Thermaltake VH6000BWS Armor+ Case

Much like Aston Martin is synonymous withrefined elegance underscored with beauty and sheer power in their products, so too is Thermaltake, a leader in the computer enthusiast industry. As one of the principle manufacturers of quality chassis's, power supplies, and computer accessories, Thermaltake is a heavyweight juggernaut with few adversaries. With nearly a decade of experience, Thermaltake has transformed itself from a fledging company in 1999, to a powerhouse corporation dedicated to providing computing solutions to enthusiasts all over the world.

"With strong support of our research and development team standing behind the brand, Thermaltake is committed to never follow but always lead. Always striving to be the best, we continuously benchmark our performance against the very best internally and externally. Customers are our greatest asset and Thermaltake does not take that for granted. That is why Thermaltake is the industry leader in customer service and customer support with around-the-clock automated product return service."  Read more...

In an effort to market their products, companies resort to naming schemes that offer a clue into that products particular identity. This is no more realized than the newly redesigned Thermaltake Armor+, a full sized ATX enclosure solution that is sure to make any enthusiasts' eyes bleed. With enough features and gadgetry to make even the most tech-hardened nerd succumb to uncontrollable spasms, the Thermaltake Armor+ sits at the forefront of chassis innovation. Or does it? Will the Amor+ be able to withstand the fusillade that is the HardwareLogic review team? Or will the Armor+ lay waste to all that opposes it? Like the medieval times of yore, HL intends to go full tilt to find out!

Model	Armor+ Series VH6000BWS
Color	Black
Dimensions	9.6" x 24.6" x 23.6" (W x L x H) 37 pounds (net weight)
Drive Bays	7 x External 5.25" 1 x External 3.5" (with transfer bracket) 10 x Internal 3.5"
Motherboard Size	Micro, Standard, and Extended ATX
Expansion Slots	Ten
Front I/O	4 x USB 2.0 1 x eSATA 1 x FireWire 1394 1 x Headphone and Microphone jack (HD)
Cooling	1 x 140mm front intake fan (with blue LED) 1 x 120mm rear exhaust fan 1 x 230mm side panel intake fan (with blue LED) 1 x 140mm or 120mm VGA intake fan (optional) 1 x 140mm or 120mm top exhaust fan (optional) 2 x 140mm or 120mm bottom intake fans (optional) Water cooling cutouts at rear of chassis

The accessory bundle for the VH6000BWS is nothing short of extraordinary. You can tell a lot about a product just by seeing what the manufacturer felt like sticking in the box before it was shipped out. Needless to say, the staggering amount of extra additions and gadgets required us to separate the bundle into two different sections. The first section, as seen in the picture above, are the more traditional accessories that may be included in any chassis accessory package you might receive.

Here is the load out: one bag which contains the motherboard standoffs, motherboard screws, as well as the ODD, HDD, and FDD screws, along with another bag which contains the tool-less plastic rail clips for the removable HDD trays. Two water cooling grommets, two keys for the lockable side panel, an I/O motherboard shield, a cleaning cloth, and a manual which features excellent documentation and pictures is also included. Additionally, the VH6000BWS offers plenty of opportunities to practice wire management duties, as there are 20 plastic zip-ties, 10 eye-hook ties, and 10 heavy-duty ties with self-sticking pads. All of these ties are a huge addition as many times we see other case manufacturers skimp on the cable ties by offering two or three zip-ties or more often than not, none at all

The second section of the accessory bundle includes a couple of things not normally offered with other chassis solutions. The first and foremost is the storage drawer that fits in an available 5.25" external bay on the VHS 6000BWS. While not necessarily a make-it-or-break-it feature, it is quite convenient nonetheless and something we'd like to see other manufacturers implement. Also of note is the 3.5" external transfer bracket with a face plate for those enthusiasts that want to use a floppy, media reader, fan controller, or other device with this enclosure. This is a really nice inclusion as many manufacturers make you buy their transfer brackets as an optional accessory. Lastly, is the fan bracket system which, reminiscent of the Silverstone TJ10, attaches to the rear of the HDD cage to provide extra cooling to your VGA cards. This fan bracket system can accept a single 140mm or 120mm fan.