Thermaltake Armor VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25cm Side Panel Fan Retail @ ClubIT for $49.99 A/R ($80 and $20 rebates) ClubIT Price: $149.99* Mail-in Rebate: $80.00 - Rebate good from 11/22/2007 to 11/30/2007 Mail-in Rebate: $20.00 - Rebate good from 11/22/2007 to 11/30/2007 Final Price: $49.99* Special $18.00 FedEx Ground Shipping
I'm a newbie to build it yourself. This sounds like a great case but is it something I can grow into? I'm not water cooling (yet) and I have a low end motherboard and power supply to put in it for now. Will I have compatibility issues? Is there any downside for me?
The armor is very heavy, good for overclockers since it has a larch 25CM side fan
Thanks, I've seen that one. My question -- if I go with this one will I have compatibility issues with a low end PSU and MB (until I upgrade -- hopefully soon).
Slugbait
Member
posted: Nov. 22, 2007 @ 11:18p
@mauz you dont need this case at all, lots of FAR cases out there. Here is a case for $11 shipped AR...
The armor is very heavy, good for overclockers since it has a larch 25CM side fan
I don't see a rebate there on your link. But I digress...
You don't know what he needs. Over the years I've had several cases just as good as any of your FAR cases...always hated 'em. I needed a good case three years ago, and bought one at the egg based on literally hundreds of excellent reviews. At $60 shipped, it turned out to be a significant disappointment. When I built my C2D EE machine this year, I didn't even consider re-using that case. I bought an Armor for $125 after rebate, and it was easily the best case purchase I've ever made.
Unless you LAN, ignore the weight. This case is incredible to work with, and looks gorgeous (looks are subjective, I know). Comes with everything you need, even stand-offs. An included polish cloth was a nice touch. It was specifically designed for efficient air cooling, as well as pre-designed for water cooling. I have no idea why they came out with a version that has a side fan, looks like it would impede air flow by intaking more air than exhausting, and by my own experience, completely unnecessary for mad overclocking. On the positive side I believe there should still be enough clearance for the side fan if you were to go with a Tuniq or similar HSF (I don't think you can find a cheap case with side fan that has enough clearance for a Tuniq). Going BTX? It'll do that, too. Note that ATX mobos will short out if you do not cover the BTX stands with the included mylar plastic films! Just download the online manual and follow the directions on the last page (the last page is missing from the printed manual...at least, it's missing from the manual for previous Armor revisions). Also, you will likely need to remove the USB/Audio/Firewire mount in order to get a PSU into it (also not mentioned in the manual).
You get what you pay for...except in this situation, whereas you are getting one of the best cases in the $150-200 range for less than $70. The previous version (no side fan) got a Kick-Ass award from MaxPC last year. That Cooler Master is a good deal if it does actually have a hefty rebate, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Armor in quality. Excellent deal, going green.
My question -- if I go with this one will I have compatibility issues with a low end PSU and MB (until I upgrade -- hopefully soon).
Absolutely not. But the side window will be an embarrassment, since all your friends will see a killer case with low-end parts
Slugbait said: @mauz you dont need this case at all, lots of FAR cases out there. Here is a case for $11 shipped AR...
The armor is very heavy, good for overclockers since it has a larch 25CM side fan
I don't see a rebate there on your link. But I digress...
You don't know what he needs. Over the years I've had several cases just as good as any of your FAR cases...always hated 'em. I needed a good case three years ago, and bought one at the egg based on literally hundreds of excellent reviews. At $60 shipped, it turned out to be a significant disappointment. When I built my C2D EE machine this year, I didn't even consider re-using that case. I bought an Armor for $125 after rebate, and it was easily the best case purchase I've ever made.
Unless you LAN, ignore the weight. This case is incredible to work with, and looks gorgeous (looks are subjective, I know). Comes with everything you need, even stand-offs. An included polish cloth was a nice touch. It was specifically designed for efficient air cooling, as well as pre-designed for water cooling. I have no idea why they came out with a version that has a side fan, looks like it would impede air flow by intaking more air than exhausting, and by my own experience, completely unnecessary for mad overclocking. On the positive side I believe there should still be enough clearance for the side fan if you were to go with a Tuniq or similar HSF (I don't think you can find a cheap case with side fan that has enough clearance for a Tuniq). Going BTX? It'll do that, too. Note that ATX mobos will short out if you do not cover the BTX stands with the included mylar plastic films! Just download the online manual and follow the directions on the last page (the last page is missing from the printed manual...at least, it's missing from the manual for previous Armor revisions). Also, you will likely need to remove the USB/Audio/Firewire mount in order to get a PSU into it (also not mentioned in the manual).
You get what you pay for...except in this situation, whereas you are getting one of the best cases in the $150-200 range for less than $70. The previous version (no side fan) got a Kick-Ass award from MaxPC last year. That Cooler Master is a good deal if it does actually have a hefty rebate, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Armor in quality. Excellent deal, going green.
My question -- if I go with this one will I have compatibility issues with a low end PSU and MB (until I upgrade -- hopefully soon).
Absolutely not. But the side window will be an embarrassment, since all your friends will see a killer case with low-end parts
Green for you!!! Thanks for taking the time to answer my newbie question. My guess is you are both right -- ghettocowboy is just trying to save me some money in buying what I need for now -- completely appreciated. But, I'm kind of going with the strategy of future proofing -- espcially when I see an upgrade in my near future.
selim
Shopaholic Member
posted: Nov. 23, 2007 @ 1:59a
That case looks great and the price is beyond right. Only problem I see is that it has the USB/Firewire/Audio on TOP instead of the front. I have a Tsunami with the same feature and because of the way my computer desk is designed I can't use those ports (there's a drawer on top of them). Just something to consider when you chose...
selim said: That case looks great and the price is beyond right. Only problem I see is that it has the USB/Firewire/Audio on TOP instead of the front. I have a Tsunami with the same feature and because of the way my computer desk is designed I can't use those ports (there's a drawer on top of them). Just something to consider when you chose...
This is a good point...one of my requirements in a choice of cases was that I would not have to push back my chair and get down on my knees to connect my externals: I cannot believe the number of tower cases that position their external connectors at the BOTTOM of the case. In my situation, I have clearance between my Armor and the bottom of my desktop.
There are positives and negatives to every case based on what you want and need. The Armor DOES have a few flaws compared to my wishlist, but the positives far outweighed the negatives at the time. If I were to build today, I would possibly go with CoolerMaster's Cosmos for $90 shipped after rebate. It was the case used in this year's Dream Machine. Since everything is more towards the front-top of the case as opposed to middle-top, this may be something that would work well for you.
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