The Case - Outside

The front of the case is made of aluminum and is a combination of black and gray panels. On the back you will notice that Thermaltake has decided to paint it the same way as the chassis cover.


I did notice that the cover had a fairly large paint chip on the corner of the case. This corner was exposed, as it did not line up perfectly with the front of the case. Let's hope this is just a small defect of the sample and not the retail units.


Both case sides look identical and feature large air vents. While this should keep the temperature inside the case to a minimum, it will also allow noise from the computer parts to be heard on the outside.


Thermaltake covers the graphical VFD with a thin foil, which we will leave on until after the installation has been completed. The same goes for the volume knob. As you can see all the Media Lab controls are present, just like the one on the Soundgraph iMON Ultra Bay we reviewed. These controls work flawlessly with Windows XP MCE and Vista, which make it a perfect addition to this case.


The front I/O is hidden behind a little drop down door in the center. This cover looks a bit unfinished with manufacturing marks all over the inside, but - luckily - none on the outside. The DH-101 has the usual connectors: two USB 2.0, one Firewire and a pair of jacks for a microphone and headphones. All the way to the right of the case, you will find a small hole, which holds the IR receiver of the remote control, right above the DH-101 branding.


Toward the left you will find the PSU bay, which gives you the option to mount the power supply in any way you whish. Next to that is the mainboard backplate above which are two 6 cm fans, which blow warm air out of the case. The PCI covers have air vents in them, but are still sturdy enough, thanks to the steel construction. There are two black plastic locks which hold these covers in place, but more on that later.