Thermaltake Mozart TX Entertainment Center Case

Reviews: Cases

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Max Slowik
Brian
Thermaltake
Dec. 13, 2006

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Quality Check

I wish I could say that this case was everything I wished it were. In case you missed my polite hints, I'm seriously disappointed with this enclosure. And it's not the disappointment of a guy who shelled out three bills for a case and got swindled; this case would piss me off if I got it for half.

Plastic latches for steel door locks? Please. Not like anyone's lugging it to LAN parties. Feet that scratch desks and floors? A frame that can't withstand shipping? Doors whose hinges scratch the exterior of the case? Oh yeah, the door hinges scratch the bezel! because they're not well-designed. And one final gripe: it rattles. I can't find the source other than it's sort of related to the one door that doesn't sit right. And any little vibration noises find somewhere to resonate in the case, and seem to get louder.

Safety Check

Sharp edges; they're few and far between, but these are not acceptable in cases over $20, let alone $200. Also, the door doesn't open wide enough to stay open if the case is on its side. This seems unlikely until you consider installing the motherboard vertically. No one wants a door, even a light, cheap door slamming down when he or she is balancing a screw on the tip of a screwdriver. The doors should just come off entirely.

Conclusion

There is a lot to say about this case. Looking around, most of the reviews about it are positive. They're also short-sighted. The other possibility is that they are reviews of a different case; Thermaltake makes a Mozart TX out of steel, which would probably work around some of the broader issues, but the purpose of this case is still poorly-defined.

It's conflicted. It sells itself as a home theater case, but probably won't work out for most people. It sells itself as a flexible case that could modify itself crazy, but stupid things like the 5.25" tool-free clips, and generally thin build rule out love for modders. I have spent some time trying to find a role that this case might be purposed for, and have found a very niche market that it's squarely aimed at, intentional or not: presenters; people who put on presentations.

If you need a computer that can run any kind of display, and possibly a second computer to run room lights and other house functions, have lots of people around you that you don't know, (thereby giving the locks some people to dissuade) and have money to spare, then this case is for you. It's not small, but even with two computers and all their riggings it's probably light enough to be mobile. So that's who needs it. Presenters, demonstrators, event coordinators! people people.

But it doesn't suit home theater people, gaming people, modding people, or even most computer people. It also has all that space for the most ridiculous cooling systems, and some people might not find any other cases capable of containing all the extra stuff. Still, it's kind of short front-to back, and even this could put an end to some custom cooling setups.

Thermaltake comes so close with an innovative concept and flops with the build. I hope you read this, Thermaltake. Don't give up; re-design this case. Make it strong, give up on the tool-free gimmick, make it reverse-ATX, and call it the Thermaltake Mozart TX Type R (of course, then the mesh cutout will have be a swoosh). Make it worth having, and make it worth the money.

With the above exceptions, I cannot recommend this case.

Pros

Original design
Great cooling options

Cons

Many smaller design flaws
Poor quality construction
Very expensive
Go back and read the review for a full list

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Page 1: Introduction & First Looks
Page 2: Inside the case
Page 3: Cooling & Installation
Page 4: Quality, Safety & Conclusion

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5 User Comments

1 - Posted by christopher3393 on December 29, 2006 - 10:17 pm

This is the 6th article I've read on this case this evening. It is by far the best! Thanks! Imagine if this case had close to the thickness of the Thermaltake Tai Chi, the smooth edges of a Lian Li case, and some of the other quality improvements that you recommended. Now add locking wheels that are place so as to avoid pronenes toward tipping and handles that fold down when not in use, like the Zalman TNN 500AF. Perhaps add a few centimeters of depth...I'd pay a premium price for a case like that.

2 - Posted by Kurtis on January 1, 2007 - 2:11 am

Thanks for the feedback, Christopher. Glad you liked the review. :)

Happy New Year to you.

3 - Posted by Max Slowik on January 10, 2007 - 10:34 pm

Hey, thanks for the feedback. I hope I helped you not make a mistake. . .but believe me when I say that the dissapointment is personal. I wanted pretty badly to like that case.

I'm going to sell it on eBay, I sort of hope that guy /doesn't/ read this ;P

4 - Posted by Retr0 on February 25, 2007 - 10:28 am

I am the ebay-buyer. I hope my experiences are more positive. I'm optomistic because I have enormously different needs than you. I plan to use it to house my dedicated Mythtv backend and my trixbox PBX mini-itx system. These systems need to be together for access to phone and cable lines, so this seems ideal. This replaces 2 large antec cases. I'll post a follow-up in a couple of weeks to comment on my experiences.

5 - Posted by Max Slowik on February 26, 2007 - 12:49 am

Hehe, well, I'm glad to see that it's getting used to its full potential.

Also, I'm glad you didn't get up-bid to high Hell on it.

I'll be very interested to hear how it suits you, so come back and fill me in.

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