Aerocool ExtremEngine 3T Case Review - PAGE 2

First Impressions

The first thing everybody would no doubt notice is the side fan. There's no possible way for a regular person to see it and not make a comment on it. Anybody who's had a glimpse of it would have a comment somewhere along the lines of "Whoa that's a big fan". If you decide to buy this case, you'll probably get similar comments.

Other than that, the case itself has a similar design to the Thermaltake Armor, which we've reviewed here with its mesh grills and its front metal flaps. Granted, the design is noticeably more cutting edge than the utilitarian Armor, which isn't surprising since the two cases target different users.

While taking the case out of the box, I noticed how many fingerprints were being picked up by case. Having completed the Thermaltake Eclipse DV and Antec 550 case review not that long ago, it was extremely obvious how different the quality in the finish was. While it was easy to leave fingerprints on those cases, it was just as easy to leave fingerprints on the Aerocool. We also noticed that the paint job had a lot of air bubbles, which was readily apparent due to the difference in light reflecting off the black paint. Both of these issues would be less severe with the silver case, as silver does a much better job of hiding dirt, fingerprints and minor cosmetic defects.

One thing to note other than the two oversized fans and their combined CFM ratings - Aerocool also provides a fan speed controller, which are three knobs located directly on the case. Also note that although there is a space for a fan on the rear panel, that fan is not included (and you will see why not later).