Thermaltake Swing Case

Product: Thermaltake Swing Case
Provided By: DallmannComputers
Price: ~ $89.99 @ MemoryExpress.com

Introduction:

When it comes to choosing a new case for a project, there are hundreds, if not thousands to choose from.  Companies have produced cases that range from bizarre to plain-jane.  When it comes to picking a new case, you can generally expect quality from big names such as CoolerMaster, Antec, SilverStone and Thermaltake.  Today, we are looking at the Thermaltake Swing case and try to find out if this mid-priced case is good enough for the mid-range market.  It is priced a little higher than other steel cases but it may still be well-priced.  Keep on reading and we'll find out.

 Nicely Decorated Box

Thermaltake is all about presentation.  This case comes in a very attractive box that has numerous pictures showing what is inside the box, and inside the chassis.  It boasts tool-less installation and more.  We'll see exactly how tool-less this is later on.  The box arrived in good shape and was quickly opened to see the new enclosure for our Intel Test Rig.

Specs & Features:

Here are the specs, ripped shamelessly from Thermaltakes site:

Below is a list of the features as listed by Thermaltake:

• High efficiency ventilation: 12cm silent fan in rear
• Transparent side panel
• Tool - Free when installing 5.25" & 3.5" device
• Dual USB 2.0, IEEE 1394 Firewire, Audio & Speaker ports
• Stylish streamline form design
• Thumb-screws for easy opening side panel
• EMI protection spring

I also observed other features that Thermaltake doesn't include in their feature list.  This case has front audio, USB2.0 and Firewire connectors as well as tool-free PCI slots.  It also comes equipped with space to mount a 120mm fan at the front.  There is a mesh filter on the intake, chassis intrusion detection switch and more.  Although this case is a bit pricey for it's market, it does come with a lot of features.

First Look - Exterior:

This case is a pretty nice looking case as far as cases go.  It arrived with a plastic coating over the side window to prevent scratches and damage during shipping.  There was a plastic film on both the inside and outside.  It has room for 4 - 5.25" devices and a couple of 3.5" external devices as well.  You could actually install a pair of 3.5" floppy drives!!  Not many cases have room for two.

Taking a look at the back of this case reveals that there is no included PSU.  It also shows that their is a nice large 120mm fan with a good open fan grill.  This grill is not as open and unrestrictive as some, but it is much better than many other cases on the market.

Taking a look at the side of the case shows a nice big window and the gives us our first glimpse of the drive racks.  These are tool-less as we'll discuss later on.  The window is held in by 14 black plastic push pins.  There is some side ventilation holes under the "handle".  Unfortunately a fan cannot be mounted at this location to bring in fresh air.  The holes are really too small to be useful with active cooling anyhow.  They'll have to do as some extra passive ventilation.

As we head over to the next page, we'll take a look inside the case and at some extra's that make it pop.