Introduction
Here we go, my first ever case review. And what not a better way then to start out reviewing the Silver Hydraulic Case w/ 420W Power Supply from Directron. I have been telling DiceMan that I want to do a Case Review badly. I have so many computers with very generic or no cases at all that need to have some pimp looks to them. For my main system I have always used the first Lian-Li PC-60 that was on the market a year ago. I love the Lian-Li and swore to never shy away from an aluminum case ever. Well, I think there are a hell of a lot nicer cases out there for way less then the price of a Lian-Li. I can thank Directron for showing me the light I guess. When DiceMan first showed me the case that Directron wanted reviewed I was iffy at first. How could a case with that price even be worth doing a review over. It has to be super cheap materials and probably the worst design ever. Once again, the Real Slim Shady was wrong.
Packaging
When the UPS man dropped off this puppy, the first thing that popped into my mind was. Well nothing really. I was like oh wow, a computer case, lucky me. I grabbed, more like snatched, the box out of the UPS guy's hands and was actually surprised that this thing didn't weigh a ton. It felt like I was holding an Antec 7237 in my hands. Oh, and the case also had the Power Supply already installed. I took the package over to the table and began the photo session with it. At first look of the box, I figured the photo session would be like filming ugly people in pretty clothes.
Actually looks like a pretty nice box there, but what does it
look like inside? Fat Man in Little Coat (In a Chris Farley type of way)#@$#$
Do you see what I might be talking about? The packaging looks good, but what does the case look like? Well, lets open up this box and find out.
Whoa, so far she looks good.
Hmmm, I was surprised to see this. The case looks pimp as all hell up to this point. Lets go ahead and pull that styrofoam and plastic off and see what we really got here.
Oh wow, I am super impressed now. Lian-Li eat your heart out!!!
Wouldn't be complete without your average case accessories now
would it?
Specifications
Features
Sliding front panel that automatically slides down by a push of a button on the top of the case. Elegant outlook. Sufficient inner space. Two removable side-covers. Screwless snap-on front panel. Removable M/B plate. Removable and screwless 3.5 drive frame. Replaceable I/O shield panels. Power LED with work/sleep mode. Seven expansion slots. Power and reset switches. Power and hard drive light indicators. Patents pending on the hydraulic design.
Standard power supply
PowerMan, KME, or ToPower 250W, 4 IDE and 2 floppy drive connectors. Upgrades are optional. Two optional case fans: 8x8cm in the front and 6x6cm in the back. The power supply I received with the case is the Directron TT-400SS, 420W supply made by TTGI. This power supply looks exactly like the Enermax power supplies but at a fraction of the cost.
And Now The Case
This case has a lot of features for its price. The removable 3.5" drive cage, removable motherboard tray, hydraulic like front bezel, and many others. The silver paint job on this case is very clean, although a little rough on the metal pieces. Not Antec type of rough, but not a smooth mirror type finish. I know some of you prefer the mirrored finishes with the paint jobs. I have been using the case bone stock pretty much since Directron sent it to me and I have been very happy so far with the stock layout. The temperatures also seem pretty decent as that only fan I have blowing into the case is on the side panel and the only fan pulling heat out of the case is through the power supply. Speaking of fans, from the looks of Directron they say nothing about having a fan installed on the side of the case and nor do they state anything about adding this to the side of the case. I happened to find a computer store here in Chicago that sells the same exact case, but for $20 more and it also has the fan on the side of the case. The difference between the Directron case and the case from my local shop is Directron adds an aluminum filter to the fan. I am very impressed with the filter too, as for the past 2 weeks or so the computer has been running and I barely have any dust inside of my case. Wanna see some pictures now of the setup? Well of course you do.
Push here to get started !!!!
Here you can see the front of the case with the hydraulic door
up, then the door down, the side of the case with the fan, and the rear of the
case with the Directron TT-400SS Power Supply
Here you can see the inside of the case. Nice and clean. I really
like the layout of the inside.
Left: Front holder for 80MM Fan. Above holder for fan is speaker
hole. Next is the 3.5" Drive Cage and then you see the clip that allows you
to pull out the drive cage.
Take out the screw, press in the tab, and pop out the 3.5" drive
cage.
Fans, Fans everywhere are fans. Well, not really the case here.
Just have the side fan and a spot on the back of the motherboard tray for a
60MM Fan.
Here you see the motherboard tray from the back and the 3 screws
you remove to take it out.
Taking it out is a breeze. Slides right down the rail and out
the back of the computer. Awesome motherboard tray feature. Better then the
tilt out ones.
There is a lot of room in the main section of the case. Screaming
"Give Me A Reservoir!!!". The top on the other hand can be a little tight. But
that's what modding is for. Cable Management!!!
My first impression of the stock setup is amazing. Very impressed with the quality, craftsmanship, and overall looks of the case by far. How much is a Lian-Li again? Sorry, not worth it any more. I am personally tired of the same squared look of every aluminum case. Until recently Lian-Li's were boring as all hell to look at. Finally they are adding some curves, but for $150 on up for a case, a little to rich for my blood.
Case Modding Possibilities
You have seen the case now and know what to expect when you order one. But, what are some options you have when it comes time to mod the case? Here are just a few that I found.
Here you can see the space left for an exhaust fan at the top of the case. 80MM
and 92MM fit nicely. I didn't have a spare 120MM to check, but I can guarantee
you that it will also work.
Here is a 60MM fan in the rear fan spot on the motherboard tray. You can clearly
see that an 80MM will not fit in that spot. The only chance for an 80MM is a
Fan Adapter.
You have all the space in the world up front. Perfect amount of space for a
reservoir also. 80MM, 92MM, 120MM upfront with no problem.
You can also see that the front panel has a trick up it's sleeve. You can pop
out the grill part and mod it with a nice blow hole.
Here you can see that you have about 6" wide by about 7" high with moddable
working space.
Here is that front panel piece I just told you about. Ewww. Amber and Green
LED's. Those have to go !!!
Directron TT-400SS 420W Power Supply
Chalk up another one for Directron. No longer do I need aluminum expensive cases, but do I really need to spend $100 on a power supply? Why do people want the Enermax power supplies? Quality, Looks, and everyone else has an Enermax correct? Well, let me show you the TT-400SS 420W power supply. Looks like an Enermax, smells like an Enermax, same build quality as an Enermax, even tastes like an Enermax. 420W Directron or 450W Enermax? Hmm. Enermax is 30W more. Oh, and about $30 to $40 more too. 30W? WTH is an extra 30W going to give you? NOT A DAMN THING !!! Whoa, this TT-400SS even has a clear fan in it. HAHA. It's an Enermax fan too. The only thing that tells me this is not an Enermax fan by looking at it is the big sticker from the company on it, and there isn't a Fan Control Cable coming out of it like the Enermax. Well, how does it work compared to an Enermax? EXACTLY THE DAMN SAME !!! 5v was 5.05v to 5.15v for both my Enermax and the TT-400SS. Same with 12v, 3.3v, I/O, and Core. So if you spend the extra $30 to $40 on the Enermax, good for you. If you are on a budget for your computer but really want that Enermax, you would be stupid not to go with the TT-400SS. It is a very impressive power supply for the price. You can't go wrong with one of these bad boys. Here, take a look for yourself just to see how nice it really is.
How do you like my Enermax power supply?
To bad it isn't an Enermax. Oh wait, it's not bad at all, it's a TT-400SS baby
!!!
Conclusion
It's not a Lian-Li. Hell no, it's a Silver Hydraulic. I think I like the all steel cases once again. There is so much more you can do to a steel case that you really can't do with an aluminum case. Price, my god, so much cheaper then aluminum. At the time of this review, the case with the TT-400SS power supply before shipping is $104. Ya, I guess $104 sounds kind of high doesn't it? Actually it isn't at all. The case is $54 and the power supply is $59. $113 total, but Directron hooks you up with a little savings when you upgrade from the stock 250W power supply to the TT-400SS. Also check out some of Directron's discounts. I am sure you can find a way to save a little extra money that way. I did the first time I ever ordered from Directron on my Enermax power supply.
Pro's
Con's
Other then that, this case is pretty damn awesome. Like I had stated previously I was very impressed with this case and really like this case. I will probably look at getting more of these cases for my other machines. I bet a few of these sitting side by side on a network bench would look sweet. One thing that I don't like about the case is that the cables that go to the LED"s, power switch, reset switch, and speaker have to be removed from the motherboard every time you want to remove the motherboard for cleaning. This is a feature that is on the Lian-Li's that I have grown to really like. If you are like me and tend to clean the inside of your case a lot, removing the cables from the motherboard and then trying to remember which way is which when it comes time to attach the wires again, is a flat out pain in bootay. But then again, mod the cables too while you are modding the case. I know I will. For modding, the only problem I see is the front spot for an 80MM fan. Modders do not like all them silly holes that come with stock cases and will definitely remove that section first. Well, the section on this case for the front fan is a weird shape and actually protrudes about 2MM from the case. It would be to hard to pick up some aluminum or steel from the local hardware store and fix this problem. All in all, great case.
Who would I recommend this case for? Everyone. This is a great case and is definitely a perfect case for modding. The hydraulic door is very cool and can be modded also. Some how there is a lot of room in the lower portion of the case, and if you look at the case in person you would think that the case might be to small for modding. Guess again, it isn't.
I would like to thank Directron for their generosity and also for sending out the Silver Hydraulic and the TT-400SS Power Supply for me to review. Directron has a great team and one hell of a shipping department. My brother just ordered the Silver Hydraulic case and a NewQ from Directron last week without any hassles and received the shipment very quickly. My brother did it over the phone and said that it was very easy and the people he talked to were great. Thanks again Directron.
Got any questions? Email me or discuss the review here in this thread!