ThermalTake A6000B Aluminum Case: Quiet Cooling

Design

Our A6000B model consisted of a side panel with a clear plexiglass cutout.  Even though it gives the case a great stylish feel, the clear panel cutout does not provide much functionality.  Very much to our surprise, the lock on both the side panel, and the lock on the front panel were not constructed of aluminum (like the rest of the case) but plastic!  The factory lock would do very little from keeping a determined individual from breaking into a case, but it seems almost insult to injury to make the locking mechanism out of plastic as well.

The side panel provided easy access through a simple plastic handle. We felt the side panel was fairly easy to remove, but sometimes a small challenge to replace.  The left intake fan is actually mounted on the removable panel, so in order to completely separate the panel, one has to also remove the fan connections.  Furthermore, we had to stuff the cables back into the case while lifting the handle in order to get the case closed all the way.  At first this did not seem to pose much of a problem, but after opening the case 5 or 6 times, we definitely were starting to get annoyed.  Overall though, this did not play a huge part in the design of the case.

Like most cases on the market today, the Xaser II takes a rail approach to 5.25” bay mounting, and a removable bay design for the 3.5” devices.  Pulling out one of the two 3.5” bays makes it simple to add more hard drives.  Furthermore, the 5.25” rails snap snugly in place and allow us to effortlessly install a 5.25” DVD+R.

The rear of the unit was fairly ordinary.  We saw only the standard ATX cutouts; the only exception being the power supply cutout.  Our unit was equipped with an aluminum shim so that our PSU would fit in slot for a much larger unit.  As power supplies continue to evolve, we are happy the case provides provisions to upgrade.

Overall, the A6000B provides for a very roomy interior.  This is a good thing because the A6000B does not come with a removable motherboard tray.  This did not hinder the installation of a motherboard.  Even with multiple hard drives, DVD+R, and other goodies, the Xaser II provided us with lots of space.  Obviously, this is a good thing; we want the most amount of airflow possible inside the machine.