-= LED Case Handle =-
Technical Information (taken from the Sunbeam Tech website):
"This case handle is made of plastic handle and anodized steel handle. The double-designed handles may prolong its use lifetime and provide the guarantee of the reliability and safety. Large metal washers can add the stability and strength for your case. With switching on, built-in LEDs with 3 different available LED colors will provide fantastic lighting effects. It seems that a conjurer brings you to a magic world."
Features:
1. Built-in LEDs provide fantastic lighting
2. Comfortable hand touch and attractive looks
3. Double-designed handles promise long lifetime
4. Large area metal washers add stability and strength
5. 3 different LED colors available
Specifications:
Height: 46.5mm Length: 180mm
Material: transparent plastic handle,hard anodized steel handle
Contents: 2 double-designed handles,4 LED lamps,molex(F&M), wires,screws, plastic washers ,nuts
Plastic handle colors:
Clear
LED colors:
Red
Blue
Green
LED Case Handle Information:
As with all the other Sunbeam Tech products reviewed here, the LED Case Handle is packaged in a plastic snap-together pack. Included are all components necessary for a good installation.
Here you can see how the unit would be put together. The only other accessories not included for the installation are the screws. The handles are made up of a steel handle support, then the clear rubber handle, and finally on the inside of your case would be the steel retention bar. All of this is connected using screws.
A common Molex connector powers the LEDs, however Sunbeam Tech has provided a pass-through connection so you don't lose another Molex connector. The LEDs are attached using a two-pin connector, and the connector has a place for all four (two LEDs per handle) of the LEDs to attach. Not only did they take into consideration losing a Molex connector and making sure there was plenty of cable for the installation, they went another step further and sleeved the black and yellow power cable coming off the Molex connector! Just another way Sunbeam Tech is trying to help out the modder!
Installation:
This was the only item from Sunbeam that would necessitate an in-depth look at the installation process.
On the back of the packaging there are installation instructions. I found these to be sufficient as this was pretty simple to install, providing you can use a drill.
To complete the install, you will want to remove all components from the inside of your case, including the power supply. After you have done that, you will need to drill a couple of holes for the bolts and wires to go through. This is the most difficult part of the installation. Place the retention bar in the location you want to install the handle, mark the holes with a pen or pencil, and then drill the holes. I recommend using a file and removing any burs left after the drilling. To minimize any scuffs to the paint, you should put tape over the area you are drilling and drill through the tape.
After drilling the holes, its as simple as putting the LED's through the case and inserting them into the handle. Sunbeam Tech has included a couple of plastic washers to keep the LED's from falling back into your case. After inserting the LED's into the handle, slide the washer on.
Finally, the last major step of the installation is to add the handle support on the plastic handle and the retention bar on the inside of the case. Attaching these with a screw and bolt will secure them to your case and complete the installation.
After they are secure, all you need to do is plug them into your power supply, and turn on your computer! Once lit up, they look great!
I checked with Sunbeam Tech, and they stated the Case Handle would work on cases weighing up to 44lbs (20kgs), but really only recommend it for cases under 40lbs (18kgs). Just as a point of reference, my Antec (steel) Full Tower 1080 case weighs in at around 30lbs empty. Add in a couple of optical drives, motherboard, video, fans, heatsink, power supply, etc and you could easily top it out over 45lbs. In contrast, my Raidmax Scorpio (aluminum) medium tower case weighs around 22lbs adding in the 15lbs of components takes it up to around 37lbs. So it all depends on your case whether these handles will work for you.
Conclusion:
There are many ways to move your computer around. You can just pick it up and walk with it, put it on wheels, or even use the Sunbeam Tech Lan Party Bag. With this unit being priced at $14.99 at Jab-tech, I can recommend this only for lightweight computers, or purely for aestethic purposes.
Overall, this is a nice item to have, but it's not truly functional as a handle, unless you have a light weight case.
Pros:
Easy installation
Bright
Great for Smaller (Mini/Med) cases
Easy to place in case
Cons:
No way to turn off the LED's
Won't support large/full cases
Final Thoughts:
Sunbeam Tech knows how to make some impressive mod gear. While not all of this gear would be a must-have, and some of it is down-right pointless (in my opinion), all of these products are made to high standards. I think the Night Magic and MiniBaybus are the most useful items in the bunch. Both of these will remain in my case for a long time.
Finding Sunbeam Tech items at stores is somewhat hit and miss. Many places carry a few items, but it seems that no stores carry all of it. Sunbeam Tech's "Where to Buy" page may be your best bet for tracking down any of these items, and features familiar names like Newegg, Jab-tech, and Geeks.com (aka Computergeeks.com).
Special thanks to Sunbeam Tech for providing a wide range of mod gear to BigBruin.Com for review!
Please drop by the BigBruin.Com forum and feel free to discuss this review.
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