Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/1360




Introduction

Flying out to Taipei, the AnandTech team was expecting the BTX form factor to be the center of attention at Computex. Judging from the lack of BTX boards, we found this to be far from true. The only manufacturer who displayed a decent sized line of BTX boards was, not surprisingly, Intel. In turn, only a few manufacturers came to the show with their BTX style cases.

Besides cases, many booths showed off other pieces of hardware from traditional power supplies to fan-less cooling equipment. Some of these manufacturers included Thermaltake, showing off its new fan-less power supplies, which made use of copper piping and fins to cool the unit, as well as other cooling hardware. Zalman also brought its line of cooling equipment along with its noise-less monster of a case, the TNN500AF.




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Other manufacturers, like Enlight and Aopen, brought their renditions of the new BTX format cases, while Lian Li and SilverStone presented us with their BTX look-a-likes.

There were many innovative products at 2004's Computex show in Taipei. We enjoyed our week-long stay there, taking in the sights and sounds. We know that you're all anxious to see what we saw, so without further ado...




Enlight

Enlight was one of the few manufacturers that brought their BTX design to Taipei. Recently, Enlight has been working to shift their place in the market as an OEM case design house, specifically aiming their products towards the gaming market, but it seems also to be supporting the BTX idea. We will be definitely looking forward to reviewing products from Enlight in the future.




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Aopen

Aopen also had a few BTX cases on display, all being pre-engineering prototypes. The one BTX model that really caught our eye had a large intake fan mounted at the front that channeled directly over the CPU to keep the hottest running hardware at a safe operating temperature. Since Aopen does a lot of OEM manufacturing, their heavy commitment shows us a taste of how well BTX will catch on.




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Coolermaster

Coolermaster's main focus at the show was case accessories in which they specialize. Though they do have a handful of desktop chassis in their hands, they showcased power supplies similar to TTGI's TT-450SS model, which has a 120mm LED fan and a honeycomb grill on the back.




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The Wavemaster was also a hit at the show with its many variations, like the Cavalier model using the analog sound level meter.




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Coolermaster also seemed to put a lot of emphasis on their Stacker chassis, which has a front bezel composed completely of 5-1/4" drive bays, which can be converted to the 3-1/2" flavor for HDD/floppy drive support. They also showcased their Cross Flow motherboard cooling system.







Lian Li

Lian Li brought with them some of their most recent models of aluminum chassis, which have been on the market for a while now. The PC-V1100, which is the larger version of the PC-V1000 that we reviewed back in April, was on display along with the rest of the V series. Lian Li introduced the BTX look in an ATX flavor with their V series of cases, which basically flipped the back portion of a normal case upside down, and brings the power supply to the bottom and the motherboard to the top.




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Zalman

Zalman is best known for its line of quiet cooling merchandise, including the Cu7000 and the Cu7700 heatsink, which is a revised version of the Cu7000. The change, a much larger heatsink, allows better heat dissipation from the Athlon 64, which gives up 105W, and the Prescott, which puts out a whopping 120W.




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Zalman also brought with them to Taipei their successor to the TNN 500A silent case, the TNN 500AF. The updated 75lb solid aluminum chassis includes more heat pipes, particularly for VGA cards, to help carry dissipated heat from PC components. Like the 500A, the 500AF requires no fans, which means it is a completely noise-free solution to any high end set-up.




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In addition to the single processor 500AF, Zalman also showed off their dual CPU flavor of the TNN500AF...




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...and the not-exactly silent, but quiet, quad CPU design - the GVS.




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VAV

VAV had their Lian Li V series replica on display. It was basically a Lian Li PC-V1000 style casing with what looked to be handles bolted at both the top and the bottom (as feet). VAV included many accessories in its floor displays, including a couple of rheobuses for fan speed control and an LCD display built in to the bottom front where the intake fan was on the PC-V1000.




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Enermax

Enermax has brought SGCC steel into its product line with the CS-512TA line of chassis. The CS-512TA comes in multiple colors and is coated with a glossy paint. As the picture shows, there is a built-in LCD display for system temperature behind the acrylic covered front bezel.




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Another case that Enermax will soon be putting out is this glossy mid-tower, also with a built-in LCD temperature display and multiple color choices.




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Vantec

Vantec presented a case that it has been working on for a while now, and is very close to putting out a final sample. It is a very sleek looking model and has a built-in LCD display with a blue backlight.




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Vantec is also working on their 350W Ion 2 power supply, which is based on Coolermaster's and TTGI's design. It has a 120mm fan on the topside and a honeycomb grill on the back. As with most new power supplies, it is compatible with Serial ATA and features factory-sleeved wires for a cleaner look, Vantec's EZ-Grip molex connectors, which are easier to work with than standard molex connectors, and various electronic protective features to keep systems running their best.






SilverStone

SilverStone Technologies is following suit of BTX in the same way that Lian Li did with its V series. This full tower chassis is an ATX at heart, but brings with it a BTX style inside. Like the V series of Lian Li, SilverStone basically placed the motherboard on the opposite side (left panel), which puts the CPU in line with two 120mm fans at the bottom of the chassis. There is a tube that extends from front to back creating a wind tunnel to allow air to flow past the CPU, constantly cooling it.




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The hard drive bays are placed directly under the power supply, which can be cooled by a power supply with a 120mm fan on its bottom side (pulling air between the hard drives).




AeroCool

AeroCool is doing something unique with its accessories. The front intake fan on its AeroEngine model of mid-tower cases is molded to look like the engine of an airplane. The two models, AeroEngine and JetMaster, come in two different sizes: junior, which is a mid-tower; and senior, which is a full tower.



AeroCool also has an aluminum fan-less VGA cooler, which makes use of heat pipes to dissipate heat through its lightweight fins.






SuperFlower

Super Flower had some interesting new products from power supplies to several new cases. A glass case showed off various types of power supplies, including the newer fan-less power supply, which turns its fan on only when temperatures reach uncommon highs.




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Super Flower also showed off a few newly designed cases, including the Tigermax with its door made of glass. The etching on the front illuminated during power on...




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...as well as this design, which has LED lighting to accent the front door of the case. We will get a chance to look at Super Flower's new models in the coming weeks.




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SunBeam

SunBeam showed us a load of cases from their line, including a few still in development, of which we could not take pictures. Look for some exotic designs coming from SunBeam Technologies in the coming weeks.




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This design slightly reminds us of the NZXT Guardian that we looked at back in April.




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Thermaltake

Thermaltake also joined the fan-less crowd with its fan-less cooling systems for CPUs as well as VGA cards. They also displayed a fan-less power supply, which makes it seem like Thermaltake is ready to follow Zalman and make a great shift into fan-less designs. Is this a sign of a new era?




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The CPU heatsink is fan-less also and makes use of heat pipes. This design seems to be popping up in many manufacturers' products.




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Thermaltake also has a new aluminum case based on the Coolermaster Wavemaster series called the "Tsunami", which comes in black and silver, with or without the "X type" side panel window. To give it a sleeker look, Thermaltake coats the side and top panels with a mirror finish.




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NZXT

Most of you who read our review on the NZXT Guardian were not too impressed with its looks. It had many great features, but many turned it down based upon its façade. NZXT is working on a successor to the Guardian to redeem itself to the public. They claim to have changed the front panel slightly, but will still have that black knight look to it. It does have a nice backlit LED fan control and monitor, which may appeal to some. Time will tell.




Chenbro

Chenbro's new aluminum chassis, the Gaming Bomb 2, was designed from the ground up to include only the features that made the most sense from an enthusiast's point of view. The most interesting feature that we found in the Gaming Bomb 2 was the multi-positional hard drive carriage to allow flexibility to the hard core gamer when configuring their system. It also sports handles on its topside to allow easy maneuverability.




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Another great feature that Chenbro implemented in the Gaming Bomb 2 was a cable organization system, which they call the "ICM" or "Integrated Cable Management" system. Making use of various channels and clips inside the case, cables can be hidden or held away from the rest of the case to keep it looking clean and organized through the side panel window.




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Casetek

Casetek had some of the most exciting cases that we have seen, maybe even the coolest cases at the show. But Casetek was not out in the open where the public could check out their products. They were, instead, hidden away at the back on a remote floor.

The Dragon case featured an enormous backlit LCD at the bottom (yes, that is a real backlit LCD!), which showed the temperature clearly at great distances. In general, the overall outer design of the case was excellent. Casetek's HTPC chassis also had the LCD display on the front, which looked just as nice as the Dragon's display.




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Conclusion

At a glance, Computex is an event that we all look forward to in the computer industry. The newest of the new hardware comes out of hiding and we get a taste of what's soon to come. During our week in Taipei, we had a chance to check out most of the newest products from all of the various manufacturers. We saw some interesting fan-less cooling solutions from Zalman as well as Thermaltake, and many innovative case designs from the rest of the industry.

In the coming weeks, we hope to work with some of these names to check out their products, the ones that can be released to the public anyway, and compare them to the rest.

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