![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Monday , April 13, 2009
- Author:
- Marc Adams
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Xpressar Refrigeration System & Xaser Chassis
Thermaltake, a leading manufacturer of cases for PC enthusiasts, is here to show us their cooler side. The Xpressar Refrigeration system is Thermaltake's first attempt in serious phase change cooling. This is a "micro" refrigeration system aimed at silence rather than balls out 24/7 overclocking.
Thermaltake Xaser VI
We are going to start by looking at the case. Since the Xpressar unit is designed to work with the Xaser VI chassis, it is important that the chassis fits your needs. Thermaltake has a long history of making enthusiast class chassis’ and with no less than twenty-one different models they know a thing or two about what consumers want.
Specs
Let’s get one thing out of the way. This is not a case for your desk unless you enjoy playing a sort of Russian roulette with your lap as the target. At close to fifty pounds this case won’t be mistaken for a LAN box either. The Xaser VI is a no-nonsense; leave me where I stand case with lots of room and plenty of options. It has a solid feel to it and there is little plastic to be found adorning this chassis.
Dimensions (W*D*H): 23.8 x 9.8 x 26.0 inch
Weight: 48.9 lbs
Material: Front door: Aluminum / Chassis: 1.0mm SECC
Color: Black
Cooling System:
Front Intake - 140 x 140 x 25mm blue LED fan, 1000rpm, 16dBA or 120 x 120 x25 mm fan (optional)
Top Exhaust - 140 x 140 x 25mm TurboFan, 1000rpm, 16dBA or 120 x 120 x25 mm fan (optional)
Bottom Intake - Two 140 x 140 mm fans (optional) or two 120 x 120 x25 mm fan (optional)
VGA Intake - 140 x 140 x 25mm TurboFan, 1000rpm, 16dBA or 120 x 120 x25 mm fan (optional)
Motherboard Compatibility: 9.6" x 9.6" (Micro ATX), 12" x 9.6" (ATX)
Expansion Slots: 10
Front I/O: e-SATA connector x 2, USB 2.0 x 4, IEEE 1394 Firewire x 1, HD Audio
Exterior
The Xaser VI is a big case as stated before and for those looking for smooth lines and a classic design you’ll want to look elsewhere. This case makes no apologies for its appearance and under its exotic exterior lays the kind of features you would expect from a top tier manufacturer.
The outside of the Xaser chassis is all metal and mostly what you would expect. The back though holds an interesting surprise. Rather than the standard seven expansion slots this cases houses ten. This means if you place your video card on the bottom slot of your motherboard it won’t be sucking up dust from your case and if you have any expansion plates like USB or FireWire you won’t have to lose a slot on your motherboard.
This is one of the features you either love or hate. The lid is made of plastic which makes sense since metal would have been too heavy to lift. Underneath is a variety of connections which is both great and annoying. It is annoying since you are required to keep the lid open if you frequently use a USB drive or eSATA attached storage and this increases the chance of the plastic supports breaking. A lid that slides into the chassis would have been both way cooler and much less annoying.
Interior
The inside of the Xaser chassis is pretty basic which you may or may not like. The case comes with a removable motherboard tray that we'll see more closely in just a bit. For the most part the case has a tool-less or few-tool design thanks to the locking mechanism employed for the hard drives and 5.25" bays.
Everything works pretty well as long as you do not need to remove a video card. Once installed in your system the Xpressar unit will block the screws holding your video card in place. If you use longer cables to attach your other components you may be able to slide the motherboard tray out an inch to access the necessary screws. Otherwise, this could be a real pain. Something to consider.