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Product:
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Cooler Master iTower 930 Case |
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Price:
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$162 (CDN) / $140 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Cooler Master
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Author:
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Mars
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Date:
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December 28th, 2006
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Rating:
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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All of the PCI cards are held into place with the same style of fixed mount tool less hold downs used for the 5.25" bays.
The PSU area is totally caged and supports PS2 / EPS 12V Compatible or Mini-redundant (optional). In order to install
the motherboard and other components the adjustable fan duct bracket must be removed. This is accomplished by unlocking
the tool-less tabs.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Once the motherboard is installed you can install the video card. Again this is another tool-less feature. If you have
a floppy disk, the Cooler Master iTower 930 uses a 5.25" to 3.5" adapter.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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The next step is to install of the hard drives. This is the one area that the Cooler Master ITower 930 skimped out on.
The hard drive brackets are made from plastic, probably to save costs.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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I found there was plenty of room to work inside the case, even with my CoolIT Systems Freezone CPU Cooler. The 5.25"
devices fit well without any large gaps around the bezels.
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Click image for larger view
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Click image for larger view
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Here are a couple of shots with some of the LED's in action. There are two LED's on the hard drive brackets, one will
stay lit up constantly when the hard drive is powered up and working, the other will light up when the drive is accessed.
The LED's beside the Power and Reset buttons perform the typical functions of power (top bright blue), HD access (middle green),
and a not so common one of network activity (bottom red).
Testing:
I will test the Cooler Master iTower 930 with the following hardware:
- Asus A8N32-SLI DLX Motherboard
- BFG 7900GT
- AMD 64 X2 3800 (Manchester) (OC’d to 2.6 GHz)
- Plextor 716SA DVD Burner (SATA)
- Asus AI Booster motherboard overclocking and monitoring software
- CoolIT Systems Freezone CPU Cooler
- Seagate 320 SATA II Hard Drive
- Seagate 160 SATA II Hard Drive
- Seagate 120 SATA II Hard Drive
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Conclusion:
After spending a few days testing the Cooler Master iTower 930 under a variety of conditions, I found my system and hard drive
temperatures were no worse off than my previous case used in the CoolIT
review that used three 80mm front fans for intake. The front 92 mm fan that keeps the hard drives cool in the back plane
as well as bringing in some outside air combined with the perforations on the side panel keep my system temperatures at
the same temperature level as a previous case intake with less noise. The permanently fixed tool-less features of this
case makes it easy to install components without the use of drive rails that can break or get lost over time. The SATA
back plane works well and serves its purpose for those needing a hot swappable file server, the only issue I found was
the plastic hard drive brackets. The case is well built and heavy, ensuring years of abuse if used in a commercial type
setting. My only negative point with this case is the placement of the front USB I/O panel. If there is anything plugged
in, such as USB game controllers or headphones you cannot open the front door to access the CDROM or DVD. Another issue
I have with this case (this is only a personal observation and may not influence the typical user) is the fact the right
side panel is not removable. If you have read any of my articles on wire management and stealth wiring, you will know I
make great use of the space available in behind the right side panel and the 5.25" bay area. Without the right panel
being removable this makes wire management options limited with this case. Considering this point will not affect a
large majority of the users out there, overall I was pleased with the Coolermaster ITower 930 and award a final rating of
8.5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review,
be sure to visit the Cooler Master website for more information
or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Solid well built construction.
- Excellent cooling
- 95 per cent tool-less design
- 120mm rear exhaust fan
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Cons:
- Plastic hard drive brackets
- Non-removable right side cover
- Cannot open front door with USB devices plugged in
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