Logisys has a new case that is of interest,
simply because not only is it a great looking case, but it has
features I haven't seen in a case to date. This case so impressed
me that I have made it the keystone case for the new Doom III
package deal. The Phatom case is one of a generation of cases
that is becoming more prevalent in the A-Top/Logisys realm.
The basic case is similar to the one used in the A-Top X-Blade
case which I will review at a later date.
When the case came in, the box was a higher
grade cardboard with the Phantom logo on the side (ok, it is
a take on the Phantom of the Opera)
The foam used to pack up the case was not the
rigid type found in most cases, but the dense softer foam that
I have only seen in the high end Thermaltake cases (See my review
of the Xaser III).
Although the thickness of the foam was not the
same as the Thermaltake, it has that give that is great for
the lighter weight cases in case of dropping.
The case is lightweight aluminum (19 pounds
gross) with a molded plastic front.
The "V" shaped grill has red LED's
behind it, the power button lights up and the black mesh triangles
make a decent filter for the optional 120mm fan.
The front swings out to show off the 4 5/14"
and 2 3 1/2" external bays and the reset switch. What sets
this apart is that the door has two latches versus the standard
one that are common with the molded fronts.
The lower front USB panel press opens to reveal
two USB ports, headphone and mic ports and if you happen to
have the correct cabling, a firewire port. The finish on the
case is a good quality paint and is very nicely done. The fit
and finish is good and the edges are rounded (yes, I still have
all my fingers)
With the side off, you have standard fitting
for the external and internal drive bays. Even though it is
not tooless, it does have a separate speaker and all components
are easy to get to. You have to pop off the front to get to
the front of the 120mm fan for mounting, but that is easy to
accomplish. The backside of the case comes off for wire hiding
and mounting the drives. The motherboard tray is not removable,
but there is plenty of room in the case for wiring.
The rear of the case has a pre-mounted clear
120mm fan that is very quiet and pulls a lot of air through.
I recommend that for good negative airflow, another 120mm fan
be installed at the front (I prefer the Thermaltake 3 LED thermal
driven fan, looks cool and at full output is only 38db).
Now for the cool parts of this case. the side
window is your normally attached square window, held by 8 spot
rivets. In the center is an 80mm lighted fan with 4 red LED's.
What is unique is at each corner, embedded into the plexiglas
are 4 blue LED's wired to illuminate the entire panel.
Now this is cool to start with, but to add to
it, the plexiglas is actually deeply etched, instead of an applique.
This really makes a difference when it lights up (shown with
Wicked Machines HalfLife 2 fan grill for the soon to be released
HalfLife 2 package)
When the entire package is turned on, the results
look really cool.
So, to wrap it up, nice lightweight case for
LAN parties, that when you turn it on causes people to go "oooh
and aaahh" over. The case is also very well made and with
its excellent airflow (with an optional 120mm fan in the front),
and really cool looks, I put this one high on my list of favorite
cases.
I rate it a 9 out of 10.
