First Impressions
Although I was aware of the weight of the case, I was still surprised when I first picked up the box. It was heavy. Albeit, this surprise didn’t turn me off, it actually piqued my interest to open up the box and peer at the contents. Off came the tape and open the flaps and surprise, the case was peeking up at me. Now this really did startle me as I’m used to seeing cases taller than they were deep. Well, thinking back to the specs of the case, and well, that explains it all now. Well too much excitement isn’t good for me so hoping that that was everything, I removed the protective wrapping and let the case stand, basking in its full glory. Imediately, Mike and I were left scratching our heads. The color wasn’t quite the same as the one on the website. After much staring MikeC decided that he preferred the one on the website. I however, found that this color had grown on me.
Exterior
Surprises aside, it was now time to put the case under the spotlight and give it some special treatment. Taking a look at the front, we see that the entire front panel consists of a ridged plastic motif which neatly incorporates the 2 variable speed analog dials for easy control of the fan speeds. A quick spin of the silver knobs resulted with little resistance and a smooth turn. Between the dials is the WinGo EL lamp which without power seems like a nondescript Thermaltake logo.
Opening the front panel is straightforward, but the flex of the door panel is noticeable along with the lightness of the full length door. The inner side of the door is not much to look at with the wires and support cross members displayed. The 6 5.25” Drive bays are prominently displayed along with the 2 standard 3.5” floppy bays. Noticeably, the power and reset switches are fairly nondescript with the 2 circular buttons blending in with the panel. Below, we can see the grate hiding the intake fan at the base of the panel. As there is no venting in the door itself, I expect that the air is likely to be sucked from the spacing at the bottom of the door.
With a little bit more force, pulling the secondary door open reveals the heart of the case, the steel structure to house the components. The plastic panels covering the drive bays are held in place by standard plastic screws and are easily removed using a standard Phillips head screwdriver. Like most cases, only the top 5.25” bay was open, requiring a bit of twisting to get the steel panels out of the remaining slots.
Taking a look at the 3.5” enclosure, the secondary slot is filled with a metal spacer. Removing the metal spacer requires a push towards the bottom of the enclosure as it is latched onto the enclosure, however, removal of the thumbscrew and pulling the enclosure out from the case made dealing with this much easier.
Noticeably, at the bottom, the black plastic fan cover houses a high flow air filter which makes cleaning a much easier task. Just snap off the cover, remove the filter, clean, replace and presto, good as new. Right beside this is a plastic knob which can be turned to lock the left panel. This is great for those who like to protect their investments.
To help secure the front panel is a three setting lock. Leaving the key in the upright position (completely counter clockwise) leaves the front panel and door panel free to open and close. Turning the 90 degrees to the right locks the front panel to the frame leaving only the door free to open. Turning the key an additional 90 degrees (180 degrees from the start) locks both the front panel and the door and safely securing your rig.
Viewing the case from the right proves dull, as there is very little to look at. However, the one thing that did leave an impression on me from this angle of viewing was the difference in color on the painted steel and the plastic. Although not noticeable under low light conditions, the colors didn’t quite match when there was a significant amount of light. The retractable feet also being made of plastic reflected the same color discrepancy. These feetcan either be turned out to steady the case, or kept in line keeping a thin profile. With the weight of the case I wouldn’t be too worried about it tipping on its side, so the choice is entirely up to the owner to decide on the orientation of the feet.
The left panel, however, was a breath taking sight. A nice plastic inset handle with venting for the fan located behind it as well as venting on the middle bottom allow for good airflow for this case. The crystal clear plastic with etched the etched Thermaltake logo and motto wasn’t too flashy, thus not detracting from the display of the inner workings of this case. In addition, below the upper thumbscrew point is a chassis alert switch, perfect for those of us who want to make sure their rigs are secure.
Getting a quick look at the back reveals a layout basically like any other case. 7 slots for expansion cards, plus the standard arrangement connector panel and power supply holes all empty and waiting for filling. Noting that only the WinGo V7420D came with the Silent PurePower 420W power supply and taking a glimpse at the exhaust port for the rear facing fan, I turned my attention to the top of the case.
In the middle of the top of the case sits a plastic fixture which includes venting for the top mount exhaust fan as well as a push release panel hiding a firewire port, 2 usb ports, and a mic and speaker/headphone jacks. Naturally, this unique arrangement of having the ports mounted on the top makes it easier to place this case on the floor and have the cables extending upward.
