Thermaltake Lanbox VF1000BWS ATX/MicroATX Gaming Cube PC Case (Black)
The need for a compact yet powerful PC has inspired Thermaltake to engineer this unprecedented mobile gaming powerhouse, LANBOX. Unlike tower chassis, small form factor PC often lacks sufficient cooling capability or expandability to allow enthusiasts to build a capable gaming machine. Designed from the ground up, LANBOX is a fully modular chassis where all component may be removed from the body for easier installation. Everything from Motherboard Tray to 5.25" Bay Drive cage can be easily removed with a twist of the thumb screws.Thermal engineering played an equally important part when designing the LANBOX. Today's most high-end graphic cards or processor often requires added cooling and high-wattage power supply in order to operate at their maximum capability. Before, gaming enthusiasts that opted to build a small form factor PC were limited to mid-end graphic card or processor that resulted in mediocre performance. Today, LANBOX enables the use of most high-end CPU, powerful graphic card and even a full-size PSII; the result, a small form factor PC that is equally powerful as full sized PC.
With a convenient and compact design, the Thermaltake LanBox VF1000BWS ATX/MicroATX Gaming Cube PC Case is the ultimate mobile gaming powerhouse. With a twist of the thumbscrews, every component--from the motherboard tray to the 5.25-inch bay drive cage--can be removed from the fully modular chassis for easier installation. The LanBox helps you create a small form factor PC that is as powerful as a full-sized PC. Before, gaming enthusiasts who opted to build a small form factor PC were limited to mid-end graphic cards or processors, which resulted in mediocre performance. This black PC case enables the use of most high-end CPUs, powerful graphic cards, and even a full-size PSII. It supports Micro ATX form factor, Mini ITX form factor, ATX PS2 power supply, and a 7-inch LCD monitor. The LanBox comes with a 3-year limited warranty. Among many included features, this PC case offers:
- Aluminum handle for easy transport, strength, and durability
- Aerodynamically designed ventilation holes enable the system to efficiently cool
- Aluminum extrusion front panel
Thermaltake Lanbox VF1000BWS ATX/MicroATX Gaming Cube PC Case (Black) Accessories
 Asus P5E-VM HDMI Core2 LGA775 G35 DDR2 SATA2 RAID HDMI DVI GLAN uATX Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad-Core Processor, 2.40 GHz, 8M L2 Cache, LGA 775
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0 GHz 6M L2 Cache 1333MHz FSB LGA775 Dual-Core Processor
Thermaltake A2413 7-inch Drive Bay LCD Monitor
CORSAIR 1000w HX Series 12v ATX SLI Ready 80 Plus Certified Power Supply - CMPSU-1000HX
CORSAIR XMS2 4GB ( 2 X 2GB ) PC2-6400 800MHz 240-pin DDR2 CL5 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit - TWIN2X4096-6400C5
Thermaltake Blue Orb II CL-P0257 Cooler for Intel LGA775 and AMD K8
AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core 6000+ 3.0 GHz Processor
Xbox 360 Text Messaging Kit
CORSAIR Memory Airflow Fan
Thermaltake Lanbox VF1000BWS ATX/MicroATX Gaming Cube PC Case (Black) Reviews
1) almost imposible to make good cable management there is no room and because of his 2 side panel you can see everything.
2) the only thing you can put in the bay is dvd-rom device.
you can put a 9800GX2 but you have to remove the hdd cage.
I mange to put: e8400, Asus P5E-VM HDMI, 4GB OCZ SLI-READY memory, evga 8800GT, 2 HD WD 250gb each, OCZ stealthXtream 600w, dvdrom, esata port, vantec pci fan card and XFI fatal1ty sound card.
with a Zalman 7500 and some 12" cathods.
Pro: This look awsome, its perfectlly small and very handy if you move a lot you PC.
Cons: 2 bad things:.
you cant put lcd controlers, thermaltake cigar bay, because the bay is cover by something you can show off your stuff.
and if you remove that piece of plastic its bigger than the 5 1/4 bay and its look ugly with anything.
I have used both USB ports to connect a wireless network adapter and a bluetooth adapter and both work as expected from the front panel connectors. Completely assembled it seems to weigh about 35lbs, but the cube-like shape makes it easy to place on your shoulder or carry in your arms. The case did not come with its own power supply (here on Amazon anyway, which is where I bought mine) so I bought a 550W ATX power supply, which fits in this case perfectly. On my PC, all of these items is being used. I have completed my PC and overall I am very happy with the case. The back of the case only has 4 available slot openings (one of my minor annoyances) for PCI or PCI-e. The case comes with some extra internal screws, but if you lose the external twist screws (the ones that actually hold the black parts of the case to the frame) you will be out of luck. Plus, there's barely enough room for all of the cables after the whole thing is assembled, especially if you're trying to keep them from touching the CPU and case fans.
Another minor issue is that the space on the front for the 3.5" drive is located on a curve. I think the case front should have been squared better since there is a drive bay there. This case has the following front panel options: 2 USB connectors, 1 1394 (FW) connector, reset button, power button & LED, hard drive LED, headphone & microphone jacks, 3.5" drive bay, and 2 5.25" drive bays, though one can be made into a 7" for the optional monitor. By that I mean the case begins to slope right in the middle so that part of the square-faced drive does not line up in the front. It took me about 15 minutes to remove the top and the motherboard tray.
I have a 3.5" USB floppy/card reader and two 5.25" DVD-RW drives. Bigger case fans would not fit the prepared holes on this case. For this reason I wish Thermaltake had allowed for an extra slot opening even though most microATX boards only have 4 slots. I'd say the biggest problem is the space inside. They are made of cheap orange plastic, but they run smoothly enough. My PC case does not appear to have any heat issues.
I wanted something small that I could easily carry from place to place. My ASUS motherboard has connections for the LEDs, jacks, buttons, & connectors. I managed to accidentally bend a corner of the case somehow, but a pair of pliers straightened it enough to insert the screw. Therefore, I only have 3 cards installed in this case: 2 PCI-e TV tuners and 1 PCI modem. Two other case fans (also 60mm) come standard in the back of this case. If PC portability is important to you, this case is probably the best on the market. I bought this case in order to assemble my own WinXP Media Center PC.
I'm also not crazy about the USB header placement (ASUS' fault) since it means running wires further away from the front panel than you should have to (at least with my motherboard, which seems standard for a mATX). I also installed a 60mm case fan to give more air flow. The LANBOX case is very easy to disassemble. I would have had to recess the drive further at the bottom in order for it to not stick out at the top.
Trying to connect all of the motherboard connectors & cables with the case sides on is very difficult, but I didn't want to remove the sides since they appeared to be more delicate (note the clear plastic in the picture). I am using all slot openings, but I can't use all of the slots due to a motherboard HDTV slot cover. However, this case is awesome on the whole since it IS easy to carry. The problems I had with these connections are the fault of bad labeling on the motherboard, not the case.
I will say that it is very loud, but that also is not the fault of this case. I think the power supply I bought is too loud. The extra screws appear to be for the motherboard, slot covers, DVD & hard drives, etc. (This case isn't big enough for an ATX board).
I don't have broadband so I have to lug it to friends or relatives to get updates. At first I thought the windows were stupid, but they came in really handy for spotting wires touching where they shouldn't in such a crowded case. Completely satisfied. It's a plus for me. Most think it is ugly, but I don't mind it. It is a well designed case which makes assembly easy. I read a review of this case before I bought it and one of the comments was that the front fan is blocked by the harddrives, this is true, but I think it is still well ventalated.
There are so many vents in the case that cooling has not been a problem yet, but then I don't overclock anything. You may not realize it, but fully equipped, the box weighs about 30 pounds. I chose this case because it met my needs of portability and size. If you do get one of these cases, my one recommendation would be to get a modular power supply so the extra cables don't soak up so much space.
The handle is really useful for me. It reminds me of a shoeshine box. I wish there were provisions for photos here so I could show you how it looks with stuff in it. I also find it useful and sturdy.
I didn't think I'd be pulling it apart as often as I did, but you how it goes when trying to get things just right or adding components. The handle is large and obvious.
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