Thermaltake LANBOX Lite [Archive]

View Full Version : Thermaltake LANBOX Lite

Darksaber

03-30-2007, 09:51 PM

[page=Introduction]
Introduction
I would like to thank Thermaltake (http://www.thermaltake.com) for supplying the review sample.

Thermaltake is one of the few companies, which try to be innovative with their products. They are definitely not afraid to try new things and have proven that there are plenty of new design possibilities for computer cases. Two great examples are the Lanbox and the Mozart TX.

Thermaltake has expanded the Lanbox series with the Lanbox Lite, which utilizes a clean, straight plastic front and is available in two variants:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/nowindows.gif

Specifications
<table border="1" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" class="ramtable" width="600">
<tr>
<th scope="row">Model number </th>
<td scope="row"><div align="center">VF6000BNS (no Windows) </div></td>
<td colspan="2" scope="row"><div align="center">VF6000BWS (with Windows) </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Color</th>
<td colspan="3" scope="row"><div align="center">Black</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Drive Bays </th>
<td colspan="3" scope="row"><p align="center">- 5.25" x 2 <br />
- 3.5" x 3 (Exposed x 1, Hidden x 2)</p> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Material</th>
<td colspan="3" scope="row"><div align="center">Front bezel : Hard plastic <br />
Body : 0.8mm SECC</div> <div align="center"></div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Form Factor </th>
<td colspan="3" valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">Micro ATX & mini ITX </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Expansion Slots </th>
<td colspan="3" valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">4 standard slots </div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Case Fans </th>
<td colspan="3" valign="top" scope="row"><p align="center">- Front : 90mm fan x 1, 1500rpm <br />
- Rear : 60mm fan x 2, 1800rpm (up to 60mm fan x 3)</p></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td colspan="3" valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">300 x 430 x 230 mm <br />
(19.57 x 8.27 x 18.7 inch)</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Weight</th>
<td colspan="3" valign="top" scope="row"><div align="center">6.3 kg (13.89 lb)</div></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th valign="top" scope="row">Front Access </th>
<td colspan="3" valign="top" scope="row"><p align="center">USB 2.0 x 2, IEEE 1394 Firewire, HD-Audio</p></td>
</tr>
</table>

[page=Packaging & Contents]
Packaging & Contents
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/packfronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/packfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/packopens.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/packopen.jpg)
The packaging for the Lanbox Lite is very similar to that of the original Lanbox. It is not quite as high, as there is no handle on the case. Thermaltake included a plastic handle, which makes it a breeze to carry home from your favorite place of purchase. Once opened up, the case can be seen. Everything is fitted nicely so you will not have to worry about damage due to movement inside the package.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casepackeds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casepacked.jpg)
The Styrofoam spacers used are quite thin. This translates into a more compact package, but also increases the chance of damage to the case. An unlucky drop or a pointy object can easily damage the case. Thermaltake has placed the Lanbox Lite inside a cloth bag, which is supposed to protect it from scratches.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/contentss.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/contents.jpg)
Inside the case a little blue bag holds all the extras needed for upkeep and installation. You will find a detailed manual, a cloth to clean the case with, screws, a plastic stand-off and a black plastic piece to cover the sharp edges of the water cooling hole in the back of the case, but more on that later. The piece of metal to the right is needed to install a second optical drive inside the case.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casenews.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casenew.jpg)
The case itself is clean and does have an understatement look. It is perfect for users, who do not want all the blue lighting, curved front and do not require a VFD, but want a compact case. The paint job is immaculate. It is quite shiny and does have a very high quality feel to it.

[page=A Closer Look]
A Closer Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casefronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casefront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casebacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/caseback.jpg)
The front of the Lanbox Lite does have the same configuration as the Lanbox we tested previously. The only thing missing from the front are the I/O connections. The back looks just like the Lanbox, but as you can see, it is made out of steel instead of aluminum. There are three spots for fans and Thermaltake has decided to include two at the most important locations just above the mainboard. The third can be installed above the expansion cards and Thermaltake includes screws to mount such a fan.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casesides.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/caseside.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/frontios.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/frontio.jpg)
The side of the case does not feature the air grills as the Lanbox, but actually uses air holes. This does look a bit nicer and you will not notice dust accumulation as much as with the vertical air grills. Thermaltake has decided to use them on the VF6000BWS, which is the Lanbox Lite with two such windows. The I/O is located on the side, this differs from the Lanbox as well, on which these can be found up front.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/topoffs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/topoff.jpg)
The first thing to be removed, is the top cover. It is secured by three thumb screws and slides out with a bit of gentle force.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/drivecages.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/drivecage.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/psucages.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/psucage.jpg)
Another two thumb screws later, the drive cage can be removed completely. Thermaltake has also decided to make the power supply cage removable. It is secured by thumb screws as well as six traditional, but tiny screws.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/innerfronts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/innerfront.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/hddcages.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/hddcage.jpg)
Once the two items are removed, you have access to the HDD cage. As you can see, it is placed right in front of the front intake fan. All the sharp edges of the HDD cage are folded, so there is no possibility of getting cut while installing a drive.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbslideouts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbslideout.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbtrays.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbtray.jpg)
The last item which can be removed from the case, is the mainboard tray. It is secured by thumb screws as well and slides out easily once these are removed. As is the case with the Lanbox, the Lanbox Lite mainboard tray features two 6 cm fans which blow hot air out of the system.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/frontfrominsides.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/frontfrominside.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casebares.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casebare.jpg)
Once all the parts are removed, the three holes for two optical and one floppy drive can easily be seen. The cables for the power and reset button, as well as the front LEDs are located toward the left of the front fan, while the front I/O cables come out to the right side. The case is rather fragile when completely bare, but Thermaltake has designed the entire case, so that all the different, removable parts add to the overall strength of the case. This means, as soon as you install everything, it will be rock solid.

[page=Installation & Finished Look]
Installation
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbinst.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/hddinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/hddinst.jpg)
The first thing that was installed, is the mATX mainboard. In our first Lanbox review, we used the Thermaltake Blue Orb 2, which fit perfectly. This time we try out another CPU cooler, from a different manufacturer to see if such variants will fit inside the Lanbox Lite. The second step is done by installing the hard drive into the appropriate cage.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbcons.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/mbcons.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/instmbs.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/instmb.jpg)
The mainboard connectors are all completely standard. The one problem lies with the Power LED connector. The Foxconn mainboard uses a 2 pin design, without any dummy pin in-between the two, which means that I had to snap the connector in half to be able to connect it. Using two single pin connectors for each cable of the power LED would solve such a problem in the future. The first thing installed were the mainboard and the hard drive cage, as these both lie beneath the PSU and front drives respectively. As you can see, the IDE cable has already been installed. You will not be able to reach it once the optical drives are inserted into the case.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/grakaspaces.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/grakaspace.jpg)
As was to be expected by such a small case, installing a larger graphic card is not possible, when the hard drive cage is used. Thermaltake does include instructions on how to fit a GeForce 8800GTX inside the case, but you will have to sacrifice the hard drive cage and thus can only install a single drive where the floppy drive usually goes.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/driveinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/driveinst.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/psuinsts.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/psuinst.jpg)
The next step consists of filling the remaining cages before installation. The original Lanbox has a curved aluminum front, which means that the drive installation consisted of some "trial and error" before the alignment was right. The Lanbox Lite features a straight front, so once one drive was lined up correctly the others could just be installed without any further testing. The power supply can be installed traditionally or upside down. I chose upside down, as it would pull fresh air in from the top and blow it out the back.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/instpsus.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/instpsu.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/psuviews.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/psuview.jpg)
Once the PSU has been secured inside the case, the IDE cables for the optical drives were connected to the mainboard and hung out of the case. You should install them before placing the front drives into the case, as you will have very little space to work with.

Once the drive cage was installed, the top was replaced. As you can see, the power supply fan is placed right under the air holes.

Finished Look
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/instbacks.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/instback.jpg) http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casefinisheds.jpg (http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Thermaltake/Lanbox_Lite/images/casefinished.jpg)
Once everything was installed, power was connected. As you can see, everything fits fine and the back looks clean with everything installed. The front looks great as well, as Thermaltake has incorporated black drive doors into the front. This means that you will be able to use your beige or silver drives without having to sacrifice the entire look of the case.

[page=Value & Conclusion]
Value and Conclusion
<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>
The Thermaltake Lanbox Lite should be available already and has a price tag that starts at around 90 USD for the black aluminum variant with windows. The version without windows and steel body should cost around 70 USD. This is a very competitive price for such a small form factor case.
</td>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>

Very good price
Good build quality
Light and very compact dimensions
Good internal layout
Silent operation
Modular system for installation
Lots of thumb screws
Three fans included
Matching drive bay covers included
Will fit large graphic card and power supply
PSU can be installed upward or traditional

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>

Tricky installation
No handles to carry around
Large graphic cards means no HDD cage can be used
Plastic drive covers may be a bit fragile
No drive LED can be seen
A few sharp edges
Maximum motherboard size is MicroATX

</td></tr>
<tr><th>9.1</th>
<td>
The Thermaltake Lanbox Lite is quite similar to the Lanbox we tested previously. The most prominent difference is the lack of a handle and the plastic front. As this is a really unique and small case, expect a very tricky installation as there is nothing standard about this case. If any fault has to be found, it would be the loss of the hard drive cage if you do decide to place a large graphic card like the GeForce 8800GTX or upcoming Radeon HD X2900 inside this case. Thermaltake has once again built a case which pushes the limits and introduces new functionality for a computer case. There is really no reason not to get this case, if you want a small form factor case and are on a budget. The difference in price between this Lanbox Lite and the black, steel & windowless Lanbox without the handle is 30 to 40 USD, which means the Lanbox Lite is the case of choice if you are on a budget.</td></tr>
<tr><th></th><td>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/editorschoice.gif</td></tr>
</table>

technicks

04-10-2007, 09:01 PM

Man that is one of the coolest cases i have seen. Espacialy the one with the window.
Very nice for HTPC.

Nice review btw.

mcloughj

04-11-2007, 01:22 PM

Zalmann

04-11-2007, 01:24 PM

It's a great looking box, and it doesn't look out of place in a HTPC setup also.

dosmond

04-20-2007, 10:03 PM

Darksaber

04-21-2007, 12:54 AM

I do like the case, but wouldn't it make more sense to have mounted the psu fan pointing downward? in that way also sucking warm air off the cpu, instead of sucking in cold air from outside the case, and just blowing it straight out the psu? As for the long video card issue, I doubt it's a big thing, like the review said use the floppy bay for the hd, who uses floppies nowdays anyway? and since optical drives are all in one units you can use a 5 1/4 to 3 1/2 converter there as well for another hd.

Well the two rear fans do a great job at blowing the hot air out. I have been using the Lanbox and the Lanbox Lite in such a config, one with a 3200+ the other with a X2 4600+. Both work great and temps are normal. My main editorial rig uses the X2 and I can now turn down the fans of the PSU all the way even at full load with a GF8800GTS.

Yes very true about the optical drive bay, it can be used for a second hard drive, but one should only need to make so many sacrifices to have the benefits of something else. Especially in a case like this. It is nice though that Thermaltake is letting us know that there is a way to mount a 8800GTX. What I wonder about is them R600 ;)

cheers
DS

flashdim

04-23-2007, 05:48 PM

This seems to be the only place where someone has reviewed the LANBox Lite so far, so I have a question (since I really like the layout of the case and am looking to buy one)...

How do the front drive bay doors work? Do they flip down when an optical drive ejects, and are they spring loaded or anything like that? If I were to put an instrument panel or a bunch of extra USB/eSATA inputs in one of the 5" bays, would it be accessible?

Thanks!

Darksaber

04-23-2007, 06:03 PM

They are flip down, which means they have a spring loaded door. This flips down when the tray front of a drive forces it open. As soon as the drive returns to its closed position the door flips back up.

I am afraid there is no way to fit any type of front panel inside the case, without having to remove the entire drive cover, which is larger than the drive itself. You would need to mod it to fit a front panel.

If you have any more questions, drop me a PM :)

cheers
DS

flashdim

04-23-2007, 06:25 PM

Doh! Maybe I could find a way to remove the doors, place mini-handles on them, and then put them back in place.

Man, I can't just leave well enough alone. Gotta mod everything. :rolleyes:

rhythmeister

05-03-2007, 11:58 AM

Who's selling them in the UK tho? I think I need to replace this rather refined Lian Li case in my sig' with something a bit more showy now like that in black with windows, mmm! :D

mcloughj

05-03-2007, 12:41 PM

I haven't found anyone selling them yet either. a few on ebay from the states, but that's not really helpful!

Darksaber

05-04-2007, 01:31 PM

Who's selling them in the UK tho? I think I need to replace this rather refined Lian Li case in my sig' with something a bit more showy now like that in black with windows, mmm! :D

Well the case is fairly new. Let me try to find out where it will be sold in the Uk. I will get back to you ASAP.

cheers
DS

rhythmeister

05-04-2007, 02:06 PM

Cheers DS, I'm VERY interested...as long as I can find a worthy buyer for the Lian Li case :D

mcloughj

05-05-2007, 04:12 PM

Cheers DS, I'm VERY interested...as long as I can find a worthy buyer for the Lian Li case :D

I like the look of your case! So if you are selling i might be interested. I'm in ireland though!

rhythmeister

05-08-2007, 11:24 AM

Well, the plot thickens! I managed to get a reply from Sharon @ Thermaltake who tells me that no UK retailers are buying this from them but she DID advise that I contact VIP computers who turn out to be a wholesalers. They don't talk when they pick up their phone tho, just silence, so they must be a very meek lot :confused:

Zboiing

05-10-2007, 05:49 PM

Hi, Would anyone know if the new thermaltake maxorb will fit into this bad boy? by the dimensions that i've read it would be a close fit! the maxorb is 95.5 mm tall but judging by the height it would just squeeze in!

No the MaxOrb can't fit in it. I first would like this one but I need to change for the Blue Ordb II

Zboiing

05-10-2007, 05:53 PM

:rockout: I just have mine yesterday, and it's so beautiful ! Black and shiny !

rhythmeister

05-10-2007, 06:28 PM

:rockout: I just have mine yesterday, and it's so beautiful ! Black and shiny !

Stop teasing me!

mcloughj

05-11-2007, 08:43 AM

No the MaxOrb can't fit in it. I first would like this one but I need to change for the Blue Ordb II

Cool. thanks for letting me know. Solid.

Zboiing

05-12-2007, 03:21 PM

:rockout:

Here it is !!!!!!!!!!

But the board had some problems last night :cry:

Don't know wtah's going on.

http://img.techpowerup.org/070512/IMG_1107 (800 x 600)650.jpg

Quinncint

05-12-2007, 06:01 PM

Is this beast able to fit a standard ATX Power Supply in it? I've not been able to find any info on if it can or not, only that I will have to swap my ATX Motherboard for a mATX board.

Also, I know that at 280mm in length, the 8800GTX has some issues fitting, with the extra HDD cradle in place, but my XFX8800GTS 320mb is only 230mm in length. Will I have the same issues as it's big brother?

*EDIT*

Would you people recommend EVGA NFORCE4 SLI S939 mATX (http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=18404&vpn=131-K8-NF44-AX&manufacture=eVGA) as a decent motherboard? I have considered upgrading from s939 to AM2, but I'm not prepared to ditch my current cpu and memory at the moment. The cost would be to much for me at this point in time.

Zboiing

05-16-2007, 12:18 AM

Ok now everything is on control. But I'm a little concerned about CPU temperature. I have a Pentium D 2.8 and a Thermaltake blue Orb II : CPU reaches 65 C (149 F) and the board is 42 C (108 F) in idle mode.
But it's truly QUIET ! (I have an Vantec ION 2 350W).

rhythmeister

05-17-2007, 10:10 PM

Why is that on yr desk and not mine?! Would any other Europeans here like to join me in requesting that Thermaltwonk sell the damn thing here??? :banghead:

mcloughj

05-21-2007, 10:28 PM

A dude in germany is selling them on ebay:
100euro including delivery in europe

http://cgi.ebay.ie/Thermaltake-LANBox-Lite-VF6000BWS-BNS_W0QQitemZ280111002929QQihZ018QQcategoryZ77173Q QtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

Grings

05-22-2007, 01:19 PM

tkpenalty

05-22-2007, 01:49 PM

rhythmeister

05-22-2007, 06:47 PM

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-Thermaltake-LANBOX-Lite-VF6000BWS-w-Window-Cube-Ga_W0QQitemZ230122850151QQihZ013QQcategoryZ51064QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

here too, usa, but they do ship worldwide
Yeah, they want $100 to send internationally, I figure that must include a hand-job voucher for yr local house of ill repute too :mad:

I'll be getting mine from Germany :rockout:

DaMulta

05-22-2007, 07:02 PM

I wish they made a case like this for full size boards.

rhythmeister

05-22-2007, 08:24 PM

I wish they made a case like this for full size boards.

You full size boys can get nice Silverstone and Thermaltake ATX cases sure!:laugh:

dfy

05-27-2007, 06:22 PM

Good job on the review!
I'm in need of a small, attractive case that could hold 4 hard drives.
I'm planning on buying this case to let it serve as a NAS (I'm going for ULTRA cheap and small)
Can anybody guess if there would be enough airflow to cool down such a config in this case?

These items would go in:
MB: Gigabyte GA-M61PM-S2 (http://www.gigabyte.com.tw/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2373)
CPU: AMD Sempron 3200+ Boxed
RAM: Kingston ValueRam Dual Channel 1024 MB, PC5300 (kit of 2 x 512MB)
DVD: NEC DVD-RW AD-5170
PSU: Zalman ZM360B-APS (http://www.zalman.co.kr/eng/product/view.asp?idx=195&code=015) 360 Watt
HD: Samsung SpinPoint T166 500 GB (4x)
mounting 1 HD in 5.25" bay: Nexus (http://www.nexustek.nl/disktwin_hdd_vibration_killer_aluminium_or_black.h tm)

mcloughj

05-28-2007, 12:07 PM

dfy

05-28-2007, 12:23 PM

I'd guess that it shouldn't have much trouble handling that. the sempron runs cool enough, the 4 hdd's might whip up a bit of heat though! But if they are anything like the samsung 250gb drives, it should be ok.

It's the hard drives I'm worried about. I'm using a Samsung SP2504C in a passively cooled HTPC (so no airflow) in a box, and it gets 56°C continuously. Although I have no problems with it whatsoever, I'm still a little bit worried 4 HD's will give me heating problems.

I guess it's anybody's guess what will happen, but I was hoping maybe somebody is using this case with more than 1 HD.

Thanks for your thoughts :)

mcloughj

05-28-2007, 12:37 PM

It's the hard drives I'm worried about. I'm using a Samsung SP2504C in a passively cooled HTPC (so no airflow) in a box, and it gets 56°C continuously. Although I have no problems with it whatsoever, I'm still a little bit worried 4 HD's will give me heating problems.

I guess it's anybody's guess what will happen, but I was hoping maybe somebody is using this case with more than 1 HD.

Thanks for your thoughts :)

Well i'll be trying to shove 3 (2x320gb seagates and 1 250gb samsung) into one of these when i get mine... i'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, i paid the guy selling on ebay for these on tuesday, but still haven't heard a thing from him. i'll post here when i hear something.

UPDATE: Apparently they made a mistake with the address and the delivery ended being returned. They are dispatching again and fingers crosssed it'll be with me soon! !:toast:

dfy

05-28-2007, 01:06 PM

Well i'll be trying to shove 3 (2x320gb seagates and 1 250gb samsung) into one of these when i get mine... i'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, i paid the guy selling on ebay for these on tuesday, but still haven't heard a thing from him. i'll post here when i hear something.

Great! That will help me a lot. Especially because those Seagates will probably be a tad hotter than the Samsungs.
I don't know if you were planning to, but would you be willing to mount the 2 Seagates into the 3.5" cage on top of each other? As that would probably become the hottest spot.

Hope everything goes well with the Ebay purchase :)

mcloughj

05-28-2007, 02:03 PM

Great! That will help me a lot. Especially because those Seagates will probably be a tad hotter than the Samsungs.
I don't know if you were planning to, but would you be willing to mount the 2 Seagates into the 3.5" cage on top of each other? As that would probably become the hottest spot.

Hope everything goes well with the Ebay purchase :)

was thinking of the following:
one in the floppy cage, one in the hdd cage and the last one below the dvd drive, just to spread them out. remember that the front fan will be right beside the hdd cage so it should cool sufficiently. I might try out diff configs to find the coolest, having two in the cage with the fan could be the coolest arrangement!

dfy

05-28-2007, 02:14 PM

was thinking of the following:
one in the floppy cage, one in the hdd cage and the last one below the dvd drive, just to spread them out. remember that the front fan will be right beside the hdd cage so it should cool sufficiently. I might try out diff configs to find the coolest, having two in the cage with the fan could be the coolest arrangement!

Ahh I totally didn't catch that front fan! I was thinking because I plan to add 4 drives the 2 in the cage would be the hottest.
Well, that should make it even more interesting and gives me hope 4 drives will be fine :D

I'm very much tempted to click on the "buy now" button, but I still want to wait for your tests.
Ah well, maybe in the mean time the prices will drop again for the Samsung drives ;)

Btw, do you know if the case fans can be speed controlled? (with speedfan for example).

rhythmeister

05-30-2007, 12:03 PM

Falru

05-31-2007, 11:01 PM

I think i'm definitely gonna get this case, i've never been one to need 4 1337 GB hard drives and a nVIDIA Super Omega Alpha XyzForce video card.

Just 2 HD's and a XFX GeForce 7900 GS suits me just fine, and I take my PC to my friends a lot, so this case looks like the thing for me :D I've always been a fan of the "computer-in-a-box" feel, like a PC I saw at a store was in a perfect cube box that was completely see through and i thought it was so cool. ;)

I also like that the motherboard is flat so the cards/cooler stick straight up, instead of horizontally out into space (i dunno why but i've never liked that about PC's)

mcloughj

06-01-2007, 10:24 AM

Would this beast fit in there?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=180124445408&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=008

I like the blackness (seeing as my Antec is grimy silver) and the modularness, mmm :pimp:
Looks like a standard sized psu to me, so it should be fine. It's not like you are trying to squeeze a 1000w enermax galaxy in there. I don't think i've ever heard of jeantech before... have you looked at reviews?

mcloughj

06-01-2007, 10:28 AM

I also like that the motherboard is flat so the cards/cooler stick straight up, instead of horizontally out into space (i dunno why but i've never liked that about PC's)

Yeah i like the idea too... would have liked it better if the case had room for my zalman 9500 cooler, the flat mobo would have made much better use of the heatpipes! Oh well... lets hope the thermaltake blue orb is up to the challenge!

rhythmeister

06-01-2007, 11:34 AM

Looks like a standard sized psu to me, so it should be fine. It's not like you are trying to squeeze a 1000w enermax galaxy in there. I don't think i've ever heard of jeantech before... have you looked at reviews?

I googled her and found it was quite a decent psu. It was some German review site I saw it reviwed on and it was done quite extensively. Not to worry now anyway as I've just won a month old, quad 12V railed, 650W Silverstone ZEUS ST65ZF (new version) for £50 on fleabay WOOT WOOT! :rockout:

Falru

06-03-2007, 03:14 AM

I googled her and found it was quite a decent psu. It was some German review site I saw it reviwed on and it was done quite extensively. Not to worry now anyway as I've just won a month old, quad 12V railed, 650W Silverstone ZEUS ST65ZF (new version) for £50 on fleabay WOOT WOOT! :rockout:

:rockout: love it when i get deals like that, i bought my $200 video card for $55 :)

rhythmeister

06-09-2007, 11:50 AM

Got the case (after >2 weeks wait when the damn thing came from within Europe) and the Silverstone fits...BUT it has no 4 pin motherboard connector which this board needs! Anybody know where I can buy some sort of molex or pci-e to 4 pins adaptor?!

dfy

06-15-2007, 08:12 PM

mcloughj, did you test with 3 hard drives yet?
I'm still tempted to buy this case for my DIY NAS but I'm still unsure if it will work out with the heat :)

mcloughj

06-15-2007, 09:46 PM

mcloughj, did you test with 3 hard drives yet?
I'm still tempted to buy this case for my DIY NAS but I'm still unsure if it will work out with the heat :)

I'm sorry to say that the whole thing went belly up. Basically the dude selling them left off the most important part of my address and as a result the cases are winging their way back to Germany. I'm very disappointed. sorry i wasn't able to do the tests for you.

dfy

06-15-2007, 09:58 PM

I'm sorry to say that the whole thing went belly up. Basically the dude selling them left off the most important part of my address and as a result the cases are winging their way back to Germany. I'm very disappointed. sorry i wasn't able to do the tests for you.

No problem, I'm pretty sure I will go for this config anyway, I just wanted to be sure if it will work. I'll let you guys know how it works out :)

Pieterke

06-17-2007, 12:16 PM

I'm planning on buying this very hot case too, but I have a question.
Would a Blue Orb FX (the one with the turning leds on it that show temperature and Db:cool:) fit in this case?

mcloughj

06-18-2007, 12:13 AM

I'm planning on buying this very hot case too, but I have a question.
Would a Blue Orb FX (the one with the turning leds on it that show temperature and Db:cool:) fit in this case?

Just going on the review the basic blue orb II is a tight fit at 66mm, but the blue orb fx comes in at 85mm which might be a little too big.

Falru

06-29-2007, 08:40 AM

Yay the case arrived! Now I just need to wait for all my other hardware :(

Any info on what CPU coolers fit this case (mainly height issues due to PSU) would be greatly appreciated :D

mcloughj

06-29-2007, 09:49 AM

Yay the case arrived! Now I just need to wait for all my other hardware :(

Any info on what CPU coolers fit this case (mainly height issues due to PSU) would be greatly appreciated :D

They used the thermaltake blue orb in the review, so that should be fine for you. I got one myself, it's pretty good, no heatpipes though. Zalman do a low profile cooler, but i think it would be a little louder.

Snoopy13

12-22-2007, 07:53 PM

So what is the max CPU height? I guess many people bought this case till this day

rhythmeister

01-05-2008, 04:00 PM

So what is the max CPU height? I guess many people bought this case till this day

About 10cm MAX as the psu will be RIGHT above the cooler :toast: