Introduction

What do you look for in a computer case?  Size, ease of setup, weight, cooling efficiency, noise, price and looks are all top priorities, but your individual needs may rank some of these considerations higher than others.  I've reviewed cases that place weight at the top spot (the aluminum Antec Super LanBoy comes to mind), others for looks (the MGE Sidewinder is a standout) and others that seem content with being well-rounded.  The customized CCLX-6A19 from PDI (coolcases.com) puts quietness and top quality construction in the spotlight.  Is it possible to be content with a beige box in this day and age of fancy graphics, neon and windows?  The answer is a resounding "YES".

Overview

When I received the ATX-8000 from the Diceman, I took one look at it and wondered if he was just feeling sorry for me and sent me an old office castoff.  Then I took a second look.  And a third.  Eventually, I knew that he wasn't completely off his rocker.  Talk about a sleeper!  The side mounted 120mm fan complete with rubber isolation mounts, high quality dust screen and no-nonsense grill was my first clue that this case had more to it.  Closer inspection of the exterior revealed quality latches on the side panel (that actually work).

Taking off the side panel (using the latches that actually work) netted the biggest Oooh...Ahhhh...that I've had in a long while when looking at a computer case.  The entire inside is basically upholstered (for want of a better term) with fire-retardant Sonex Sound insulation foam.  Nice.  A nice long gander at the inside also identified a front mounted 120mm fan (temperature controlled, no less), a matching 120mm in the rear and all the requisite hardware required to get up and running.  Five minutes spent examining the case was all it took to convince me that I was looking at a case that had been engineered with quality in mind.  And one look at the invoice told me the reason:  This case came out of the shop of Jim Hanson.  Jim has been at the forefront of custom case building since it became a part of the modding world.  Like me, he started his enterprise in the late 90's in his home, and (unlike me) has been steadily cranking out better and better products this whole time.  How many companies can lay claim to five-plus years of steady, tightly focused service to the discriminating PC enthusiast? Not many.  Let's take a closer look.