. The fan comes in 4 different colours; red, blue, orange and white guaranteeing compatibility with every type of case and colour scheme."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: eTechnix

Thermaltake's new case proves that good things can come in small packages

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 26, 2011 - 01:09 PM |
Tagged: SFF, mITX

The Thermaltake Element Q Mini-ITX case measures just 13" x 8.7" x 5.1" but still manages to have space for a DVD/BluRay drive along with the rest of the required parts of your PC, though you are going to have a hard time using anything but onboard graphics.  The price is also small, $65 for a miniITX case is a great deal, especially when it looks as good as teh Element Q.  For any sort of SFF or HTPC project this case is a great way to start; as The Tech Report proves in their recent review.

TR_ElementQ .jpg

"For just $65, Thermaltake's Element Q Mini-ITX chassis offers a 200W PSU, support for 5.25" optical drives, and subtle styling reminiscent of the Golf GTI. We take a closer look to see if this really is the PC equivalent of a hot hatchback."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: The Tech Report

Two PSUs are better than one

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 26, 2011 - 10:57 AM |
Tagged: PSU, enthusiast, dual PSU, DIY

[H]ard|OCP visits the weird world of dual PSU products, which allow the usage of two PSUs in a single system and which are transparent to the end user as they are both controlled as if there was only one.  There are four methods covered; Add2Psu, the Lian Li Secondary Power Supply Starter Kit and both auxiliary and redundant PSUs.  They range in style from the impressive abilities of Add2Psu to string together unlimited amounts of PSU using Molex connectors and Lian Li's PSU crossover cable to FSP's 5.25" Booster X5 450W auxiliary PSU and the Athena Atlas 800 redundant PSU which seems more at home in the server room. If you want more power but don't have a PSU big enough this will show you how to give your existing PSU a helping hand.

h_dualPSU.jpg

"Putting two powers supplies in your computer has been a recurring subject in our forums for years. While the physical process of making that happen is not exactly rocket science, it still can be daunting for some users. Today we show you a few products that make it easy for anyone to double up on the power should your wattage needs increase."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Corsair's new enclosure family

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 23, 2011 - 12:02 PM |
Tagged: corsair, Carbide 400R, h100, h80

 The Corsair Carbide 400R enclosure is constructed of steel, apart from rubber for grommets, feet and drive mounts and is surprisingly light for such a sturdy enclosure.  The grommets for watercooling are plentiful with Corsair even describing the best way to set up the case using either their H100 or H80 self contained water coolers.  At the top of the front you will find audio ports, two USB 3.0 headers and a Firewire port in addition to activity LEDs and a power button.  What impressed Legit Reviews even more than the light weight was the MSRP of $100, making the case affordable for those who can't bring themselves to spend $150+ on an enclosure.

Carbide400R-main.jpg

"Corsair simply nailed it with the Carbide Series 400R mid-tower case. The first thing I noticed taking this steel case out of the box was it is fairly light at under 16 pounds! It was very sturdy and I didn't feel like I was going to be breaking plastic parts while reviewing the case. The elegant sleek design may escape you are first look but it is certainly there. It may take the first time for you to see the PC turned on to see how well it works with the white LED lights provided on the front panels and front case fans. Sure it only comes with three fan to start but if you are feeling creative you can have up to ten to create a wind tunnel in your Corsair Carbide Series 400R."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: Legit Reviews

Corsair takes fan testing seriously

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 21, 2011 - 02:31 PM |
Tagged: visit, fan, corsair

I have been wandering around the Bay area for the last several days and stopped in to see some of our favorite hardware and technology companies.  We saw a lot of really interesting things that we can't quite discuss yet, but this machine we found in the Corsair testing labs was kind of interesting.  Have you ever wondered how fans get all those ratings like CFMs, dBAs and speed curves?

fanthing1.jpg

Meet the LongWin LW-9266 Fan Performance Measurement Apparatus.  Not something from Aperture Science as you might guess, this device lets Corsair test new fan options for their heatsinks, cases and H-series liquid coolers to find those that are the quietest, the most efficient and the provide the best pressure results for cooling particular heatsinks, etc.

fanthing2.jpg

The idea is simple enough - connect a fan (or a fan behind a heatsink) to the end of the LW-9266 and turn on the machine, set some variables and let it go.  Air is pushed by the fan into the blue chamber up to and another fan blower moves air in the same direction to equalize pressure, thus it can tell how much air is actually being moved.

fanthing3.jpg

The whole process is quite a bit more complicated that I am making it out to be of course - I just got the crash course.  Interestingly, this Delta fan they were showing off for me was so loud, it droned out the rest of the testing contraption completely.  Air speed = high, noise = high.  I didn't need a machine for that.

fanthing4.jpg

Here is a sample result from a previous fan test that shows some performance results.  Other than the cool factor here, there isn't much to report, but it is good to see Corsair making investments in actually TESTING stuff they are selling to consumers rather than taking OEMs word on specifications, etc. 

Source: Corsair

Who needs software control when you can roll your own fan controller?

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 18, 2011 - 05:56 PM |
Tagged: fan controller, pwm, DIY

Even with the fancy drivers now that allow you to set a minimum fan speed you will find that it is almost impossible to completely turn the fan off.  If you desire to do so, it is almost impossible to turn the fan completely off, which is something that is almost impossible with either a software solution or with a PWM controller.  Over at Hack a Day you can find instructions on how to create a breadboard project which translates PWM signal to DC and will allow you much greater control over your fan speed.

pwm_to_dc_fan_control.jpg

"[hedgehoginventions] wrote in to share a little modification he made to his video card in order to keep it from overheating during strenuous 3D tasks. Having swapped out the stock cooler on his Nvidia 9600GT graphics card, he found that it did not need to utilize the fan while doing mundane things like checking email, but that it still required extra air flow while playing games.

He figured he get the fan to shut off by tweaking the PWM signal, but he found that he could not get the duty cycle under 20% using software, which still caused the fan to run at all times. The circuit he built takes the PWM signal output by the card, cleaning it up before converting it to a corresponding DC voltage. The fan then runs at the same speed it would if driven directly by the PWM signal, though it can now turn off completely when not required."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: Hack a Day

Power up with 1350W of Silver ToughPower

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 16, 2011 - 03:33 PM |
Tagged: PSU, thermaltake, Toughpower 1350W, modular psu

The 80+ Silver rating on the Thermaltake Toughpower 1350W is well deserved according to the tests that [H]ard|OCP ran, something which can add up over a year of load.  The six 8 pin PCI-Express connectors are on one 12v rail, capable of up to 750W @ 60A, while the other 12v rail handles the other connectors.  Those other connectors include twelve SATA and eight Molex connectors, which should handle most configurations with cordage to spare.  It does very well on the most important function of providing decent quality power even in harsh conditions, but does cost a bit more than some competing PSUs which you should bear in mind before picking up this PSU.

H_toughpower1350.jpg

"Thermaltake is back on our test benches and back with some very big iron. Thermaltake made some of the "biggest and baddest" computer power supplies years ago and we are about to find out if the company does once again. However this Toughpower is well above a kilowatt and surely will have a limited appeal, but also surely attract a lot of attention."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: [H]ard|OCP

Old but not broken, check out this season's hottest coolers

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 15, 2011 - 05:32 PM |
Tagged:

It's time again for Frostytech's oddly named Top 5 Heatsink chart, with 40-some of the best coolers on the market.  The list isn't quite 40 unique coolers as some of the best Intel coolers also happen to be the best AMD coolers as well.  Not a lot has changed with only 2 coolers new to the list, though one of those pair comes close to topping the AMD charts.  You don't have to pick up the cooler that is newest to the market to get the best (or the quietest) cooler, some classic models still sit at the top of the charts.

FT-Top5.gif

"Frostytech's TOP 5 HEATSINK CHART has just been updated for August 2011. Just a couple of new heatsinks managed to break into the charts this summer, but what remains are some of the best performing Intel socket 1156/1155/775 and AMD socket AM3+/AM2 heatsinks out there! Don't go heatsink shopping without it! Heatsinks are ranked by lowest temperature, lowest noise and for low profile heatsinks too. Only heatsinks that were tested in the Frostytech Labs are included in these Top 5 Charts, so the ranking is 100% based on cold hard test data."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: Frosty Tech

AMD Considers Bundling FX Processors With Sealed Loop Water Coolers (LCS)

Subject: Cases and Cooling, Processors | August 13, 2011 - 02:53 AM |
Tagged: amd, FX, octocore, water cooling, sealed loop, LCS, hsf

According to Xbit Labs, AMD is considering switching out the usual air cooler (HSF) for a sealed loop liquid cooling solution (LCS) for its high end FX Processors. Specifically, AMD wants to pair their highest end eight core processor (and possibly the next highest end eight core chip) with the sealed loop liquid cooling solution. This information, they believe, comes from a “source with knowledge of the company’s plans.”

AMDplusLCS.png

If you are not familiar with the sealed loop water coolers, PC Perspective reviewed the Corsair H70 processor cooler last year and it is a good example. Sealed loop water coolers are similar to the large DIY water cooling loops comprised of a large radiator, copper CPU block, pump, and reservoir all connected in a loop by tubing; however, they usually have smaller radiators and pumps as well as coolant that cannot be refilled (and should not have to be).  This coolant carries heat away from the processor to be dissipated through a radiator.  Corsair in particular has heavily invested in this once very niche product with it’s H series of coolers.

Traditionally, both Intel and AMD have been content in pairing their chips with mid-range but cheap air coolers that did a decent job of keeping the processors within their thermal limits at stock speeds. Enthusiasts, and especially those interested in overclocking, have generally ditched the included cooler in favor of a more powerful and/or quieter aftermarket cooler. Needless to say, including a cooler, especially with high end chips that will likely go to enthusiasts, that’s never even used only serves to add additional unnecessary cost for both consumers and the manufacturer. Thus, this move to bundle a more powerful sealed loop water cooler with its high end chips may be an attempt by AMD to futher appeal to enthusiasts and keep with their traditional image of being friendly to overclockers and hardware enthusiasts. Having and using a water cooler that is supported by the chip maker certainly doesn’t hurt, especially if it ever came down to warranty and RMA situations. On the other hand, enthusiasts can be very picky about which cooler to use in their systems; therefore, bundling a cooler that is sure to add even more extra cost to the package may not be the right move for AMD. At best, consumers are likely to see an extra $50 or so added to the sure to be pricey highest end eight core chips.

Their idea, if true, surely has merit, but is it wise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: Xbit Labs

BitFenix Launches Two New Merc Mid Tower Gaming Cases

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 12, 2011 - 06:39 AM |
Tagged: mid tower, chassis, bitfenix, atx

Gaming hardware designer BitFenix recently announced two new computer chassis. Named Merc Alpha and Merc Beta, both enclosures are of the mid-tower ATX design and deliver gaming features for budget prices. Product Manager David Jarlestedt stated confidently that “gamers will be hard pressed to find a better value enclosure in this segment.”

Merc Alpha and Beta.jpg

The differences between Merc Alpha and Merc Beta are subtle but important for cooling potential. Specifically, Merc Alpha is able to accommodate up to eight 120mm fans (including two on top) while the Merc Beta eschews the two top 120mm fan grills in favor of a flat surface and a total of six fans.

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Features shared between both models include an all black interior and exterior coating, black cabling for the front ports, cable management features, CPU cooler motherboard cut-out, four USB 2.0 front panel ports, and easy to use thumbscrews to secure the case door and internal drives. Further, the cases support three 5.25” optical drives, seven 3.5” hard drives, and one 2.5” drive bay for an SSD.

Both Merc Alpha and Merc Beta will be available in stores starting August 2011 with an MSRP of $39. You can see more photos of the budget gaming cases here.

Source: Bitfenix

Pick up an entire Pantheon for under $100

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 10, 2011 - 05:09 PM |
Tagged: Xigmatek Pantheon

The full sized Xigmatek Pantheon enclosure offers great value, a ~$100 case with tool-less assembly, rubber noise and vibration dampeners, hot swappable HDD docks and even enough space to fit a radiator in for you watercoolers.  The fans that are included do a decent job of cooling the system quietly and the only negative comment that Tweaknews offered was that a few more fans would be nice.  Mind you, that is almost always the case.

xigmatek_pantheon.jpg

"Xigmatek’s Pantheon chassis is a really nice case, especially for the money. For around a hundred bucks you get a distinctive look, excellent tool-free solutions and a rich feature set that makes the Pantheon a very good value, even in this crowded pricepoint. The cooling performance is very good, and the case responds well to additional case fans, at least on the side panel."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

 

Source: Tweaknews

In Win's entrance to the Kilowatt Club

Subject: Cases and Cooling | August 8, 2011 - 02:34 PM |
Tagged: PSU, kilowatt, in win, Commander II 1200W

Just a few short years ago on the PC Perspective Podcast you could have heard us crack jokes about people need a kilowatt PSU plugged into 240V mains in order to run their high end PCs.  It seems that the joke was on us as most major PSU vendors have at least one model that provides 1kW+ of power, thankfully most also do it more efficiently than older generation PSUs and do not need a 240V plug.  In Win has joined the ranks of the high powered PSU makers with their new Commander II 1200W Modular PSU.  The 80+ Bronze rating is a good sign and the silent 135mm fan is also a good touch, but the two most important features are the solidity of the power it provides and the price it is available at.  Find out about those in ThinkComputers' latest PSU review.

TC_InWin1200.jpg

"In Win, the company that brought you many different types of cases in the past is now upgrading one of its power supply series into the 80PLUS age. The Commander II series of power supplies, the successor to the original Commander, are available in three different models: 750W, 850W and the 1200W, which we have to review today. All three models are 80PLUS Bronze certified, have an army green color scheme and a silent 135mm fan in them."

Here are some more Cases & Cooling reviews from around the web:

CASES & COOLING

Source: Think Computers

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