The Basics (continued):

The front of the case features a total of six 5.25 inch bays, a fan grill for a 120mm fan, and a drawer for storing accessories or whatever you might want to keep inside your case. One thing you will not find is an external 3.5 inch bay, and I was rather disappointed. While I might not want to use a floppy drive any more, no 3.5 inch bay means I have to leave my card reader out when I move my system into the SwordM.


The base of the SwordM's front panel has a "porch" that has the same profile as the visor found at the top. This piece is held on by three screws, and can be removed if you would prefer the extra floor space over the aesthetic appeal it may offer.

Swinging around to the back of the case reveals more unique features, the main one being the door that covers the entire surface. All of your cables are intended to be routed down through the bottom, and my initial impression of this has me concerned about interferences and whether my cables will be long enough. Some, like my DVI and audio cables, barely reach my desktop in a straight run so I don't think I have enough slack to go down to the floor and back up again.


The top of the case comes to a dramatic finish at the very back, with machined Aluminum that looks a bit like a wing to me. A single pin releases the rear door and allows it to hinge open. The below right image shows two similar pins just above the power supply mounting area. These allow the top to be released, and the hydraulic cylinders hinge it up and out of the way.


There are two 120mm fans mounted to the rear door which should provide more than ample cooling in this area, considering most cases have just one fan. But take a look at the back of the case with the door open. Is anything missing? Thermaltake's "open back plate design" eliminates the traditional rear panel of the case where you might find a motherboard's I/O plate, expansion slots, and so on. When we get to the installation we will see how it looks with components installed, and while the wide open design should allow for good cooling, the concept is definitely a new one to me.


Checking out the base of the above right image shows notches in the base of the rear door and the floor of the case where all of your cables are to be routed. Not only does it seem unlikely that all my cables will reach and not interfere with the fans, it doesn't look like there is much room for too many cables. I can see those notches getting tight with just a power supply, two DVI cables, a few USB devices, and all the wires for a surround sound setup.