Enermax Voltron (CS-800TA-S) Midtower Case

Reviews: Cases

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Richard Poelling
Kurtis
Maxpoint
Jun. 19, 2004

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Quality Check

For such a large case, transport can be a problem. I would definitely not consider this suitable as a LAN gaming machine since it is so large. The round edges also make it awkward to pick up and move. If you are not careful when setting it down it is possible distort the legs that snap into the bottom. I have also had a problem with the HD cage coming loose during transport.

From the outside, this case appears to be a very well built machine. Only after going inside did my opinion of that change. A small lever that is coated with plastic releases the hard drive-mounting bay. The release action worked very well, and I was able to remove the bay without any problems. The same cannot be said for the reinstallation of the bay. The bay uses four mounting points that are not easy to engage, much less to see. This makes the cage installation a major pain. The more hard drives you have installed, the harder it becomes. The drive cage above it also moves and flexes a great deal which doesn't aid in the reinstallation process. Luckily though, you shouldn't have to remove the cage since the drives are installed with rails that go on and off easily.

The 5.25" bays are secured using an interesting rail technique. The rail is mounted exterior to the bay. To insert a device, you release the rail and swing it out. This pulls the pins out such that you can slide the 5.25" device in. Once in, the rails are swung back in, which engages the pins into the screw holes and secures the device. These worked well, and once secured, the drive wasn't going anywhere. You do have to make sure you swing the rail out far enough, otherwise you won't fully disengage the pins and the drive will catch as you slide it in. I only had a problem with one older device, the holes did not line up with the two they had provided.

Towards the rear of the case you will find the PCI slots. Covering the tops of the slot is a single piece of metal that is supposed to retain the devices without screws. After much fiddling with the thing, I found it to be more trouble than it was worth. It doesn't hold the AGP card down with much force, and with the newer video cards getting so large, I wouldn't trust it. This is one feature I could do without, and that is what I did. I removed it and stuck with screws instead.

Finally, I come to the side-mounted fan. The parts that make up the mounting bracket and electronics are all top notch. Everything worked as it was supposed to on the rheostat. The problem arose when I decided to change the fan. The fan is mounted using rubber attachments that will dampen any vibration coming from the fan. Getting these things out was a very large hassle, but I was able to essentially pull the thing apart, literally. This is also the same procedure used to put the thing back together. At one point I used a pair of pliers to get the things to go in. The mounting pieces stretched to twice their normal length. I wasn't sure if I would get them in or watch them snap and fly through the air. It was a deadly game of cat and mouse. In the end, I just used standard fan mounting screws and scrapped the rubber things. If you are happy with the stock fan, you can leave it alone and not have any problems. The fan that shipped with the case wasn't even all that loud at full RPM.

Conclusion

Now the truth must come forth. Is this case something that you should consider? Aside from the small problems that I had, I thought it was a nice case. I wouldn't put it in the category of excellent, but it definitely has its strong points. If you want a flashy case with lots of cool gadgets, I would suggest you look elsewhere. If you are looking for a large case that doesn't look like all the rest, then this may be for you. There is lots of room for anything you can throw in it. This would also be a good case to try with liquid cooling due to its cavernous interior and handy temp probe. If you are looking for a long case which has some unique styling features, then this may be the case for you, and a price of ~$70 without a power supply isn't bad for such a large case.

Pros

Front flush mounted USB
Lots of room for anything
Unique, but not over-the-top styling
Nice integration of the side fan rheostat
Handy Temperature probe

Cons

HD drive cage hard to reinstall
Side fan mounting devices hard to change
Side panel release too sudden
PCI retaining clip is useless
Temp gauge numbers hard to see

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Page 1: Introduction & First Impressions
Page 2: Opening the Case
Page 3: Inside the Case
Page 4: Quality Check & Conclusion

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