Internal compartments 3.5. Knight or robot? Thermaltake ARMOR REVO Snow Edition review. Liquid cooling support

Advantages: Normal price in principle. Volumetric zalman logo. The entire muzzle is covered with a perforated metal mesh with a small cell. Immediately behind it, a paralon filter is located over the entire area. There is a filter at the bottom for the PSU. The filter sticks out a little around the perimeter, but it protects normally - after a few days, a little debris has already accumulated on the PSU filter (although this is a stupid problem with the lower location of the PSU). behind the back wall due to the stamping on the side cover. Of course, for complete management, long cables are needed, but even small ones can be partially hidden. During operation of the computer with a HDD at 7200 rpm, it does not tremble, does not vibrate (apparently due to rivets, roundings ...) There is a reset button, and a large one. PSU so that it doesn’t hit the bottom Wall bolts with knurled heads (plastic ones that can be unscrewed with your fingers) Rectangular recess on top - you can put something and not be afraid that it will fall There are no holes on the side and on top: less dust, less noise (a gaming computer that is very hot in this it is unlikely that anyone will assemble the case) The legs are very high - it would be better to blow out the PSU 2 x 5.25-inch bays: you can stuff a DVD-ROM into one, and into the second miracle icedisk 100 with HDD inside (if you are building a super quiet computer) There is a hole under 3.5 - you can shove the card reader 1 USB 3.0 on the face, and not an extension cord, but at the end of the connector into the mother (although if there is no connector on the mother, and the current on the back wall, then you will fly with the connector) 2 USB 2.0 on the face B bundled 2 valves. The front valve is 3-pin powered to the mother and my mother can control the speed of rotation, so it turned out to be quiet. HDD sit on a sled. The sled just leans against the HDD and slides into the rails. Additionally, you can screw in 1 bolt. The sled does not have rubber pads, but after the add. bolting rigidity is good. Subjectively, the HDD vibrates less.

Faults: Front muzzle is completely mesh, foam does not protect against noise. If you need a quiet system, then you need to think about silence in total. Well, here's something for you to think about: As in any case with a bottom PSU, you need to be very careful about the length of the cables - many ordinary PSUs will stupidly not reach 4pin. additional connector mother's power supply Cable management is cheating: there is no place behind the mother and, in theory, the cables should not fit at all, but they fit only thanks to the convex wall, i.e. cables lie in this bulge. In principle, I don’t care, but you need to more carefully position the cables and place them in an even layer. The HDD basket is lateral and the sled is made so that the connectors can only be rotated towards the rear wall. Because of this, you have to insert / remove the HDD with the removal of the rear side cover, and the cable management is hidden there and the wires are packed tightly there and everything falls out. And you can still dodge and stick your hand behind the basket, but this is still a crap. In short, a good basket for those who will not poke screws back and forth. Due to the fact that the rear valve is 3-pin to the mother and she knows how to regulate them, it turned out to be quiet, but I had to rearrange it to the front to cool the screws. The second is made on a Molex and it turns out that it is audible, although it is quiet, but it turns out to be the loudest in the computer - I turned it off. When blowing out, the tower cooler blows out well from the processor itself. At the same time, it is quite difficult to remove the muzzle - it is attached to plastic spacers - it is hard to squeeze them and break them fearfully. The wires of the buttons are shameful, all individually - all the ties from the set. gone to them Absolutely strange button on / off: you press the usual button and it sinks inward. and this one has no stroke, literally half a millimeter. + I don’t know why, but on two computers, when Windows is turned on and the power button is pressed, the computer is stupidly cut down without shutting down, although everything is OK in the settings, i.e. you will have to forget about turning off the computer from the button on the case, I had to make a shortcut to turn it off Steel here is essno 0.6, but despite this it does not vibrate, well, weight ...

Ever since computer cases, so to speak, the design appeared, the white color irrevocably went out of fashion. White now, if used, is mainly for cases of simple office PCs, and they prefer to paint containers for powerful iron with black paint. An excellent situation for presenting a banal white color as a sharp design move, thereby making your product stand out among similar ones.

In Thermaltake's assortment, the white version of the ARMOR REVO case, the oldest in its line, is designated as a separate model. Although, except for the color, they do not differ in anything, and they cost about the same: about 6 thousand rubles at the prices of Moscow online stores.

Thermaltake REVO ARMOR Snow Edition (VO200M6W2N)
Form Factor	ATX Full Tower
Supported Motherboard Form Factors	ATX, MicroATX
Max. allowable CPU cooler height, mm	180
Max. allowable video card length, mm	330
Power supply standard, mm
Bays and slots
5.25" open bays	5
Enclosed 3.5" bays	6
3.5" open bays	1 (instead of one of the 5.25" bays)
Closed 2.5" bays	Not
Expansion card slots	8
External ports	3 x USB 3.0, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x eSATA, 2 x 1/4" TRS (mini-jack)
Fans
Embedded	3 x 200x30 mm (600-800 rpm, 13-15 dBA), 1 x 140x25 mm (1000 rpm, 16 dBA)
Seats for extra fans	1 x 140x25 mm, 1 x 120x25 mm
materials	SECC (steel, electrogalvanized, cold-rolled, coil)
Overall dimensions: LxHxD, mm	586x254x552
Weight, kg	11,5

⇡ Packaging, scope of delivery, appearance

The case is sold in a box with a "portrait" of a knight in sparkling armor - to match the name. The case belongs to the Full Tower standard, so he got a very large box. For carrying, paired slots on the sides are provided.

The package includes bags with screws for all occasions, additional racks for motherboard and plastic clamps. There is even an adapter from an eight-pin to a four-pin processor power connector and a “speaker” on a short wire. There is also an adapter for installing a 3.5-inch device in a 5.25-inch bay and a plug with a slot in case this device (memory card reader or something) is displayed on the front panel. So, who just said, "Floppick"?

Despite what is shown on the packaging, the author of the article Thermaltake ARMOR REVO Snow Edition associates not with medieval armor, but with giant humanoid robots from some anime. The very ones who still will not stand guard over the borders of our Motherland. Unless the notorious anime robots are usually painted in a more diverse way, but this, if desired, can be remedied. By the way, the paint layer on all external panels is thick, the surface is perfect.

The right case cover is habitually deaf, without any ventilation holes. The area of the left cover was divided between a viewing window and a huge fan grille (200 mm in diameter). In addition, there is a folding bracket on which you can hang headphones after a virtual battle. For the weight of the earbuds, the bracket looks solid enough, but we wouldn't recommend putting anything heavy (like a leg) on it.

Both covers are fixed with screws with massive caps, which are screwed in with bare fingers. Thanks to the thick steel and secure fastening, the lid snaps into place without any extra effort, but the screw holes on the lid and the case frame still do not completely match, and it takes a little effort to insert the sharp tip of the screw into the hole.

The case rests on four high plastic legs. The legs turn outward, creating a more reliable support.

The front panel bears not only the Thermaltake logo, but also features of a recognizable corporate design. The creators of the case maximized the number of ventilation holes on the "face". The 5.25-inch slot covers are perforated, the entire space below is filled with large mesh-protected holes.

Part of the front panel is covered by swinging doors made of thick brushed aluminum. Any functional purpose it was not possible to come up with them: when closed, they do not even interfere with access to external compartments. But the sashes are a signature feature of Thermaltake cases, and they look solid. In addition, this is the only part of the Thermaltake ARMOR REVO look that unambiguously lives up to its name.

All communications are moved from the front panel to the ledge of the top cover. The ports are rotated towards the user's likely location at a slight angle. In addition to USB 2.0, USB 3.0, eSATA and two mini-jacks, there is such a component of dubious usefulness as a "doc" for hard drive. At the bottom of the recess with a shutter, a standard SATA interface block is mounted, to which you can connect a “naked” hard drive of the form factor 2.5 or 3.5 inches. At hand in the test lab lies external HDD Seagate Backup Plus in a USM standard box, but, alas, it does not fit the Thermaltake case.

The "command" ledge is made of white plastic. And, judging by the fact that even before arriving for the test at 3DNews, someone split the plastic at the corner (the defect is photoshopped in the photos), this is the weak point of the powerful armor from Thermaltake. However, if you refrain from vandalism, then for everyday use this detail seems to be quite reliable.

The case is equipped with a built-in backlight (how else?). But if someone remembered the phrase “And she has a neon woman inside,” then they made a mistake. In this case, the backlight is provided by LEDs in two case fans. Of course, from a strictly aesthetic point of view, computer backlighting in itself is not the pinnacle of elegance and good taste, but one cannot but admit that the good old neon effect still works: in the dark, ARMOR REVO really looks beautiful.

⇡ Construction

The inner frame of the case is painted black. The steel is thick and strong, the quality of the edging and painting is flawless. In the sheet on which the motherboard is mounted, a window has been cut for access to the area opposite the processor socket, which means that you can remove and mount the backplates of all kinds of tower coolers without removing the board. A separate removable tray for the "motherboard" is not provided. The case is ready to accept ATX and Micro ATX form factor boards.

A few more holes with rubber flaps are designed to keep the cables connecting the iron out of sight.

In the rack for hard drives You can assemble an array of six 3.5-inch drives, and install another drive with an adapter in a 5.25-inch bay. Winchesters in the rack are turned sideways to the longitudinal axis of the case, thereby increasing the volume of the main compartment. Its length is enough to install expansion cards up to 330 mm in size.

The little blue baskets for hard drives look flimsy, but are notable for the fact that no tools are required to install the HDD: mounting pins are simply inserted into the holes. Devices in 5.25-inch bays can also be installed with bare hands.

One of the two giant glowing fans is located directly opposite the drive rack. The entire front panel can be easily removed, giving access to the dust filter that covers the cooler.

Another dust filter runs right along the outer surface along the bottom of the case. In this place, if necessary, you can install an additional fan with a size of 120x120 mm.

The third of the 200mm coolers blows air through the top panel. You can attach another 120 or 140 mm fan to it. The top panel is also ideal for mounting a two-section radiator for a water cooling system, although top-end CBOs often use three-section radiators, which will not be included in the ARMOR REVO.

A system of three large 200mm fans is powered by two Molex connectors. The rotation speed is set by the buttons on the control panel: High and Low. Separately, you can turn on and off the LED backlight. The remaining 140mm cooler on the rear panel connects to the motherboard. It is noteworthy that you do not need to pull a separate wire to the fan on the side cover: when installing the cover, the connector on the bottom frame of the frame simply closes.

In general, the Thermaltake ARMOR REVO cooling system looks impressive. Ventilation holes are made wherever possible, the case is easily blown through. There are many fans, and if desired, you can install even more.

⇡ Testing

In order to test the hull in action, we placed iron inside test bench, which is used for video card benchmarks, is a powerful system with a six-core CPU overclocked to 4.6 GHz, a GeForce GTX 690 video card and a 1200 W power supply. But since the processor and video card are not the only components whose temperature worries the user, the test bench included a 4 TB Hitachi Deskstar 7K4000 hard drive (HDS724040ALE640). This is a disk with five magnetic plates and a spindle speed of 7200 rpm. It heats up very lightly.

And Thermaltake ARMOR REVO did not let us down. Even at low cooling system speeds, we managed to significantly reduce the temperature of the hard drive can and even help the CPU and video card coolers a little. If you turn the fans to maximum, then the temperature of the components drops by a few more degrees.

In the maximum mode, the case is noticeably noisy, but the noise spectrum is pleasant to the ear. There is no roar, no whistle, no vibration. In Low mode, the contribution of the case to the background noise of the room is already negligible.

⇡ Conclusions

"Snowball" from Thermaltake left a good impression. It does an excellent job of cooling PC components. We are also completely satisfied with the capacity and ease of use. The build quality is top notch. Of course, there are more sophisticated cases - with aluminum panels, a service display, the ability to install large form factor motherboards, long CBO heatsinks and a huge number of drives. But if all this is not required, then ARMOR REVO both in white and in standard version- a very good suggestion.

System unit (slang. system manager, case, housing) - a functional element that protects the internal components of a computer from external influences and mechanical damage, maintains the required temperature inside, shields generated by internal components electromagnetic radiation and is the basis for further expansion of the system. System blocks are mass-produced in a factory way from parts based on steel, aluminum and plastic.

Enclosure types

Horizontal (dimensions are in millimeters):

Desktop (533×419×152)
FootPrint (406×406×152)
Slim Line (406×406×101)
UltraSlimLine (381×352×75)

Vertical (dimensions are in millimeters):

Mini Tower (152×432×432)
MidiTower (173×432×490)
Big Tower (190×482×820)
SuperFullTower (various sizes)

Example:

Common parameters
Form factor	ATX
Form factor and dimensions
Size	midi-tower
Power Supply	eat
Power supply power	450 W
Design
Housing material	steel
Wall thickness	0.6 mm
The presence of a window on the side wall	No
Number of internal bays 3.5	5
Number of external bays 3.5	1
Number of compartments 5.25	4
Number of expansion slots	7
	eat
Cooling
Built-in fans	1 x 120x120 mm, 2 x 80x80 mm
Front/Side/Top Interfaces
	2
Microphone input	eat
Headphone output	eat
Additionally
Power Supply Location	horizontal
Additional Information	FireWire on the front panel optional, possibility to install two 80x80 mm fans or one 120x120 mm fan on the front wall

Form factor ATX

ATX

Can be installed in an ATX form factor motherboard case. The form factor is a standard that determines the size of the motherboard, the location of the components, the type of power supply. The ATX boards measure 304.8x243.8mm and support seven expansion slots for PCI, PCI E, and AGP cards. Most ATX form factor cases can also accept mATX motherboards (see "mATX"). ATX is the most common form factor for desktop motherboards today.

Size midi-tower
Enclosure types- Vertical (MidiTower (173×432×490))
Power Supply eat
Power supply power 450 W

Power Supply

Power supply included.
Most cases come with a power supply. However, the bundled power supply may not be powerful enough when you assemble the system yourself, or it may not have enough connectors. A case without a power supply will be useful for people who are going to purchase a power supply that suits them separately. As a rule, expensive, high-quality cases are sold without a power supply.

Power supply power

The power of the power supply included in the kit. Depending on the configuration of your computer, you may need more or less power from the power supply. To determine required power power supply, you need to know what total power is consumed by all components of the system. The most powerful components of the system are processors and video cards.
Consumption modern processor together with motherboard is approximately 100 to 150 watts. The higher the frequency of the processor, the more power it consumes. Dual core processors are more powerful than single core processors. The consumption of modern video cards varies from 40-60 W (for budget models) to 300 W (for top-end video cards).
Winchester consumes about 10-15 watts, RAM- about 10 watts per gigabyte, CD-RW/DWD-RW drives - 15-20 watts. USB controllers along with sound and network cards- about 30 more watts.
When choosing a power supply, it is desirable to have some power reserve to ensure stable operation. For example, a system with a Core 2 Duo, a modern video card and two hard drives will require a 400-450 W power supply.
Power supplies of various capacities can be installed in the same case, while the higher the power, the higher the cost of the kit and the more heat will be generated during operation.

Number of internal bays 3.5 5
Number of external bays 3.5 1
Number of compartments 5.25 4
Number of expansion slots 7
Screwless mounting in 3.5 and 5.25 bays eat

Number of external bays 3.5(from 0 to 8)
Number of external bays (bays with external access) 3.5 inches. 3.5" drives (floppies), zip drives, card readers, infrared ports and some other devices are installed in such bays. The number of bays should be chosen depending on how many 3.5" devices are planned to be placed in the case. As a rule, for home computer one or two external 3.5" bays is enough.
Number of internal bays 3.5(from 0 to 13)
The number of internal (hidden) compartments is 3.5 inches. The internal bays are mainly used to install hard drives. If you do not plan to connect more than two hard drives, then three or four compartments are sufficient. If, in the future, the system will be upgraded and additional hard drives installed, then you should pay attention to cases with five or six or even more hidden compartments. It should be noted that for good system cooling, it is undesirable to mount hard drives close to each other, therefore, for three hard drives, a case with six and more internal compartments.

Number of expansion slots

The number of slots available in the case for expansion cards. The number of slots is directly related to the form factor of the case. ATX and BTX cases have a maximum of seven expansion slots, mATX and mBTX have four slots each (see "ATX", "BTX", "mATX", "mBTX"). Please note that some devices (such as video cards with massive heatsinks) can take up two slots.

Screwless mounting in expansion slots

Possibility of fastening in expansion slots not only with the help of screws, but also with the use of special latches. This design makes inserting and removing boards faster and more convenient.

Built-in fans 1 x 120x120 mm, 2 x 80x80 mm

Number of built-in fans 120x120 mm

The number of 120x120 mm fans installed in the case.

Total number of USB interfaces on the front panel 2
Microphone input eat
Headphone output eat

Number of USB interfaces on the front panel

The number of USB connectors on the front panel of the case.
The presence of several USB connectors on the front panel allows, without moving the case away from the wall, to connect various devices with USB interface. Depending on the number of USB devices used at the same time, you can choose a case with one, two or four slots.

Microphone input on the front panel

The presence of an audio input miniJack (3.5 mm) on the front panel of the case. This location of the additional connector allows you to connect a microphone without moving the case away from the wall.

Front panel headphone output

The presence of an audio output miniJack (3.5 mm) on the front panel of the case. This arrangement of the additional connector allows you to connect headphones or speakers without moving the case away from the wall.

Due to the growing fleet of flash drives with USB 3.0 support, it was decided to make a small upgrade.
Due to the fact that the InWin S500 case of my computer was bought a long time ago, the absence of any interface connectors on the front panel was quite natural. The emergence of affordable "flash drives" has made its own adjustments. At first, I used an extension cable for the ports located behind the computer. Later, I got a splitter on the front panel, installed in a 3.5 "bay and using additional ports on the motherboard. It was quite comfortable, although it needed some work. The motherboard based on the Z77 chipset didn't have splitters in the kit.Maybe it should have been like that, or maybe the managers stole it, it doesn't matter now.But I finally decided to fix the situation.

As the Chinese love, the front panel came in a regular package, wrapped in 2 layers of bubbles.
When unpacking, I found that the material of the panel is iron, not plastic. An unfortunate oversight - I thought, but there is nothing to do, I have to bet.

Appearance and comparison with the previous front panel:

The hull features needed to be improved. I don't see this as a disadvantage.

Guide slides without them in my case, alas, in any way.

Long wires allow you to connect the panel to the connectors on the board installed almost anywhere, and there will still be the possibility of a neat laying of wires.

Installation, appearance how it was and how it became:

I was afraid that I would have to modify the iron panel like the old one, but the iron did not disappoint.
The only thing I didn't like was that the panel didn't sit flush with the drive. Although after a couple of days I got used to it and did not feel any discomfort =)

Health check, speed and load:
Flash drive (force of habit FAR) read data to zero. Test passed.

Imitation of charging a crazy phone, thinking that it is connected to the charger:

For the purity of the experiment, an additional "voltmeter" was installed in the adjacent port. At a current of 1.04 Amp, the loss on the wires was 0.16 Volts. Based on what the resistance of the supply conductors along the line is common and + 5V in total: 0.16 / 1.04 \u003d 0.15 Ohm, which is quite good in my opinion. Considering that, according to the specification, the port can deliver up to 0.9 Ampere to the load, the voltage drop will be even less.

There will be no dismemberment, because it is not possible to open it without damage.

Instead of a cat - a dinosaur

A real TwinMos USB 1.1 flash drive In good condition, the read speed is less than a megabyte per second =) On modern hardware it is buggy, on the old one it works perfectly.
Approximately purchased in 2004

Let's summarize:
Did not like:
- iron material
-color
-bolts in the kit regretted
Liked:
- works =)
- no burrs
- the coating is quite durable, no scratches from flash drives have yet been found.
- acceptable wire resistance (purely my opinion, unfortunately there is nothing to compare with)

Output: you can take.

ps why I bought this particular panel - as always, I was in a hurry, I had a $5 coupon (honestly earned). Therefore, the surcharge in real money amounted to a little less than a dollar.

I plan to buy +36 Add to favourites Liked the review +27 +60

The timing technology provided in the illuminated housing (see “Light Type”).

Synchronization itself allows you to “match” the backlight of the case with the backlight of other system components - the motherboard, video card, keyboard, mouse, etc. Thanks to this matching, all components can change color synchronously, turn on / off at the same time, etc. It is worth noting that all such systems have RGB backlighting. The specific features of the operation of such a backlight depend on the synchronization technology used, and, as a rule, each manufacturer has its own (Mystic Light Sync for MSI, Aura Sync for Asus, etc.). The compatibility of the components also depends on this: they must all support the same technology. So the easiest way to achieve backlight compatibility is to collect components from the same manufacturer.

Power Supply

The presence of a power supply unit (PSU) in the scope of delivery of the case. Such equipment saves the user from the need to purchase a PSU separately and from the hassle of compatibility - a complete power supply, by definition, is optimally suited for the case. On the other hand, this PSU may not be suitable for the system that is planned to be assembled - for example, due to insufficient power or lack of the required number of connectors. Therefore, before buying, you need to find out the detailed characteristics of the complete PSU and make sure that it is suitable for the selected configuration. If the configuration is not exactly known (for example, it is planned to buy additional components gradually, or you have not yet decided on a specific set of components), it may be worth choosing a case without a power supply unit and acquiring a power supply last when the requirements for it are finally clear.

The power of the complete PSU

The output power of the power supply supplied with the chassis (see "Power Supply"). This power must not be lower than the total power consumption of the system that is planned to be assembled in the case - otherwise the PSU will simply “not pull out” the system.

PSU location

The location of the power supply (or seat for the power supply) in the case.

The traditional option is the top location of the PSU, this is a familiar and familiar option for many. However, heated air from other system components accumulates in the top of the case, reducing cooling efficiency. Cases with a lower location of the PSU are deprived of this drawback, however, a lot of dust and other contaminants get into them if the system unit is installed on the floor. However, this difference becomes critical only when using high-performance systems with appropriate heat dissipation; for an ordinary household PC, the location of the power supply unit as a whole is not important.

Also note that in miniature cases like the mini-Tower (see "Form Factor"), a top-mounted PSU can overlap part of the motherboard, which further degrades cooling efficiency and makes it difficult to install. CPU coolers big size; however, it all depends on the layout of a particular case.

Bays 5.25"

The number of 5.25" form factor bays provided in the case design. Such bays are made only external, that is, they can be accessed from the outside without opening the case (unlike 3.5", see the corresponding glossary items). To date, 5.25" bays are used primarily for mounting drives. optical discs, internal hard drives in removable “pocket” adapters (Mobile Rack), sometimes additional fans. Also in such compartments using special adapters you can install 3.5" devices. Most cases are equipped with 1 5.25" bay or two . But there are models for 3 compartments or more.

External bays 3.5"

Screwless fastening

The ability to use special latches (instead of screws) to mount peripherals in 3.5" and 5.25 bays, as well as cards in expansion slots. Such a screwless mount greatly facilitates the installation and replacement of system components.

opening mechanism

A way to open the case for access to its internal volume.

Removable side panel. In cases with such an opening, one or both side panels are made removable. Usually, to work with the “stuffing”, it is enough to remove one panel, however, double-sided removable panels are considered more convenient, as they simplify access to some places inside the case.

U-shaped cover. In such cases, the side and top panels are made in the form of a single block resembling the letter P (hence the name), and when the case is opened, they are removed entirely. Such a disassembly scheme provides access to the contents of the case not only from the side, but also from above; on the other hand, the U-shaped cover is slightly less convenient to assemble than the removable side panels.

Installed fans

We also note that most often the holes for installing fans are designed for one specific size, however, there are also “multi-size” seats, for 2-3 options. Moreover, these options may differ both in diameter and in quantity: for example, it may be possible to install two 140 mm fans or three 120 mm fans.

Seats for fans on the side

on the sides of the body

The larger the fan, the more advanced it is considered: a large diameter allows you to work efficiently at relatively low speeds, which reduces the noise level and energy consumption. Case fans are available in several standard diameters, and the seats under them can be designed for both one and several sizes - for example, 120 / 140 mm. At the same time, in some models, the available number of seats also depends on the chosen size: for example, there are gaming cases where you can install either one 180 mm fan or four 120 mm fans at once.

Places for fans on top

The number of fan slots on the top side of the case, and the size of the fans these slots are designed for. The presence of the fans themselves in the kit should be specified separately.

Places for fans below

The number of fan slots on the underside of the case, as well as the size of the fans that these slots are designed for. The presence of the fans themselves in the kit should be specified separately.

The larger the fan, the more advanced it is considered: a large diameter allows you to work efficiently at relatively low speeds, which reduces the noise level and energy consumption. Case fans are available in several standard diameters, and the seats under them can be designed for both one and several sizes - for example, 120 / 140 mm. At the same time, in some models, the available number of seats also depends on the selected size: for example, it may be possible to install either one 180 mm fan or two 140 mm fans.

Places for fans

The total number of places for installing fans provided in the chassis design.

The more productive the system, the more components it includes - the more powerful cooling it will need; therefore, the number of places for fans, as a rule, is directly related to the size and purpose of the case. It is also worth considering that with the same number, the installation location of individual fans may be different - behind, on the side, on top, etc.

Liquid cooling support

This feature is indicated for cases that normally allow the installation of liquid cooling systems (LCS). Similar systems are extremely efficient, but complex and expensive, so they are mainly used in high-performance PCs, for which traditional coolers are no longer enough. Note that theoretically, liquid cooling can be installed in almost any case; however, if support for such cooling is not initially provided in the design, this can be very difficult. So if you initially plan to use LSS, you should choose a case for which support for this function is directly declared.

Grid front panel

The presence of a grille on the front panel of the case. The main point of this solution is to improve the ventilation of the internal volume: the grill allows you to supply fans with a large amount of cool outside air. In addition, the grille often looks good, besides, a lighting system can be located behind it (see Lighting type), which further improves the appearance of the case.

dust filter

The presence of a special filter in the housing that prevents dust from entering inside. Without such a filter, dust settles on the elements of the system; radiators are especially susceptible to this, which, moreover, lose their efficiency, becoming clogged with dust, and they have to be cleaned periodically. If you have a dust filter, you have to clean not the "stuffing" of the PC, but the filter element, which is much easier and harmless to the system.

CBO rear size

The size of the seat for the water cooling system provided on the back of the case.

280 mm is 2x140 mm with a width of 140 mm, and 360 mm is 3x120 mm with a width of 120 mm.

CBO front size

The size of the seat for the water cooling system provided on the front side of the case.

In cases with CBO support, water cooling radiators are installed in the same slots as traditional fans. In other words, either a fan (fans) or a CBO radiator can be installed on the same seat. The size of the seat under the CBO is indicated by one number - the length (on the larger side); the width can be determined based on these data. The fact is that modern CBO radiators usually use fans of one of the standard sizes - 120 mm or 140 mm; and if there are several such fans, they are arranged in a row. As a result, the length of the radiator turns out to be a multiple, and the width is equal to one of these numbers: for example, 280 mm is 2x140 mm with a width of 140 mm, and 360 mm is 3x120 mm with a width of 120 mm. In general, the size of the front radiator is 240 mm 360 mm 420 mm and even more.

Note that in this case, the same nuances are relevant as for air cooling: a larger fan takes up more space and costs more, but is considered more advanced, as it can operate efficiently at a lower speed - and this reduces noise and vibration.

CBO side size

The size of the seat for the water cooling system provided on the side of the case.

In cases with CBO support, water cooling radiators are installed in the same slots as traditional fans. In other words, either a fan (fans) or a CBO radiator can be installed on the same seat. The size of the seat under the CBO is indicated by one number - the length (on the larger side); the width can be determined based on these data. The fact is that modern CBO radiators usually use fans of one of the standard sizes - 120 mm or 140 mm; and if there are several such fans, they are arranged in a row. As a result, the length of the radiator turns out to be a multiple, and the width is equal to one of these numbers: for example, the minimum size of a side radiator for modern cases is actually 240 mm, which corresponds to two 120 mm fans placed side by side; the actual dimensions of such a nest are thus 240x120 mm.

CBO size on top

The size of the seat for the water cooling system provided on the top side of the case.

In cases with CBO support, water cooling radiators are installed in the same slots as traditional fans. In other words, either a fan (fans) or a CBO radiator can be installed on the same seat. The size of the seat under the CBO is indicated by one number - the length (on the larger side); the width can be determined based on these data. The fact is that modern CBO radiators usually use fans of one of the standard sizes - 120 mm or 140 mm; and if there are several such fans, they are arranged in a row. As a result, the length of the radiator turns out to be a multiple, and the width is equal to one of these numbers: for example, 280 mm is 2x140 mm with a width of 140 mm, and 360 mm is 3x120 mm with a width of 120 mm. In general, the size of the upper radiator of 240 mm or less is considered relatively small, 280 mm - medium, 360 mm - large, and in some models it reaches 420 mm or even more.

CBO size from below

The size of the seat for the water cooling system provided on the underside of the case.

Places for SVO

The total number of places for water cooling systems provided in the case, in other words, the largest number of CBO radiators that can be installed in the case. Such radiators are usually placed one at a time on the side of the case, so several radiators are most often located on different sides: for example, 3 places for CBO can be located at the back, top and front.

When estimating the number of seats (of all types), it should be taken into account that CBO fans and radiators usually use the same seats.

Location

The location of the front set of connectors provided in the case. These connectors can be located on the front panel , on the side wall or on the top of the case . The first two options are found in all case form factors (see above), while the top placement is considered optimal for tower solutions, originally designed for installation under the table.

Fan control

The ability to manually control the rotation speed of the fans installed in the case.

This function allows you to adjust the operation of the fans to the specific situation. For example, in cool weather with a light load, you can reduce the speed (or even turn off the fan altogether), reducing power consumption and noise level, and increase it when starting a demanding game. Also note that there are software tools that allow you to automatically adjust the speed of the fans; so that instead of manual control, this function can be entrusted to automation.

- Side panel lock. The presence of a special lock on the removable side panel of the case. This lock prevents unauthorized access to the internal volume of the system unit.

- Noise isolation. Existence at the case of additional sound insulation. This can be either a special coating on the inside, or other, more specific solutions (for example, shock-absorbing systems on "seats" for individual components that reduce the level of vibrations transmitted to the body... ii). Anyway this feature helps to reduce the noise level emitted by the system - sometimes quite significantly.

- Removable HDD cage. The presence in the design of the case of a removable basket for the inner periphery of the form factor 3.5 "(in the vast majority of cases this hard drives, hence the name). This basket facilitates assembly due to the fact that it can be removed and installed HDD inside is much easier than attaching it to a fixed compartment inside the case; this point is especially useful if you plan to install several hard drives in the system.

- Docking station for HDD. Built-in docking station for quick connection internal hard drives. Actually given function allows you to connect an internal HDD as an external one: the docking station connector is located outside the case and is equipped with quick-release fasteners for easy connection.

- Concealed wire pull. The ability to stretch the wires from the power supply from the back of the motherboard (if we take as the main side on which the processor and slots for expansion cards are located). Thus, the space on the main side of the "motherboard" is freed from wires, which, in particular, has a positive effect on the cooling efficiency.

- The window for installing the cooling system (CO) for the processor. The presence of a separate window in the case opposite the CPU fasteners. The mounting system is located on the back of the motherboard, and usually, in order to change it, you need to remove the entire "motherboard"; the CO installation window saves the user from such a need and greatly simplifies the installation and change of CO.