A Trio of Thermaltake Towers
by Joshua Buss on August 16, 2006 2:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Thermaltake Eclipse DV - Internal
Taking a peek inside the Eclipse DV we see a rather familiar layout.
For better or worse the standard Thermaltake green clips are used to hold expansion cards in place. In previous reviews we've noted how these work fairly well for a majority of cards, but on some - such as the Audigy 2 SoundBlaster - they get stuck once locked into place. There is still certainly some advantage to keeping a case as tool-less as possible, but when simple screws really hold cards in place better and are more universally compatible, it's almost a shame Thermaltake continues to use the green clips in the DV.
Like most tower cases, the new Eclipse is reinforced structurally with a crossbar, which gives rigidity and extra support for the power supply as well.
Here you can see the 5.25" drives are secured with rails (which screw onto each drive individually). The dual removable cage design hasn't changed much at all from the original. Once removed from the case it's easier to see they latch differently from each other, but the good news is they're both tool-less designs which have been executed well.
With such a small number of differences from the original Eclipse case we'll move right along to the installed test bed. Here one can see the lone ribbon cable leading from the slim drive. The cable isn't really any longer than it needs to be, and can be neatly tucked out of the way above the front fan, which is also removable. The bad news is that for people with only one IDE channel on their motherboard, only the single included drive can be used since there is no way to chain another drive on this cable. The accessory box that comes with the case and holds the extra parts (including the rails, keys, and a cleaning cloth for the window) can fit under the support for the hard drive cage.
Just like in the Eclipse, installing our testbed was problem free. The only caveat (other than the above-mentioned IDE port use) is that you really have to install the PSU before you can put the motherboard in, but this is true in many tower cases. The ample clearance between our hard drive and the front-facing IDE channel (a space often neglected) was appreciated.
Taking a peek inside the Eclipse DV we see a rather familiar layout.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
For better or worse the standard Thermaltake green clips are used to hold expansion cards in place. In previous reviews we've noted how these work fairly well for a majority of cards, but on some - such as the Audigy 2 SoundBlaster - they get stuck once locked into place. There is still certainly some advantage to keeping a case as tool-less as possible, but when simple screws really hold cards in place better and are more universally compatible, it's almost a shame Thermaltake continues to use the green clips in the DV.
Like most tower cases, the new Eclipse is reinforced structurally with a crossbar, which gives rigidity and extra support for the power supply as well.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Here you can see the 5.25" drives are secured with rails (which screw onto each drive individually). The dual removable cage design hasn't changed much at all from the original. Once removed from the case it's easier to see they latch differently from each other, but the good news is they're both tool-less designs which have been executed well.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
With such a small number of differences from the original Eclipse case we'll move right along to the installed test bed. Here one can see the lone ribbon cable leading from the slim drive. The cable isn't really any longer than it needs to be, and can be neatly tucked out of the way above the front fan, which is also removable. The bad news is that for people with only one IDE channel on their motherboard, only the single included drive can be used since there is no way to chain another drive on this cable. The accessory box that comes with the case and holds the extra parts (including the rails, keys, and a cleaning cloth for the window) can fit under the support for the hard drive cage.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Just like in the Eclipse, installing our testbed was problem free. The only caveat (other than the above-mentioned IDE port use) is that you really have to install the PSU before you can put the motherboard in, but this is true in many tower cases. The ample clearance between our hard drive and the front-facing IDE channel (a space often neglected) was appreciated.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
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cbuchach - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I have been looking to upgrade my case for some time now with my planned new build and really think the Aguila may fit the bill. Unfortunately the windowless version that I would be interested seems to be very hard to come by in the US at this time. We'll see.imaheadcase - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Yah been hard to find windowless one in the states, I found one but they inflated the price to like $300. lame.Budman - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
One word. YUCKKalessian - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I don't understand why you would say that. The Eureka is very plain... what kind of cases do you like?I think a black Aguila would look great.
imaheadcase - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
The agila is the only decent case, the others look like rejects from Voltron casting.Frumious1 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
There's a law on AnandTech case reviews: no matter what they might review, a bunch of people have to show up and grouse about how the cases look like crap, or they're nice looking but too expensive, or some other opinion followed by the statement that "no one would ever buy these...." Luckily, AnandTech seems to do a reasonable job of just presenting the facts on the cases and letting people decide for themselves whether or not they like how the case looks and would be interested in purchasing one.Too bad the Eureka is loud and cools the HDD/mosfets so poorly. Of course, I prefer a bit smaller cases anyway, and the Aguila looks pretty decent.
Frumious1 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Oh yeah - I still don't trust the big orange TT fans. Things spin pretty fast and make a decent racket in my experience. Maybe some of them are better now, but the older 120mm dayglo orange things were pretty mediocre. I'm actually surprised any of these cases can manage to come in under 40 dB! Guy I know bought an Armor last year; freakin' turbine that thing is! Doesn't need to blow dry his hair if he angles the fans properly....tk109 - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I agree. They are ugly as butt.I saw the first one and I thought that maybe the rest will be better. But nope. One of them isn't too bad but I'd still not want to own it even if it was given to me. Like most of the case trends in recent years I think you have to be one of those super nerds to like em or something. They try way to hard on cases. Clean, straight, and simple is the way to go.
GoatMonkey - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Get yourself an iMac and be done with it then.
KorruptioN - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Or a Lian-Li.