MaximumPC 2007 06

reviewsTes Ted. Reviewed. veRdic Tized

69 MAXIMUMPC june 2007

T

rying to review cases is like trying to

pick your favorite flavor of ice cream.

With so many choices, we just don’t

know where to begin. So we sample them

all. And it gives us a splitting headache.

That said, we’re taking our time with this

month’s products: a savory midtower case

and a succulent portable box. And our

head has never been happier.

—DaviD Murphy

TherMal Take lanBox

vF1000SWa

At first glance, Thermaltake’s Lanbox case

looks like an absolute dud. Not because

of its design but rather its size. What’s the

point of buying a case that won’t fit, say, a

GeForce 8800 GTX card?

So let us first rest your troubled heart.

Yes, you can stuff a modern rig into the

Lanbox. A rig based on a micro ATX or mini

ITX formfactor, mind you. It’s a tight fit, and

you might have to get a little creative with

cable management, but a sweet, easily

totable rig is not an unobtainable dream.

That said, the Lanbox’s design is an

utter success. There’s just enough space

for all the essential parts of a gaming rig,

and the presentation is as artful as it is

simple. Toss the case’s three fans into

the mix and it’s obvious that Thermaltake

understands its market. Almost.

Building your machine takes a lot of

screw-work, which is forgivable, consid-

ering the case’s size. We can’t overlook

the lack of “1337,” however—with no

window etchings, no crazy paint job, and

only one LED fan, this case isn’t going to

impress anybody at a LAN party. Come on,

Thermaltake, where’s the bling?

ulTra proDucTS

e-Torque MiDToWer

caSe

Reviewing Ultra Products’s E-Torque

case is a bit challenging because this

product is a strange mixture of good

and great. And we’re not sure if that

means it’s “grood” or “goodate.”

The E-Torque could be awesome,

but every component seems to have

been stepped back a notch. Consider

the side window. It’s pleasing to the

eyes and even comes with an air duct

attached to a mountable grill. But the

randomly placed “VGA vent” below

the fan is awkwardly out of place.

Speaking of cooling, the case comes

with two awesome 12cm fan mounts. Their

screwless, clipable design should become

the standard for every case on the mar-

ket—we love these mounts that much. But

this case comes with only said mounts.

You’re kidding, right, Ultra? An LED fan or

two wouldn’t break the bank.

The front I/O panel doesn’t feature HD

audio and is bland, just like the entire front

of the case. The E-Torque looks good, not

spectacular—only its screwless PCI hold-

ers are truly kick-ass. Again, we have yet

to see a better design.

But this is the difference between a

sprinter and a marathoner. The E-Torque

succeeds in small bursts, but these spurts

don’t ultimately push the case to the front

of the pack.

Meet the Cases

Two odd-looking boxes win us over

The ultra e-Torque has a ton of potential, but we don’t rate potential.

$90, http://www.ultraproducts.com

ultra products e-torque

Tony Soprano

Best fan and PCI holders

we’ve ever seen, hands

down. Hardly a screw in sight.

Tony The Tiger^7

No fans, ho-hum aesthetics,

lacking an overwhelming “cool” factor.

The Thermaltake vF1000SWa is the awesome

offspring of a six-pack and a computer case.

$160, http://www.thermaltake.com

thermaltake lanbox

BuBB ruBB

Easy to carry, plenty of air-

cooling, just enough space

for your stuff.

li’l SiS^8

No flashy appeal; an overload

of screws makes installing gear

time consuming.