Computer Reviews

3dgameman reports on the Cooler Master Centurion BTX-B541 computer case.

Featuring a mostly steel construction with a little aluminum it weighs in at 7 kilograms, features 2 large and 2 small bays at the front.

It comes in cool black coloring with a little silver trim at the two sides of the front panel. Removable front panels to access air filters are a neat extra and the power and reset buttons are styled nicely.

There is a full compliment of ports at the front, which are not hindered by a panel.

Installation of parts is made easier by tool free bays covers at the back. There is adequate room inside for those things you need to install, it also takes an ATX power supply if needed, making it that little bit more useable.

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Thermaltake Armor case VA8000 with its strong and protective shield is one of the sturdier cases around. The model is basically a fully compatible Water Cooling System. There are plenty of spaces for fans so the Thermaltake Armor VA8000 provides great cooling for computer systems.

Since the Thermaltake Armor PC Case VA8000 is equipped with a number of fan slots, it provides great cooling. There are two 120 mm fans on the front and rear of the chassis and an additional 90 mm fan on the top of the chassis, allowing good airflow through the whole case. The fans inside the Thermaltake Armor Case, being 120mm in diameter allow a greater flow of air through the case (almost double that of an 80mm fan) meaning more cooling without extra noise.

The Thermaltake VA8000 even contains retaining holes that hold all types of water-cooling kits. As Thermaltake are also in the market for water-cooling systems, they are suited to make installing their name brand water-cooling sytems as easy as possible. Although water-cooling systems haven’t really caught on with the non-techy crowd, the options available for an easy add-on system make it that much more accessible.

Here is the list of the major features of the Thermaltake Armor Case VA8000:

• 10 External 5.25” Drive Bays
• 6 Internal 3.5” Drive Bays
• 7 Expansion Slots
• 2 Front USB Ports
• 1 Front FireWire Ports
• 2 Front Audio Ports
• 2 90mm Fans
• 2 120mm Fans
• Power Button Reset
• Back Panels

Thermaltake Armor case VA8000 is black, breaking from the mould of traditional grey PC cases, but nothing spectacularly bold. One of the more notable features is the ability to relocate the power and reset switch into any of the drive bays. A nice option, although the usual placement is good enough for me, but why complain, I’d rather have more options than less, as long as they don’t become cumbersome.

Pros

• Optimized airflow
• Excellent thermal management
• Maximum flexibility
• Cheapest price
• Maximum expandability and accessibility
• Minimized noise level
• Optimized internal space

Cons

• Limited warranty

The Thermaltake Armor Case VA8000 is a great choice for those who want to implement a hassle-free water cooling system, or just a case with a lot of space inside. And with decent looks to boot.

Most of the time I get to look at budget range cases, and as cool as they can be at times they are always just budget cases. They all follow a similar mold and most often just alter some of the looks for what people want to see.

But not with the Thermaltake Tai-Chi

Thermaltake have taken a massive leap in the right direction in producing a case of exceptional quality. It’s not just good, its excellent. There is something special about coming across a product that is truly solid and great. Just like I feel about a audiophile sound system, this case oozes coolness.

Features…

• All aluminum
• Really solid
• Spacious interior
• Easy to upgrade to liquid cooling

Well, enough of the praise. The case is an all aluminum deal with cooling fins running down both sides of the case. The front has a split door and there is a grill at the bottom of the case to bring new air in when warm air is expelled.

The massive case design (it really is massive) is a wonder to work on as there is always enough space to do things inside it. It is designed, with pre-cut holes, to take a water cooling system, most likely their own if you were to ask them. There is another model available that combines the Thermaltake Tai Chi with one of their water cooling solutions.

The case is solid and includes all the usual extras that we have come to expect from cases, like Firewire, USB and audio ports. There is a 120mm fan which is joined to a 3 hard drive rack that goes in the case. There are enough DVD drive size bays for anything you would want to install too.

The Thermaltake Tai-Chi is heavy, at around 17kg it really needs to handles that are included to carry it around.

I could not recommend this case to the average computer user. It’s price just makes no sense for someone who doesn’t really love their computer. But with that said the case really is a wonder. It has everything you could need, looks to match and solid build. It is futureproof enough that it could last a decade or more. It really is just gorgeous.

Pros

• Good looks
• Solid build
• Spacious interior
• Nearly tool-less design

Cons

• Expensive (but worth it)
• Cheapy PCI card retaining clips