MaximumPC 2007 H

T

he art of testing cases at Maximum PC is a lot like the sword

ceremony scene in Kill Bill. There’s a lot of razzmatazz and

showmanship at first, but in the end, a worthy case is treated

with honor and delicacy as it’s gently placed back in the Lab;

wretched cases are also moved to the Lab... to be used as pedes-

tals upon which we rest the worthy enclosures.

I’m being only a bit facetious when I say that because reviewing a

case really does require delicacy. I start by giving a case’s exterior a full

inspection. Aesthetics play the smallest role in our overall verdict, but as

our September 2007 review of Dynapower USA’s Hachiman case illus-

trates, I do point out the look of a case when a vendor tries something

new—or when an exterior is worthy of contempt (although I do recog-

nize that one person’s pile of garbage is another person’s Pieta).

The real fun begins once I’ve popped off the side panel—and

if that’s not a pleasant experience, the chassis earns its first ding.

Inside, I’m looking for elements such as screwless mounts that are

easy to use but secure, convenient and accessible drive bays, and

cooling potential. Mounting a motherboard in the case typically

exposes any flaws in the overall design: We experienced this with an

early version of Antec’s Nine Hundred case, which didn’t allow cer-

tain cables to be connected. (The problem was fixed prelaunch.)

I like to come at case reviews as if I’m a basic user, and in doing

so, I ask myself a series of questions during the review process: Is

the case difficult to work in? Is this case easy to manipulate and fill

with components? Is there a better way to do what I’m doing? Do I

need extra parts, tools, or products to complete my rig? And once

the rig is built, are the provided cooling solutions too loud? Does the

case adequately muffle my noisy components? Is its cooling suf-

ficient? Does the case lack anything that would be necessary for me

to build the perfect rig?

A case can have a lot of features and still have a horrible design.

Conversely, a case can be a little skimpy with its add-ons—holes

for water-cooling tubes and included tri-speed fans and LCD dis-

play panels—but still deliver an amazing experience for rig builders.

Reviewing cases is part exact science, part surprise and delight.

The ins and outs of determining a chassis’ verdict

78 MAXIMUMPC HOLIDAY 2007

in the lab Real-WoRld testing: Results. analysis. Recommendations

There are two primary case design styles: classic and over the

top and gamer themed. Depending on your needs, even a 10

Kick Ass case might not be exactly what you’re looking for.

DAvID Murphy

Explains

Case Reviews

R

eviewing the gear that typically graces our pages is pretty

straightforward: We run benchmarks, test in real-world condi-

tions, and then determine where a given product fits in the spec-

trum of devices we’ve previously tested. That methodology, how-

ever, doesn’t work when it comes to choosing what will be included

in our annual gift guide. And while our normal protocols aren’t fol-

lowed, there is, indeed, a method to our gift-suggesting madness.

First, we include only items that would not normally appear in

the magazine. Why? If you want to give your special someone an

AM2 motherboard this holiday season, simply check out our

Best of the Best column; there, you’ll find our top choices in the

major categories we cover. The gift guide, instead, focuses on

those items we think geeks will love but that fall out of the nor-

mal range of what you’ll typically see in these pages.

Each editor is given free rein to select items he or she thinks

will be geek must-haves this holiday, and through this process

we learn a bit about the psyches of our fellow tech heads,

whether it be that we have a budding Mr. Wizard calling in micro-

scopes and star finders or someone with a yen for both sci-fi and

world travel who thinks a Cthulhu fanny pack should be under

every brainiac’s tree this year.

Next up comes the testing phase, which causes our normally

staid Lab to become a land of dogfights and karaoke sing-offs.

We then narrow down our list, with each editor lobbying for his or

her products (one editor, who shall remain nameless, is still trying

to make us believe every geek would love a magnetic bracelet). In

the end, we have strived to bring you the best gifts for geeks—and

justify spending time at work flying laser-shooting helicopters.

Tom Edwards

Delves into the Intricacies

of Gift Guide Testing

And answers the question, How do you benchmark

Pac-Man shot glasses?