A Trio of Thermaltake Towers
by Joshua Buss on August 16, 2006 2:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Thermaltake Aguila - Installation
Looking towards the back of the case from the inside we can see the new clips Thermaltake has designed to hold expansion cards in place.
Notice how these simply slide laterally, putting pressure on cards in the exact direction that they need it, and how they can then be secured with the provided screws. It's a little clunky given the reliance on screws at all, considering if one has to use screws (period) they might as well use normal expansion card screws. However, even without using them the clips snap pretty tightly, so technically calling them tool-less is still somewhat correct. In any case, they're still an improvement over the sometimes downright incompatible green clips.
The actual install of our test bed into the Aguila was very straightforward. While we had a lot of options for the optical drive placement, nothing would have really compromised the ease of installation save for choosing the vertical bay.
This main image showing the completed build sure shows how a PSU with modular cables could really help keep cable clutter down to a minimum. Also note how it takes a decently long power cord to get to the SATA hard drives because of the sideways mounting design. All things considered there is still quite a bit of room to tuck extra cables out of the way though, and even using our side-facing IDE channel wouldn't be too difficult in the compact chassis.
As for the view, with our windowed version of the case the install was plenty visible thanks to the good design of the window which also worked well on the Eclipse DV. Also, the side vent was placed well even if it's not completely necessary in our build.
After finishing the build we wanted to take another look at the finished product. While not quite as subdued as the Eureka, the Aguila overall has a simpler theme for its design than many of Thermaltake's latest cases, and choosing one of the two windowless options available with the case would only further this design direction. More importantly than the looks, however, is the fact that after everything is completely installed the computer felt very sturdy yet thankfully lightweight.
In the accessories area Thermaltake includes an optional PSU support bracket, more than enough case screws, the keys, and two more items a little less standard.
A micro-fiber cleaning cloth for the case will be appreciated by many, and small plastic films with self-adhesive tape can help ensure no contact is made with the case when using a BTX motherboard or components which stick out more than usual.
Looking towards the back of the case from the inside we can see the new clips Thermaltake has designed to hold expansion cards in place.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Notice how these simply slide laterally, putting pressure on cards in the exact direction that they need it, and how they can then be secured with the provided screws. It's a little clunky given the reliance on screws at all, considering if one has to use screws (period) they might as well use normal expansion card screws. However, even without using them the clips snap pretty tightly, so technically calling them tool-less is still somewhat correct. In any case, they're still an improvement over the sometimes downright incompatible green clips.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
The actual install of our test bed into the Aguila was very straightforward. While we had a lot of options for the optical drive placement, nothing would have really compromised the ease of installation save for choosing the vertical bay.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
This main image showing the completed build sure shows how a PSU with modular cables could really help keep cable clutter down to a minimum. Also note how it takes a decently long power cord to get to the SATA hard drives because of the sideways mounting design. All things considered there is still quite a bit of room to tuck extra cables out of the way though, and even using our side-facing IDE channel wouldn't be too difficult in the compact chassis.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
As for the view, with our windowed version of the case the install was plenty visible thanks to the good design of the window which also worked well on the Eclipse DV. Also, the side vent was placed well even if it's not completely necessary in our build.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
After finishing the build we wanted to take another look at the finished product. While not quite as subdued as the Eureka, the Aguila overall has a simpler theme for its design than many of Thermaltake's latest cases, and choosing one of the two windowless options available with the case would only further this design direction. More importantly than the looks, however, is the fact that after everything is completely installed the computer felt very sturdy yet thankfully lightweight.
In the accessories area Thermaltake includes an optional PSU support bracket, more than enough case screws, the keys, and two more items a little less standard.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
A micro-fiber cleaning cloth for the case will be appreciated by many, and small plastic films with self-adhesive tape can help ensure no contact is made with the case when using a BTX motherboard or components which stick out more than usual.
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oopyseohs - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I am curious as to what meter you used to measure sound below 40dB, or 30dB for that matter. I am looking for such a device myself.crydee - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Any idea if when we can see some reviews for the huge Kandalf LCS and the one with the 24 cm fan on the side? That is what I'm looking forward to. The TT website is useless with dates or anything of the like though.akugami - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I'm not a big fan of case doors and with the case door off the Aquila still looks good. However, no integrated optical drive bezels kills it for me. I like a clean uniform look and the aesthetics of a case is killed when you install a black/silver/beige optical drive in it that doesn't match the rest of the case.The other two cases are not my cup of tea.
JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Just a suggestion.. have you thought about a black aguila with black optical drives? I think that would look really sharp.. door or notShapeGSX - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I have a Thermaltake Tsunami, which is indentical inside to the Eclipse.http://www.turbocarz.com/shapegsx/tsunami/">Pictures here
I have been very impressed with the case. Since I was building a home theater PC with large hard drive space requirements, I wanted a case that would cool 5 drives adequately. Because of the large 120mm fan in front of the drives, this case has performed the task admirably.
http://www.turbocarz.com/shapegsx/tsunami/target6....">Here is a picture of 4 hard drives installed in the case. I now have 5 drives installed in the case (1.1TB) and the drives still never get hot.
I really wanted a case without a door on front, but it is really hard to find everything you want in a case. And for me, the hard drive cooling was paramount.
My next case will also be a Thermaltake.
Lonyo - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I managed 5 hard drives in a Coolermaster Praetorian with 2x80mm front fans right in front of 4 of the HDD's, and no door.There are many things which do not really appeal, such as the lack of a sliding motherboard tray, the doors, the side/front ports etc.
Nothing which makes it have any appeal over other cases really, I think I would be more likely to get Coolermaster again.
araczynski - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
i like aquila, unfortunately i'm tired of the closing/swinging door designs (on the front), as well as buttons being on the front of the case, rather then on top.i'm getting a centurion 532, simple design, great price, build it and forget it. i want to stare at the screens (games) not the tower, how much enjoyment does one get from staring at spinning fans? and even after a while i would think that too much lighting in the peripheral vision would get annoying to what you're trying to focus at, perhaps even unhealthy for the eyes?
but to each their own.
Araemo - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
Just a question about the motherboard in use...Why does it have a PCI-express slot near the right edge? What model is that?
Murst - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
I never really got into the TT cases. They just seem too colorful for me. The last 2 cases I've had were a lian-li and the wavemaster, and they're both simple-enough looking while still remaining sharp.But I guess that's just personal preference.
Looks aside, the only things that really matter are noise level, how easy it is to install components, and the available space (like, some cases don't even have enough space for some heatsinks) - imo anyways. From what I've seen, TT cases never really met all of the above conditions in a single design, but maybe I've missed something.
JoshuaBuss - Wednesday, August 16, 2006 - link
That's what I'm really try to emphasize here.. the Aguila is really startin to get everything right. The Armor definitely had some issues.. namely the green clips.. but the Aguila really doesn't have much wrong with it... (at all)