Generally, many case makers like to feature top notch, expensive high end cases and seem to forget about the majority of people; those of us with a budget!  The market is flooded with cheaply made, low cost cases that many just settle on purchasing because they can't afford cases by Lian Li, Silverstone, Zalman, or any of the other top end brand names.  Recently, BitFenix has been making some waves by producing their Colossus with the soft touch element. Luckily for us, they want to continue their ways and offer a well designed inexpensive option for us named the Merc Alpha.

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We've seen plenty of different ideas from plenty of case manufacturers to differentiate them from others.  There are those manufacturers that try to wow you with graphics, those that try to innovate with crazy designs; personally, I like it when they get back to the basics.  Lian Li is one of those companies that have been consistent throughout their tenure, with only a few questionable designs throughout the years.  With the introduction of the PC-6, Lian Li thinks they can bring this "back to basics" reviewer to chassis nirvana.

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Sometimes, being a case manufacturer means that you have to do something special to get noticed.  It isn't always the flashy designs or the obnoxious graphics that gets your product known.  Sometimes, it is just good craftsmanship and a good design that gets people like me excited.  With a slew of case manufacturers out there, Sentey thinks they can get your attention with their Burton Chassis.

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If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times... it takes a lot to impress me.  Computer cases have made a wicked transformation over the years and there seems to be a few staples for me when it comes to my top picks.  My main rig runs out of my Zalman Z-Machine GT1000 and my server makes its home inside the simple yet industrial Lian Li PC-75B (one of my all time favorite cases).  As computer cases come and go here in the lab I hear the same song and dance; "This will be the best one you have reviewed yet" and for some reason a lot of them just fall short.  BitFenix thinks they can break the current losing streak cases have had here with a design that is tough like Ray Lewis yet soft like Cinemax late night movies.  Enter the Colossus. (more...)

Having been a longstanding fan and avid user of the Lian Li line of computer chassis; I find that it is difficult to be absolutely wow'ed by another manufacturer's attempt to overthrow the chassis king.  Zalman is not new to the game, having been in business since 1999; they have manufactured products in a slew of different genres starting with quiet computing and traveling into the ridiculously priced.  The GT1000 is not a bargain basement chassis but is it worth the $380.00 Price tag? (more...)

Having been around the block a few times, and having been burned a few times; I have my preferences in chassis'. I have purchased and used a ton of cases and always seem to go back to my Lian Li PC-70 series chassis. There has been little innovation in this sector and it seems like manufacturers are trying to woo us with fancy designs and forgetting about the simple features that we should have to begin with. There are cases out there that look like malformed bubbles, cases that look like transformers, cases with bubbled water, and my personal favorite the cases that look like "Hello Kitty" (sarcasm). It is refreshing when some case manufacturers get back to the basics and give us usable features and practical designs. Antec claims they can give me hope once again. Enter the Antec Performance Series P180B. (more...)

I have seen computer cases of all shapes and sizes and computer cases are what I love about the enthusiast scene the most. I definitely do more research trying to find the right case than I spend picking out my motherboard. After all, the case I pick will have to withstand my brutal punishing nature; the constant upgrades; and my tendency for getting bored very quickly. I haven't been too happy with some of the cases hitting the market today, and some of them just make me angry. iStarUSA claims they have a case that will satisfy my inner geek. Enter the "Super Cooling" Full Tower Nitro AX.

First impressions are definitely important and there is no question that simplicity is apparent in the design of the box holding my new chassis. Too many times I have seen boxes that looked like the Thermaltake Damier and the nausea starts! Elegant comes to mind when looking at the pictures of my new chassis on the printed face of its temporary home. (more...)

Today I'll be taking a look at the Antec P180 Advanced Super Mid Tower case from the Performance One series. First we'll look at a list of features from Antec. (more...)

Being a computer technician, I have worked on a ton of computers, in a ton of different shops. In every single one of these shops, someone comes up with some way to make a bench system for testing components, for repair, or testing systems before they get the final install into the case before a customer buys it. I have seen things from hacked up cases to "Big Glen" (a piece of plywood with computer parts screwed into it).

Ingenuity runs rampant in repair shops and a reviewer's workshop. Most of us have been waiting for a company to develop something practical, affordable, and most of all DURABLE! Until now, most solutions were either too expensive or not durable enough for the retail environment. Enter the HSPC Tech Station. This is a bench made of "non-electrically conductive, scratch-resistant, high grade polymers"; it is tough, inexpensive, and practical; but will it be worth it? (more...)

If you are a regular to COD, you would understand by now that I am very passionate about computer chassis. A well designed chassis is the basis of a well built system. Today, Thermaltake has once again asked that I examine one of their designs. Enter the Thermaltake Tsunami Dream Aluminum Case.

Let me start off by saying, when I received it, I had to immediately open the box; I thought they forgot to put the case in there. It is extremely light, weighing in at only 13.2lbs. This is a HUGE difference from the last case they sent me for review, the Damier V5000A, which weighed in at 35.27lbs. (more...)