Computing on Demand PC News & Reviews
Now, if you have a lock up front to lock the bezel shut so no one can turn it on/off, reset your box, or play with your bay devices, I would think that you would also want to be able to lock the side panel in place as well. Don’t worry about that, it has been taken care of. No key needed either, just a flick of the wrist turns the knob to lock and unlock the side panel. It is comfortably nestled behind the locking front bezel.
When you spin the case a little Tt smacks you with their “X” type side panel window. It’s a nice thick piece of plastic held in place by pushpins. I don’t like the fact that Tt has decided to brand their window with a logo, considering the case has Thermaltake written on it 12 other times. This doesn’t include the stickers and mouse pad they give you too. I would much rather have seen Tt allow us to brand the window with whatever we decide as opposed to their name. It is however crafted well, so outside of branding, I have no complaints.
I do have 2 concerns with regards to the design of the side panel though. These are simple to discover when you start looking at it a little more carefully. First of all, the handle is also where one of the side panel fans draws its fresh supply of air. Upon closer inspection though, it consists of a bunch of tiny holes, this also impedes airflow. Secondly, you will notice that they placed two fans there; yup, the second fan pulls air from? I don’t know either…
The top of the case shows us the same thing; however, they decided to add some functionality to it. They not only provide you with airflow, or lack thereof, for your fan; they give you 1394 (Firewire), USB and audio ports cleverly hidden behind a little door. This is good if you keep your computer on the floor, but if it is on your desk next to you, you are then required to stand up in order to connect a peripheral or hook up your headphones so your girlfriend doesn’t pound you. Although this isn’t a complaint of mine, it is an inconvenience, I don’t really think that there is a “win win” here; if the ports were on the front and the computer was on the floor, then you would have to move again to plug things in. I’m not whining here, just making an observation.
