If you think this PC Case is inspired by a pair of swimmers, prepare to be proven wrong.
Thermaltake has made some pretty solid enthusiast cases over the years (just check out the Armor series for a great example), and they're looking to continue that with the oddly named Spedo (which we also did a first look of here). There's a lot of features, so let's get started.
The front fascia is an impressive mix of black steel mesh and light gray plastic, with a very appropriate Thermaltake logo at the top (amazingly the only one you'll find on this case!). Power and reset buttons are at the top right, but they feel extremely flimsy, as if you could break them just by using them. You probably won't, but they're not amazing. Moving up to the top of the case there are two USB ports, audio/microphone jacks and an eSATA port - all very handy, especially for those with external HDDs.
Four raised vented 'lips' lie close to the front of the top, while the remainder of the top is a meshed area that has a small slope impressed onto it - essentially making a tray. Strangely there is another layer of wide mesh, then yet [i]another[/i] layer underneath that before the 230mm exhaust fan - just how much material needs to be in the way here? Not only that, but all the layers of mesh are thick enough to let pretty much every single screw you'll use in the build fall through, potentially meaning that you can drop a screw without realising, turn your computer on, and release the magical blue smoke.
The back of the case is excellent, with dual 120mm fans, soft rubber grommets around twin holes for watercooling, and plenty of ventilation to let heat escape. The power supply is mounted at the very bottom - Thermaltake even include a 24 AND an 8/4 pin extension cable! The right side panel is well ventilated, but the left windowed one is even better - a 230mm fan is inset in this window, with mesh here as well. A bloody great idea for this fan is that the cable snakes down the panel, connecting with two pins. These pins mate with two contacts on the case, powering the fan and removing the need to worry about pulling the cable! This is an exceptional idea, and we're not sure why no-one had thought of it until now.
Moving inside the case, you can see that the 5.25in bays are held in place with tool-free brackets - simply slide the drive in, click them closed, and that's it! Hard drives are a similar story, just remove the plastic tray, sit your HDD in (on little rubber washers to absorb some vibration) and slide it back in. There are three 3.5in bays per bank, and there are two banks that you can move up or down the case as you see fit. From the inside, you'll notice that the front meshed panel also has foam behind it - great for minimising dust inside the case.
Yet another great aspect of this case is the motherboard tray, where there's a mount for a 120mm fan to blow directly at the CPU socket, making sure that both sides of the mobo are cool. There are two cutouts that allow cabling of SATA/IDE and power cables, and Thermaltake has even included black screws to secure the mobo with - now that's attention to detail! Cable management is excellent behind the tray too, giving you the best chance for neatness.
The plastic guides at the bottom of the case can be removed to install hardware, but the tool-less PCI securing system is very flimsy - stick with screws here. There's also a fan holder mounted on a rail that can be positioned anywhere, and Thermaltake even include a fan!
This is a really excellent case, and if you like the looks or want the features, there really is nothing more affordable.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012