Thermaltake Armor Revo Snow Edition Case Review

[siopao1984]

---

There is an endless number of enthusiast-grade cases available today, enough to satisfy both the taste and wallet of any kind of user; and most of which are black. Today we have a new performance case from Thermaltake for review, the new version of the renowned Armor series, the Armor Revo Snow Edition. Much like the name suggests, this case features a fundamental difference from the majority of the products currently available; a glossy snow white color which could turn Apple green with envy.Manufacturer’s features and specifications

• Wing Shape Aluminum Front Bezel
• Breath Lighting effect
• USB3.0 superspeed
• Top-mounted HDD hot swap Docking Station
• VGA TripleMax 33cm
• CableClear cable management
• Liquid cooling ready
• Innovative 5.25" & 3.5" tool-free design
• Combat Headset Holder
• Heightened footstand enhances intake airflow

P/N	VO200M6W2N
Case Type	Full Tower
Dimension (H x W x D)	586 x 254 x 552 mm (23.1 x 10 x 21.7 inch)
Net Weight	11.5Kg / 25.35lb
Side Panel	Transparent Window
Color	Exterior & Interior : Black & White
Material	SECC
Cooling System	Front (intake) : 200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan x 1 (600~800rpm, 13~15dBA) Rear (exhaust) : 140 x 140 x 25 mm Turbo fan (1000rpm,16dBA) Top (exhaust) : 200 x 200 x 30 mm Blue LED fan (600~800rpm, 13~15dBA) 140 x 140 x 25 mm or 120 x 120 x 25 mm (optional) Side (intake) : Plug&Play 200 x 200 x 30 mm fan (600~800rpm, 13~15dBA) Bottom (Intake) : 120 x 120 x 25 mm (optional)
Drive Bays	Accessible: 4 x 5.25’’, 1 x 3.5’’ (Converted from one 5.25” drive bay) Hidden: 6 x 3.5’’ or 2.5’’ HDD Docking: 1 x 3.5’’ or 2.5’’
Expansion Slots	8
Motherboards	9.6” x 9.6” (Micro ATX), 12” x 9.6” (ATX)
I/O Ports	USB 3.0 x 2, USB 2.0 x 2, eSATA x 1, HD Audio x 1
PSU	Standard PS2 PSU
LCS Upgradable	Supports 1/2”?3/8”?1/4” water tube
Other	CPU cooler height limitation: 180mm VGA length limitation: 330mm

Read more: Thermaltake Armor Revo Snow Edition Case Review by VR-Zone.com

[siopao1984]

Thermaltake supplies the Armor Revo Snow Edition case in a large, colorful cardboard box. The artistic theme involves the case beside a knight in shining armor, an eye catching design based on a good metaphor.



The bundle is essentially limited to the basics. The user will find a standard black and white manual, mounting and a faceplate adapter for an external 3.5” device, a CPU 12V extension cable, some basic cable ties and the necessary screws and mounting hardware.

[siopao1984]

It would be no exaggeration to say that the Armor Revo Snow Edition has the color of fresh snow itself. The paint job is so immaculate and bright that it was extremely difficult to take any pictures of the case over a white background. The main theme of the case is still based on the original Armor series but the chassis is entirely different than the original version. The main structure is similar to the one used for the Chaser MK-I case but the Armor Revo is significantly different as a product. The Armor Revo is a fairly large case and not too heavy, weighting a little over 11.5kg (empty).



Although the frame of the faceplate is made of plastic, the metallic “shields” conceal most of it. Thermaltake made the shields out of solid aluminum and left them in their natural color. The dust filters of the case are black, creating a visual theme with extremely high contrast.



The front I/O and buttons of this case can be found at the top side of the faceplate. The large power button can be seen at the right side of the array, with the HDD LED and a smaller reset button right above it. At the left side of the array Thermaltake placed the fan controls, with a button to control their lighting and two buttons to control their speed. There are only two speed settings; low and high.

The front connection ports can be seen at the center of the array. They consist of two USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port and two USB 3.0 ports. The USB 3.0 is using an internal header and no cables will have to be routed to the back of your motherboard; however your motherboard must have an USB 3.0 internal header available as well. The typical headphone jacks are also available.

Right above the front connection ports, Thermaltake installed a SATA dock for 2.5” or 3.5” devices. The dock essentially allows the use of 2.5”/3.5” storage devices to be used as if they were floppy disks.



On the left side panel Thermaltake placed a simple but highly effective plastic hinge meant to be used as a headphones hanger. The hinge can be closed while you are using (or if you are not ever using) your headphones.

[siopao1984]

The left side panel of the Armor Revo Snow Edition is complex, featuring a futuristic design formed by embossing the metal. The top half of the panel is covered by a strangely shaped plastic window, while a loose honeycomb design covers most of the bottom half of the side panel, serving as a guard for the 200mm fan.



Much like the left side panel, the right side panel of the case is based on a similar complex and sharp embossed design.



At the top of the case a large 200mm cooling fan can be found hidden beneath a honeycomb mesh. Right next to it there is another spot, this time for an optional 120mm/140mm fan. It is worthwhile to notice that because of the wide openings, Thermaltake installed a thin mesh dust filter beneath the honeycomb mesh.



Despite the all-white faceplate and side/top panels, the rear of the Armor Revo Snow Edition is black. There is an 140mm exhaust fan, above from which we can see three round holes covered by rubber grommets. These holes are commonly being used as an entrance/exit point for watercooling hoses but Thermaltake drilled a third hole for those who would like to route some cables as well. Finally, there is a simple metallic hinge for securing the cables at the rear of your case right beneath the 140mm exhaust fan.



A long dust filter has been placed at the bottom of the case, filtering the air of the PSU intake and of the optional bottom intake fan. It can be removed by simply pulling it from the rear of the case. The feet of the case can be turned to the sides, vastly increasing the stability of the tall tower.

[siopao1984]

A 200mm intake fan rests on the inside of the left side panel. A thin net dust filter guards the intake from dust, which is also the only filter of the case which actually requires the fan to be removed in order for it to be cleaned. There is no free cable to power the fan, which is powered from a contact connector once the side panel is closed.



Unlike the all-white exterior, the chassis and interior of the Armor Revo Snow Edition is all black. The contrasting theme undoubtedly is nice but, since the case has a windowed side panel, we think that an all-white theme would be far more original. The 3.5” drive trays, which are bright blue, form an exception to the black/white theme. The motherboard tray is cut behind the CPU area, allowing the installation of large CPU coolers without having to remove the motherboard from the case. There are five large holes covered by rubber grommets for routing cables from and to the back of the tray.



The rear of the motherboard’s tray is roomy and gives the users ample room to route and manage the cables of their systems. A few cable holders here and there would not hurt though. The cables of the case are secured with typical cable ties.



The top 200mm exhaust fan of the case features blue LED lighting and is powered by the same Molex powering the front intake fan. The rear 140mm fan is a glossy black fan with its own 3-pin power cable, which is carefully sleeved.



As expected from a case of such grade, the expansion slot covers are reusable and perforated to assist with the airflow. They are also held in place by thumbscrews, which might not be forming the most sophisticated “tool-less” installation mechanism but they are simple and very effective.

[siopao1984]

Most of the case’s bottom has been perforated to allow the PSU to draw cool air from the bottom of the case and for the installation of the optional 120mm fan. A metallic bar is being used to lock the PSU into place, which can be installed in the appropriate holes to accommodate power supplies of any length; however, a PSU too long will block the installation of the optional bottom 120mm intake fan.





The six 3.5” trays are blue with black locking hinges. The installation of drives is toolless, with the drive being locked inside the tray using simple plastic pins. These trays can accommodate 2.5” drives as well but they will have to be screwed onto the tray.



The four 5.25” devices are being locked with plastic locking mechanisms as well but they can be secured with screws if necessary.



Our ICTT system fits inside the Armor Revo Snow Edition effortlessly, leaving plenty of room to work and to route cables. Long PCIe cards of up to 33cm in length will fit inside the case and will not be blocked by the drives. Although the installation of a system inside such a case is a very easy job, perfectionists are bound to spend a significant amount of time in order to optimize routing and conceal the cables.

[siopao1984]

In order to assess the thermal performance of the case we will be using our Integrated Casing Torture Test (ICTT) system to take readings over a period of one and a half hour. All of the case fans are operating at their maximum speed during the test and both side panels are closed. The exhaust temperature probe was placed above the rear fan of the case.



As we expected, the thermal performance of the Armor Revo Snow Edition is excellent and on par with other cases sharing a similar chassis design. The side panel fan improves the temperatures around the GPUs area, where the bulk of our system’s thermal load is situated. Although the plastic trays reduce the surface of the drives which comes in contact with the intake air, the temperatures in the HDD area were also kept at low levels throughout our testing.

On the other hand, the acoustics performance of the Armor Revo Snow Edition is mediocre; an expected side effect when making use of many and large cooling fans. The Armor Revo Snow Edition generates 37.4dB(A) with its fans running at maximum speed. Even if the fans are set at low speed, the noise level drops down to 32.6dB(A), a low but still audible figure.

[siopao1984]

Quality (30% of the total score)

Undoubtedly, the Armor Revo Snow Edition is a well-designed case of high quality. The steel structure of the case is very sturdy, while the quality of the plastic parts is above the average standard. We could simply say that this case lives up to its name, being durable as a part of armor. That does not mean that everything about the Armor Revo Snow Edition is indestructible though, as the plastic parts can handle only a certain level of abuse. For example, the headphones hanger will easily hold the weight of the heaviest headphone set ever made and then some, yet it will not withstand a forceful downward blow or the weight of an entire arm. Of course such small parts cannot be designed with the ability to handle any kind of physical abuse; at least not on a commercial product.

Quality Score 9.0/10



Performance (30% of the total score)

We feel that the thermal performance of the Armor Revo Snow Edition will leave no enthusiast and overclocker disappointed, even without adding any more cooling fans. Thermaltake designed this case to be able to handle high end gaming systems, thus the Armor Revo can easily cope with the thermal load of today’s high performance computers. Even though the brute force of the large cooling fans works well when the case has to deal with a thermal load, the fans generate a significant level of noise when running at maximum speed. Even at low speed, the air pressure generates an audible hum which may not be a problem for most users but would trouble those deeply concerned about the acoustics performance of their systems.

Performance Score 8.5/10



Aesthetics (30% of the total score)

Aesthetics may be a subjective matter but the unique design and theme of the Armor Revo Snow Edition is perhaps the major selling point of this case. With its high contrast black and white theme and the futuristic design, the Armor Revo Snow Edition is definitely a unique product like no other. Enthusiasts who are tired of the black and silver cases (and perhaps Apple lovers too) will certainly enjoy the different appearance of this case. However, due to the bright color of the Armor Revo Snow Edition, the fan openings on the side and top panels of the case draw a lot of attention and create a negative visual effect.

Aesthetics Score 9.0/10



Value (10% of the total score)

We found the Armor Revo Snow Edition retailing for about 175 USD / 225 SGD at the time of this review. Although that is far too high a price to compete in the high value for money category, the price is reasonable for an enthusiast grade enclosure with the number of features the Armor Revo Snow Edition has to offer. Let us not forget the unique appearance of this case as well, which is bound to draw the attention of enthusiasts and modders all by itself.

Value Score 9.0/10

[BrianBCBF]

makahikap ra nya q ani puhon, aq migo nagpahimo spec s aq for gaming PC.. ngita mi ug nindot case, den ibog kaau cxa ani. He will buy this case ig 13th month pay.. den aq mag set up.. yum2..