14 DAY TRIAL // Thermaltake has introduced a multitude of products during this year's CeBIT expo, and many of them were premiered here. This was the case of the trimmed down version of two already existing cases in a behemoth form-factor, the Xaser VI-MX and the Armor+ MX. Thermaltake has tried to bring them to a down-to-earth size, yet, with all the performed adjustments, they are still bigger than the majority of cases.
Both the XaserVI LCS & Armor+ LCS come with a pre-installed liquid cooling system that takes up pretty much space inside the case (three 5.25-inch bays), but it's a must for the overclocking-obsessed users and gamers. The pre-installed liquid cooling system (LCS) spares the user of additional work, and lets them focus on the most important aspects of using liquid cooling: squeezing the last bit of performance out of the system.
The radiator, pump and reservoir are strategically placed into the drive bay, which lets the user maintain the liquid-cooling system through the case's extra sliding hood situated on top. The XaserVI and Armor+ case series are, however, more than liquid-cooling solutions on the go, but rather innovation and expansion. The monolithic sizes of the case allowed the company to fit it with 10 PCI slots, 14 drive bays, adjustable PSU supporting bridge and specially enhanced LCS on three 5.25 drive bay.
The XaserVI and the Armor+ are world's first case offerings to provide the user with 10 PCI slots, but users with multiple graphic cards setups will surely appreciate Thermaltake's initiative. Expanding the system has never been easier, as the only limitations are the physical capacities of the motherboard.
One of the most impressive features in the Armor+ MX case is the 23-centimeter fan strategically placed by Thermaltake on the left panel. The amount of air it can dissipate is huge, but at the same time, this means that you'll have some extra noise during the silent nights when you would rather watch a movie or have some low-volume music, not to mention the extra dust that tends to accumulate inside.
Live report by Bogdan Popa and Alex Vochin from CeBIT 2008 Hanover, Germany.
