VXI BlueParrott B100 Specifications download pdf (Page 23)

THERMALTAKE TAI

CHI VB5000SNA

This case sports new features

galore, but its price tag will

terrify you

The Tai Chi is Thermaltake’s most auda-

cious case yet, with rows of extruded

aluminum ﬁ ns lining the case’s sides.

There are also swing-out doors, a set of

carrying handles, and optional casters

for rolling around the 40-pound behe-

moth. As exceptional as this case is, it

falls just short of perfection.

INSTALLATION

Although it boasts a removable moth-

erboard tray, the Tai Chi is so roomy

you don’t need it. We dig that the

standoff holes on the motherboard

back plate are labeled, so you know

which ones to use based on your

mobo’s size and formfactor. Hard

drives mount in a removable three-

drive cage that includes its own 12cm

intake fan. The cage can be screwed

into any of the case’s 10 5.25-inch

drive bays. Unfortunately, if you want

to use more than three hard drives,

you’ll have to buy either another cage

or 5.25-to-3.5-inch adapters. We

appreciate the ability to relocate the

on/off switch to any of the front bays;

USB, FireWire, and audio jacks, mean-

while, reside on top of the case—right

where they belong, within easy reach.

The slide-out tool tray in the bottom

bay is very handy.

We found the PCI slots’ tool-less

retention mechanism to be

much less cool. It forces you

to push expansion cards

down onto the motherboard,

then slide them sideways

into the mechanism, and

then down into their slots.

This is a pain in the ass and

out of character for a case

with so many other well-

thought-out features.

GOODIES

Water-cooling enthusiasts

will love the water-cooling mounts integrated into the Tai Chi’s

door. The case is designed to be used with Thermaltake’s Big

Water kit (you can buy the case with the kit for an extra $100);

but with a little modding, it should work with other kits that use

dual 12cm radiators.

$400, www.thermaltake.com

THERMALTAKE TAI CHI

FINS

Love the doors; very

spacious, and ready

for a water-cooling kit.

FANGS

PCI-retention mecha-

nism sucks; pricey.

You can buy a BTX

backplate for the Tai

Chi, but this might be

a useless feature in

light of Intel’s recent

move away from high

clock speeds.

The Yin-Yang motif is

achieved by two overlap-

ping doors that protect the

case’s grill while still allow-

ing ample airflow.

Thermaltake includes

optional casters with

the case—and you’ll

need ‘em: This puppy

weighs 40 pounds!

42 MAXIMUMPC HOLIDAY 2005

The Great CASE RACE

Thermaltake managed to make a hulking,

40-pound PC enclosure look graceful.

This swing-out door

is made to hold a

radiator/fan assembly

that sucks air from

inside the case and

blows it through the

radiator.

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VXI BlueParrott B100 Specifications Page 23

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