Tom's Hardware > All Reviews > Components > Cooling > Why 8 New Miditower Cases Do Not Always Deliver

Why 8 New Miditower Cases Do Not Always Deliver

07:00 - Monday 13 September 2004 by Siggy Moersch

1. PC Case With Added Value
2. The Test Candidates In Detail
3. Aplus Xclio, Continued
4. Aplus Xclio, Continued
5. Aplus Xclio, Continued
6. Casetek CS-1020-2: 7-way Fan Control
7. Casetek CS-1020-2, Continued
8. Casetek CS-1020-2, Continued
9. Casetek CS-1020-2, Continued
10. Cooler Master Cavalier CAV-T01: Integrated Musketeer Display
11. Cooler Master Cavalier CAV-T01, Continued
12. Cooler Master Cavalier CAV-T01, Continued
13. ComsCom Think-Tank: Mobile Phone Charging Device Included
14. ComsCom Think-Tank, Continued
15. ComsCom Think-Tank, Continued
16. Intertech IT-2399 Silverstar: Lots Of Room For Drives
17. Intertech IT-2399 Silverstar, Continued

18. Intertech IT-2399 Silverstar, Continued
19. Intertech IT-2399 Silverstar, Continued
20. Intertech IT-2399 Silverstar, Continued
21. Tricod ATX-604AL: Display With Alarm Function
22. Tricod ATX-604AL, Continued
23. Tricod ATX-604AL
24. Pearl LCD Fan Master: Lightweight At 5.9 Kg
25. Pearl LCD Fan Master, Continued
26. Pearl LCD Fan Master, Continued
27. Silverstone SST-TJ05: FP52 Display Integrated
28. Silverstone SST-TJ05, Continued
29. Silverstone SST-TJ05, Continued
30. Testing
31. Testing Results
32. Conclusion
33. Features Table
34. Features Table, Continued

Bigger and bolder displays

Front panel fan, temperature and other control displays are growing in popularity for monitoring and protecting the components inside a PC case. Depending on the manufacturer, the utility control displays range from useful to superfluous. Practical functions of these displays allow for fan regulation, which in turn can make PCs run quieter, of course. Sensors measure temperatures and trigger an alarm if the condition becomes critical, or boost the built-in fan to higher rpms. However, our tests of these eight miditower cases show that control displays do not always live up to their promise.