A Trio of Thermaltake Towers
by Joshua Buss on August 16, 2006 2:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Thermaltake Eclipse DV - Extra Images
To finish the coverage of the Eclipse DV here are few more pictures we took of the enclosure. The window is a little different from the original Eclipse, and includes a vent over the CPU which could have an 80mm fan attached if desired.
The back is nearly identical to the Eclipse and Armor Jr. cases, except for one of the stock slot covers. The jacks are fed from the included combo drive so audio can be passed back into a sound card in case it doesn't have the necessary CD headers internally.
When powered on, the Eclipse DV puts on quite a show. As we mentioned previously there's a "volume indicator" on the front at the bottom that lights up, but it seems to correspond more with CD access than sound.
The clear plastic in front is lit up at the tops and bottoms over each piece, and HDD activity triggers an extra flash of red on the left side of the bottom piece.
In this final shot the drive is open and the texture of the brushed aluminum front is easy to see. It should be noted that this design is really only for people who know they can take relatively good care of their computers and media - it should be no surprise that this might not be the best case for a frequent LAN party attendee. One missed-placed step while the drive is open and the centerpiece of the case could be ruined.
To finish the coverage of the Eclipse DV here are few more pictures we took of the enclosure. The window is a little different from the original Eclipse, and includes a vent over the CPU which could have an 80mm fan attached if desired.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The back is nearly identical to the Eclipse and Armor Jr. cases, except for one of the stock slot covers. The jacks are fed from the included combo drive so audio can be passed back into a sound card in case it doesn't have the necessary CD headers internally.
When powered on, the Eclipse DV puts on quite a show. As we mentioned previously there's a "volume indicator" on the front at the bottom that lights up, but it seems to correspond more with CD access than sound.
The clear plastic in front is lit up at the tops and bottoms over each piece, and HDD activity triggers an extra flash of red on the left side of the bottom piece.
In this final shot the drive is open and the texture of the brushed aluminum front is easy to see. It should be noted that this design is really only for people who know they can take relatively good care of their computers and media - it should be no surprise that this might not be the best case for a frequent LAN party attendee. One missed-placed step while the drive is open and the centerpiece of the case could be ruined.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
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raskren - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I'm tired of these Nite Brite cases designed for the 15 year old boy. Come on! How about something a little more professional? I don't need or want giant holes, windows, or cases covered in LEDs!JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
despite what the majority of comments seem to point to, the fact is Thermaltake's cases sell like hot-cakes. people like them.. and no, I'm not just talking about 15 year old boys. different strokes for different folksOperandi - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Nickelback, the Chevy Cavalier, and Huffy bikes sell like “hot-cakes” too yet all three suck, hmm… how about that?People like them sure but based on the comments here not the Anandtech demographic.
JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
trust me, the 'active anandtech comment posters' demographic is nothing like the 'active anandtech reader' demographic ;)Le Québécois - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Amen !Forbin85 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I have to agree. What's with the doors on the front too?I actually just bought myself a Coolermaster Centurion 534 for my Conroe build.
bob661 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I have a red Aspire aluminum case. I can't find my case anywhere anymore so I'm assuming it's been discontinued although steel versions can be found. Very simple design with side facing hard drive trays damn near the same as the Aguila. I'll have this case for a LONG time before I give it up. BTX will probably be the only way I'll change it.AMD4ME2 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I personally like screws! to hold in my expansion cards! I work on alot of machines daily and seriously... I'm sick of opening computers and finding expansion cards bouncing around in the case because of some wimpy screwless design.SilthDraeth - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
"Once our install was completed we noticed how much the honeycomb grill acts like a standard case window, but frankly we appreciate the ventilation and EMF shielding it provides more than just the cool factor."Just how much EMF shielding do you think an aluminum grill provides? And you mention that you like the ventilation, while at the same time, you express your worry over your hard drives getting to hot???
and
"This decision is interesting for a case designed more for sever use though, considering it sacrifices airflow over the hard drives, which shows up as considerably higher temperatures for our system hard drive and MOSFETs."
I guess you can say the case is designed for servers. I actually thought it was a small form factor case, instead of an ATX case for building your own standard computer in.
On a positive note I like the Aguila's design, but I still do not think it touches the Coolermaster Praetorian.
JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
good point. I'll see if I can re-word that.