discussion Thermaltake Armor+ MX Mid Tower Case Review

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Cooling Performance

Cooling Performance

Video Cooling Performance

In order to assess and gain insight into the cooling abilities of the huge 23cm case dan as it relates to Graphic Card cooling, we recorded via Ntune the idle temperatures of a 7200GS passively cooled video card with both the case side off, and then with the case side on. We very very impressed with the difference this massive, yet ultra quiet fan can have on a video card and we are happy to report the idle temperatures on the card dropped from 61c with the case side off to 47c with side in place. A 14c drop in temperatures is a clear indication this side fan is as potent a cooling solution as it is colorful. Even if your video card is not passively cooled the above results are a clear indication which this setup will draw in more than enough cool air to keep even the hottest of cards happy.

CPU Cooling Performance

In order to gain a clear understanding of how this system air cooling will perform in real world situations we tested the DuOrb CPU cooler with both the side of the case on and off. To stress the DuOrb as much as possible we used a Q6600 overclocked to 3.0GHz. Recorded temps were as reported via CoreTemp's "Temp Log". Average load temps were taken after 15 minutes of running Prime95 v25.4 “small fft” and are taken directly from CoreTemp’s temperature text file. Excel was used to average the results of all cores. Idle temps were taken 15 minutes after Load testing ceased. All CPU throttling technology was disabled in the BIOS but due to the fact that the DuOrb is a nonPWM fan all CPU fan speed control was not disabled and rather was set to voltage only.

When it was all said and done, with the case side installed and all fans working we able to get an average load temperature of 68.1° Celsius, where as with the case side panel off it was a little over four degrees hotter at 72.3° C. This difference shows the system is more than adequate for home environments as this particular quad does run hot and dumps a fairly significant amount of heat into the surrounding air. If we were to hazard a guess we assume the numerous holes in the top of the case helped a lot of hot air to escape thus keeping the differences to a more moderate level. In the end we would really have liked to have seen a top mounted fan to help suck hot air away from the CPU as it still is not as good as our open bench tests of 66.4° showed in previous review of this DuOrb.

 

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Conclusion

Conclusion

The Thermaltake Armor+ MX is a very curious case which is hard to pin down and label. In some ways it is very user-friendly, and we can attest to the ease of use when it comes to the hard drive caddies and even the 5.25 bay mounting system. These two systems work as advertised and they really are tool free if you want them to be, yet still you have the option of more secure mountig and these really stand out for both their ease of use and good engineering. Other basic facets of installation are simple as well due to this case's good amount of interior room and cable routing options.

Unfortunately, this case is marred by numerous less than optimal engineering solutions; take the expansion port tool-less adapters for example. On the one hand Thermaltake engineers took the time to get it right by pre-drilling holes in all of them to help with air flow, yet they hobbled the most important part -the actual tool-less installation- with these finicky plastic plugs which are simply a hassle to use. The same could be said of the front 5.25 bay blanking panels. Once again they got the little things right like the air mesh filters and easy to remove swing arm installation, yet the plastic they used is very flexible and could be time consuming the get back into place.

These two things can be forgiven as maybe it is just us, and maybe we are being overly harsh on this case; after all, we are human and we too make mistakes. What is inexcusable and very obviously not a figment of out overactive imagination was the power supply holes not lining up. Yes, you could “fix” this by removing the PSU bar, but this is a less than optimal solution to a problem which should never have left the assembly line in the first place.

In the installation process was more good than bad, but there were enough annoyances to taint the overall process. The same could be said of its looks, in that from the front this case has very clean and elegant lines but from the sides and the back it all goes to pot very quickly. This is however our personal opinion and you may be one that actually likes the exterior design of this case. Luckily, the Armour+ MX does have a saving grace, which in this instance is the fans which come with it. All three fans were very quiet, well mannered and best of all did their jobs exceptionally well. If you want an interesting looking mid tower which comes standard with some great fans this is definitely right up there with other high end models.

However, quiet or not, annoying quirks or not, heck even alternative looks aside, this case is pricey. For the same or even less money one can get Antec P182 case, or for about the same or a little more money the Antec P182SE stainless steel model. I am sorry to say but this level of build quality, great fans or no pales in comparison to such esteemed peerage as the P182. If this case sold for more or less a $100 it would be well worth considering but unless your number one priority is a stock air cooling solution which is as quiet as can be this case is simply outclassed by competitors in the same price range. Hopefully, future revisions will round the rough edges and make this a true competitor for its price range.

Pros:
- Quiet Fans
- Easy installation of hard drives
- Tool-less design throughout
- eSATA front port
- Blue glowing LED fans

Cons:
- Pricey
- Way to much plastic used
- Some tool-less designs are less than optimal solutions
- Aesthetics not for everyone