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Mid-Tower Mega Roundup

 by Joshua Buss on September 8, 2005 12:05 AM EST
48 Comments | Add A Comment
48 Comments
ThermalRock Eclipse

As a smaller division of ThermalTake, ThermalRock's aluminum Eclipse pays many design traits to other ThermalTake cases. Breaking off from tradition though, the front of this one is primarily taken over by a CD holder, which includes a blank red CD-R. No, it is not an actual drive or reader of any sort, unfortunately; it simply holds a CD for storage and looks.


Click to enlarge.

To get at the real drives, the front of the Eclipse opens up with a dual-hinge design and reveals four 5¼” and two 3½” bays.


Click to enlarge.

Notice how the Eclipse uses several different finishes to give it a unique look that's classy, yet will still appeal to most gamers out there. The revealed front for instance is a sparkle black not unlike a lot of guitar or even automotive finishes.


Click to enlarge.

Power and reset buttons are hidden to clean up the look of the case when closed, and towards the bottom, the vents for the intake fan can be clearly seen. Getting back to the front before opening the doors, we can take a look at the intake vents there as well along with a couple of other items.

Besides the plastic-embossed "ECLIPSE" insignia, there are also strips that will light up showing that the case has power and there is hard drive activity above the vents as well. Turning the case to the side slightly gives us a better look at the port cluster, which may or may not be the best placement for one's particular setup.

We really wish that manufacturers would space the ports out a bit more on the clusters like this, since more and more devices are coming out that have little to no cable at all, making plugging in more than one peripheral difficult or even impossible. Moving on, there is also the option of locking the entire front bezel here on the side. When unlocked, the bezel can be swung open to allow unrestricted access to the removable dust filter.

Turning the case 180 degrees, we can see how the Eclipse looks from the rear, and are happily surprised to find massive thumbscrews in typical ThermalTake/ThermalRock fashion.


Click to enlarge.

We can also tell from this one picture that there are two included fans with the Eclipse, both of which are 120mm in size.

Antec Sonata II (cont’d) ThermalRock Eclipse (cont’d)
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  • Phantronius - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link

    My P180 is the last case I'll ever buy. I love you Antec!!!

  • leviathan19 - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link

    the 1200 is deeper yes but is still mid tower class it fixes the psu problems and more space is always better for work with it

  • Zepper - Friday, September 9, 2005 - link

    Re. cases that come with PSUs. Either rate the PSU too or deduct the portion of the price that the PSU represents from the case price so you are comparing apples to apples price wise.
    . And I don't care for the looks of a lot of the cases on the market either. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My case is a Silverstone Berserker which many think is fugly...

    .bh.

  • kmmatney - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    I don't see why people make such a big deal out of aluminum cases. In my experience, they are flimsier and louder than steal cases, and more prone to rattle. I don't see why anyone would pay so much money for one...

  • at80eighty - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    DRTFA yet, so forgive me if its been covered

    You guys have any leads on cases with more fans?

    with the new VGA's and CPU's i think a cooler case than a cooler-looking case is a better investment..

    any pointers people?

  • johnsonx - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    RTFA, and no forgiveness for you!

    The Antec P180 is a quiet cooling dream I think. I looked at one on display over at Fry's and just about wet myself. Then I looked at the price tag and decided to stick with my old, free, boring, beige case. But if the price is no objection, I can't imagine purchasing anything else.

  • at80eighty - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    thanx mate! the p180 looks pretty sweet! the price is OK (just about) for me :)

    plus it doesnt have that HEY LOOK AT ME IM AN ATTENTION WHORE!!! look.

    /hope this case shows up in my part of the world :-(

  • Cygni - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    I saw one case that i would even consider putting next to my desk.

    If you are supporting the case mfts making these hideous beasts by buying them, i personally hate you.

  • leviathan19 - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    why they used this one the 1200 is a better version and fix the psu problem...

    there is missing the pc75b and the TT shark those are nice cases too

  • OvErHeAtInG - Thursday, September 8, 2005 - link

    The 1200 is much deeper, for extended-atx boards I think. Definitely not something I would get except for a big duallie rig.
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