| Thermaltake Swing ATX Mid Tower Case
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The Basics (continued):
The case is constructed of steel, and in the below left image you get a look at the unpainted steel found on the inner surface of the side panel. You have a little overspray from where the black paint came through the perforations, but of more interest are the edges of the panel. The edges have been folded over for strength, and perhaps safety, but the exposed tabs intend to lock the panel to the case are a bit sharp. One of two cuts received while building this case came from one of these little blades. Higher end Thermaltake cases are great for their rounded edges and blood free installations, but saving money might mean losing a little blood (or just being really careful).
 
The above right image shows off the tool-less expansion slot system. I first saw this design on an Enermax case back in 2003, and I like it now as much I did then. Oversized cards generally fit, and in my installation I had no problems locking cards in (which can't be said for other cases recently reviewed).
The images below show other features found at the back of the case. You have the eye catching 120mm fan in a tool-less mounting system, the opening for your own power supply, and a chassis intrusion switch. I think this was the first time I actually bothered to connect one of these switches, and I can report that it worked perfectly.
 
The below left image shows off the sideways mounted drive cage intended to hold up to three 3.5" drives. The cage also doubles as storage for the tool-less brackets used on 3.5" and 5.25" drives. Just as with the expansion slot tool-less mechanism, these devices were also on the Enermax case I liked from back in 2003. They work well, but you just have to keep track of them when not in use.
 
The below left image shows off all of the well labeled front panel connections in front of the drive cage, and the below right image takes a look at the drive cage from another angle. When I went to take a closer look at the mounting for the 120mm intake fan I realized something I didn't like about the cage. It is about as far from tool-less as you can get. You need to remove the drive cage in order to install a fan, and this requires you to remove 6 screws! Many drives cages pop in and out without tools, and other Thermaltake cases implement such a design. With all of the convenient features seen in this case so far, the lack of a tool-less design here is a bit of a let down.
 
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