Thermaltake SwordM VD5000BNA

Zitat

Thermaltake's new SwordM chassis is in our opinion, a perfect example of overindulgence. We recognize that Thermaltake probably set out to create a unique, distinctive chassis that could be worthy of its 'limited edition' pedigree. But somewhere during that design process, it went overboard. Some of its features scream of 'fan service'. The hydraulic mechanism in particular wasn't a worthy advantage unless you happen to for a liquid cooling kit mounted at the side panel. Otherwise, we can't really think of an instance when having the side and top swinging open by themselves (and staying there) would represent an improvement in user experience. No doubt, some would be scream 'cool' but honestly, it's not worth the trouble given what we've noted of its usability. And don't get us started on the tool compartment that takes up valuable hard drive space.

This is compounded by some rather glaring design flaws that makes us wonder if Thermaltake had taken the time to actually test the usability of this chassis. The rear of the chassis, with its door, is an interesting way of expanding the space such that liquid cooling pipes can be installed easily and no doubt improves case ventilation. However, the drawback is that it forces cable management onto users, negates some of the ventilation advantages with all the cables running through at the rear and it doesn't make things any easier with the rather narrow gap for cables to exit.

[...]So what about the upside of the SwordM? Well, if you can overlook all the flaws, case ventilation should not be an issue, not with the many ventilation holes and support for up to twelve cooling fans if desired. Think of AMD's mega-tasking 4x4 platforms and workstation setups and you'll appreciate the excessive ventilation that this case boasts as taming multiple heat sources like that from the PSU, dual CPUs and dual graphics cards can be handled without a sweat. Not to mention very few chassis can accommodate SSI-class motherboards, which the SwordM can and truly makes it a viable enthusiast home server chassis. The addition of eSATA for the front port is keeping up with the times. Appearance wise, it looks quite decent in silver and black, with carrying handles and wheels to assist in transporting its heavy weight and mass. The build quality is unquestionable while its aluminum construction gives it an expensive and solid feel. Handcrafted does seem an apt descriptor as Thermaltake says.