Date: February 22nd, 2005
Article by: Joe Anderson (Hardware Reviewer)
Edited by: Nathan Glentworth (Owner, Head Editor & Hardware Reviewer)
Product Submitted by: Thermaltake
<--SHOP FOR A THERMALROCK CIRCLE SILVER ATX CASE HERE

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS & FEATURES

Features:

- Elegant Aluminum front door with acrylic panel and exchangeable CD storage
- 12cm front and rear case fans for better ventilation
- Unique open right panel design for better airflow
- Front panel lock for security
- Arch shape window with "Circle" watermark on side panel

Specifications:

- Case Type: Full Tower
- Side Window: Acrylic
- Dimensions: 205 x 500 x 540mm (W x D x H)
- Net Weight: 14 kg
- Motherboard Form Factor: 12" x 9.6" ATX, 9.6" x 9.6" Micro ATX, 12" x 13 x Extended ATX
- Cooling System: 1 x 120mm 2000RPM Front Intake Fan, 1 x 120mm 2000RPM Rear Exhaust Fan
- Chassis Material: 0.8mm SECC
- Front Panel Material: Aluminum
- Drive Bays:

o 5 x 5.25" External
o 2 x 3.5" External
o 6 x 3.5" Internal

- Expansion Slots: 7
- Thermal Test: Ambient 38°C, Intel thermal requirement verified
- I/O Ports: 2 x USB2.0, 1 x IEEE1394 x 1, 2 x Audio

This case is BIG! At 8 x 19.7 x 21.25 inches (W x D x H) it's more than 4 inches taller and an inch deeper than my mid-tower case but not much wider. At almost 31 pounds, it's also HEAVY! It's definitely not a box to lug to a LAN party, but that's not the crowd that ThermalRock has targeted with the Circle. It will take most any ATX motherboard you throw at it, has plenty of drive bays and adds a Firewire port to the more common two USB 2.0 and audio ports. The chassis itself is steel with an aluminum front door and acrylic side window and front door cover.

PRODUCT COMPOSITION

The Circle chassis arrived from ThermalRock in perfect condition. My assistant thoroughly inspected the packaging and found it to be top notch. I concur with his findings.

*Editor's Addition: Is it just me or does the "assistant" look a little possessed? EEK!*

Inside the box, the case was securely wrapped in a heavy plastic bag and nestled between two form fitting foam blocks.

After removing the packaging and the protective films from the front panel and side window, the case is revealed in all its glory. Without a doubt, the Circle has a very distinctive look. The front facade suggests a very large, high-tech CD player rather than a computer case. (ThermalRock calls this feature "CD storage". The reflective discs can be removed to hold your favorite game CD or music if you want.)

The Circle chassis has a very smooth metallic silver finish. While it's not ultra shiny like an automotive finish, it doesn't have the bumpy textured finish common on many lower-end cases. Another interesting feature is the window. Not only does it have a distinctive shape, unlike most cases it's installed in the right side panel. "Why", you ask? Well, we'll go into more detail later in the review, but basically it's because ThermalRock has incorporated quite a few innovative cooling and convenience features that necessitate inverting the motherboard in the case.