Exterior:

3/4 front

Front

Intake vent

USB/Audio

    As always, I like to start off with the front bezel of a case. On the SopranoRS enclosure, the front bezel has a door which swings open to the left. The bezel and door are finished with a black Piano finish, which is a high-gloss type of finish. Also, the door has a S-shape to it, giving it some real pizzazz. On the bottom left of the door is a slotted area to allow for fresh air intake. Lastly, magnets are used to hold the door closed.

Upper bezel

Lower bezel

Intakes

1 of 2 magnets

    Behind the door is the bezel, which has a nice, clean look. The upper half has four 5.25" and two 3.5" bays, while the lower portion has slots for fresh air intake.  The power/reset switches and LED's are located in the middle and to the right side. On the right side of the bezel are USB 2.0 x 2, MIC, and Speaker ports.

Side panel

CPU Duct

Rear panel

    On to the left side, which, on this enclosure, has a window. The side panel is cut in a way that gives the window a shape of an X, and has the Thermaltake logo etched in the panel. On the window itself, slots are cut in for the placement of fans in the area of the CPU and video card, and a duct is included to force air on to the CPU.

    The back is the typical layout with the PSU opening at the top. The right side panel and top of the SopranoRS are just plain with nothing unusual to report.

Interior:

    Two thumb screws on the back are removed and the side panel slides off. The interior of the SopranoRS is laid out very simply, and should make installation of gear a snap. Five internal 3.5" bays are present, and all of the bays (internal and external) have a redesigned Tool-free clip. The seven PCI expansion slots on the back also have the Tool-free clips. Only one fan is supplied with the enclosure, which is an 120mm fan on the exhaust port at the rear of the enclosure.

Installation:

Interior	5.25" bays	3.5" bays
PCI clips	120mm rear fan	Front panel plugs
Tool-free clip	Quarter turn	Pins in the holes
Optical installed	HDD installed	Everything installed

    With the Tool-free clips the installation process will be a breeze. First off, what I like to do is get the optical drives and hard drives installed, then the PSU. This eliminates the possibility of accidentally damaging the motherboard. When using the Tool-free clips, just line up the holes on the drive with the holes in the bay, and place the clip with the taps in the hole. A quarter turn and the clip is locked in place. Then, of course, it's mobo time: just install the standoff, screw the board in place, and then do up all the connections.

Conclusion:

    A simple and stylish enclosure is what Thermaltake has provided its customers once again. Personally, I love the High-gloss Piano finish and so do my greasy fingerprints, but that is something I can live with. On the inside of the bezel is a filter to help reduce the amount of dust that enters the enclosure, but this is counteracted by the use of side intakes fans.

    Overall, the case will fit into anyone's decor, and the option to add additional fans of your choice makes it user-friendly as well. The interior is very spacious, with plenty of room for a potential water cooling setup. I would like to thank Thermaltake for sending out this enclosure for VH to review.

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