A Trio of Thermaltake Towers
by Joshua Buss on August 16, 2006 2:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Final Words
Taking this review at surface value one can see three well thought-out and generally good case designs, and hopefully a clear winner for the combination of features that individual is looking for.
A little deeper down though, this article shows that in general there is still progress being made in this industry, and perhaps more importantly there is room to develop further still. The newest of the three cases here, the Aguila, really shows the best overall customization, usability, and thermal performance to boot. For around $120 online, someone can enjoy a work of engineering that shows good craftsmanship, styling, and performance engineering as well.
For users looking for a case capable of holding an extended ATX motherboard, options are a lot more limited. We're all accustomed with the all-too-familiar look of behemoth beige server cases with more fans than drive bays, but the Eureka helps to squelch this connotation with a clean look and easy-to-use layout. It's certainly not the quietest tower case out there, but with a relatively good chance of putting a server computer in an area that might not get much traffic this might not be a big problem. The good cooling performance is enticing too, and considering an average online price of $140 there really is a lot of value for your dollar here. It doesn't hurt that the unit is built like a tank, either.
Some people really care about the looks of their new rig more than anything else, and with cases as unique as the Eclipse DV it's not hard to see why. With acceptable noise levels and cooling abilities, easy-to-use drive cages, and an industry first built-in visible optical drive, the $240 Eclipse DV has a lot going for it. It most certainly isn't going to be the first pick for a lot of people, whether because of the price, exotic styling, or need for space on both sides of the case for optimal enjoyment, but some people will see this unit simply as a "have to have it" product, and for that we applaud Thermaltake for taking a leap and running with the idea so many of us had when we saw the original Eclipse.
Taking this review at surface value one can see three well thought-out and generally good case designs, and hopefully a clear winner for the combination of features that individual is looking for.
A little deeper down though, this article shows that in general there is still progress being made in this industry, and perhaps more importantly there is room to develop further still. The newest of the three cases here, the Aguila, really shows the best overall customization, usability, and thermal performance to boot. For around $120 online, someone can enjoy a work of engineering that shows good craftsmanship, styling, and performance engineering as well.
For users looking for a case capable of holding an extended ATX motherboard, options are a lot more limited. We're all accustomed with the all-too-familiar look of behemoth beige server cases with more fans than drive bays, but the Eureka helps to squelch this connotation with a clean look and easy-to-use layout. It's certainly not the quietest tower case out there, but with a relatively good chance of putting a server computer in an area that might not get much traffic this might not be a big problem. The good cooling performance is enticing too, and considering an average online price of $140 there really is a lot of value for your dollar here. It doesn't hurt that the unit is built like a tank, either.
Some people really care about the looks of their new rig more than anything else, and with cases as unique as the Eclipse DV it's not hard to see why. With acceptable noise levels and cooling abilities, easy-to-use drive cages, and an industry first built-in visible optical drive, the $240 Eclipse DV has a lot going for it. It most certainly isn't going to be the first pick for a lot of people, whether because of the price, exotic styling, or need for space on both sides of the case for optimal enjoyment, but some people will see this unit simply as a "have to have it" product, and for that we applaud Thermaltake for taking a leap and running with the idea so many of us had when we saw the original Eclipse.
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cbuchach - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I have been looking to upgrade my case for some time now with my planned new build and really think the Aguila may fit the bill. Unfortunately the windowless version that I would be interested seems to be very hard to come by in the US at this time. We'll see.imaheadcase - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Yah been hard to find windowless one in the states, I found one but they inflated the price to like $300. lame.Budman - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
One word. YUCKKalessian - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I don't understand why you would say that. The Eureka is very plain... what kind of cases do you like?I think a black Aguila would look great.
imaheadcase - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
The agila is the only decent case, the others look like rejects from Voltron casting.Frumious1 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
There's a law on AnandTech case reviews: no matter what they might review, a bunch of people have to show up and grouse about how the cases look like crap, or they're nice looking but too expensive, or some other opinion followed by the statement that "no one would ever buy these...." Luckily, AnandTech seems to do a reasonable job of just presenting the facts on the cases and letting people decide for themselves whether or not they like how the case looks and would be interested in purchasing one.Too bad the Eureka is loud and cools the HDD/mosfets so poorly. Of course, I prefer a bit smaller cases anyway, and the Aguila looks pretty decent.
Frumious1 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Oh yeah - I still don't trust the big orange TT fans. Things spin pretty fast and make a decent racket in my experience. Maybe some of them are better now, but the older 120mm dayglo orange things were pretty mediocre. I'm actually surprised any of these cases can manage to come in under 40 dB! Guy I know bought an Armor last year; freakin' turbine that thing is! Doesn't need to blow dry his hair if he angles the fans properly....tk109 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I agree. They are ugly as butt.I saw the first one and I thought that maybe the rest will be better. But nope. One of them isn't too bad but I'd still not want to own it even if it was given to me. Like most of the case trends in recent years I think you have to be one of those super nerds to like em or something. They try way to hard on cases. Clean, straight, and simple is the way to go.
GoatMonkey - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Get yourself an iMac and be done with it then.
KorruptioN - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Or a Lian-Li.