Thermaltake is a well-known Taiwan-based company that specializes in power supply units and cooling products. Thermaltake also produces high-end cases for the do-it-yourself computer market such as the Armor, Tsunami, and Xaser. They also produce a case for the more budget-minded computer builder: the Mambo.
The first thing that struck me about the Mambo case is the wavy front that draws a lot of stylistic elements from the more expensive Soprano series and is seen on the Coolermaster Wavemaster. The case is finished in a decent matte black powder that is seen on any number of other budget cases available off the shelf at any retailer.
The case features a very nice opening front panel that lets you tuck away your exposed optical drives, fan controllers, and floppy drives. A really nice touch on this front panel is the use of a push clip that pops open with a slight push to the door rather than making you pinch the plastic or force your nails into the seam of the door to open it. A further feature of this door is the ability to remove it completely from the case.
This is done exceptionally well and allows you to quickly and easily remove the door completely from the bezel without the need for any tools or concern over damaging the plastic. This is often a significant issue with cases with front panels similar to this. It is not uncommon to inadvertently break the case door when opening it too far or bumping against it while it is open. The quick release method for removing the front panel is also handy when working on the system; you can remove it while installing or removing components and when finished, reattach it. This is exceptionally useful when installing optical drives so that you can use both hands to guide the drive rather than one while the other one is holding open the door.
The bezel also has the usual front USB and audio ports available. This is an exceptional feature for ease of use, especially with the growing number of on-the-go USB devices that tend to travel with people everywhere. The front audio ports, though, remain a mystery to me. A large number of manufacturers include front audio connectors but frankly I would gladly do away with this feature in favor of two more USB ports. The problem with this is that by connecting the internal wiring for these jacks to the motherboard, you typically disable the motherboard's ability to provide 5.1 or better audio support to the rear jacks. Since very few people are employing separate sound cards on their systems anymore, and the quality of integrated audio components is significant enough for all but the most rabid of audiophiles, this loss of the rear audio support is not a suitable trade-off for headphone jacks on the front.
The front is also tastefully decorated with chrome plated plastic pieces depicting the Thermaltake logo with a pair of wings behind it. Considering Thermaltake's compulsive behavior to plaster their name and logo on nearly every available surface of any case they produce, this small touch is rather remarkable and their restraint should be admired. While it is certainly their product and they are entitled to put their name on every part of it, there comes a point where it becomes excessive and Thermaltake has taken some criticism in the past for their almost extraordinary commitment to marking every possible surface on their systems with their name and brand.
The side panel of the system reveals two more features showing up more and more often in a number of different budget towers: the CPU punched fan hole and the grated air intake near the bottom of the case. It is very difficult to find any cases anymore with a solid side panel that has nothing but paint on it. Low end towers feature these punched or cut air intake openings, while their higher end cousins feature the ever present case window. The concept of the fan hole and grated intake is sound, but it is often done as a replacement for the ability to pull air in from the front or top of the system. With more and more video cards possessing significant cooling requirements, the presence of the grated air intake on the side does provide these more powerful video cards the ability to hopefully draw cooler outside air rather than reusing internal pre-warmed air. The same concept goes for the fan hole mounted roughly over the area where the CPU would be found.
The inherent problem with these features is that it invites the computer builder to splurge on every component in his system while ignoring the practicalities of a more advanced case design for air flow in favor of an inferior case to house all the goodies. These features provide nominal performance at best, and would be better suited to not being used on the case in favor of more thought being given to air flow considerations from the top or front, which are typically not as obstructed by either a computer cabinet or piles of paperwork.
Internally I was pleasantly surprised to find a pre-installed 120 mm Thermaltake exhaust fan. The fan mounts are set up to accommodate either a 120 mm, 92 mm or 80 mm fan for rear exhaust. This will prove to be very beneficial in removing the built up warm air inside the case during regular use and contribute to the system's overall extended lifespan. Too many systems don't even include this minor addition to move the warm air out of the case and quickly suffer from performance loss due to heat buildup.
The motherboard tray is also quite interesting. In most computer cases you will use small brass standoffs to which you mount your motherboard in order to allow the underside of the circuit to cool and to remove it from direct contact with the motherboard tray. When the tray was manufactured, the ATX standoffs were tooled upwards so that they form natural raised screw points for the motherboard. It's an interesting feature of the motherboard tray, that regrettably only provides six standoffs instead of the customary nine; on these you will still have to use the traditional brass standoffs. Furthermore, if you are using anything other than a standard ATX motherboard, you will not be very happy seeing your Mini-ITX board sitting on top of these preformed metal nipples.
The case also features a unique screwless drive installation method. A large number of cases feature this to varying degrees, using either detachable drive rails or pressure clips that hold your optical drive in place. This case features a plastic track set into the outside of the drive bays, through which you push a metal pin to secure the drive. The plastic track is fitted with five holes to accommodate any size drive that may be inserted into the drive cage. The 3.5 inch drive cage also features this on the top two bays where you would normally install a floppy drive or fan control unit, but not on the rest of the descending bays. Looking closely it is clear to see why this was done and why the screwless drive installation is not all that it is cracked up to be.
The screwless drive installation tracks only secure the drive from one side, not two. This leaves your optical drive attached to the drive cage on only one side, which can result in more noise and possibly drive damage over time as it rattles against the cage. Personally, I would still install the screws on the other side of the case to secure my drives, so the addition of these screwless clips is rather redundant. Clearly I'm not alone; their lack of presence on the descending hard drive cage will still require you to install the drives with screws on both sides to properly secure them. Screwless mounting systems always amaze me because if a main feature of the case is the ability to install and uninstall optical drives without a screw driver, why do you still need one on nearly every other component in the system (especially those that are more likely to be upgraded or need replacing like expansion cards)?
Deja Vu?
Looking inside the case it is clear to see that this chassis has been used on other designs, or at least parts of it have been. There is clearly the presence of both the perforated steel and the mounting holes for another 120 mm on the lower portion of the front of the chassis. Regrettably installing a front intake fan on this case would prove incredibly ineffectual as a) the front of the case is solid plastic and b) even the tiny opening on the bottom of the bezel is only .5 inches x 3 inches and is only raised off the surface of the table by less than quarter of an inch. The airflow available for this front intake fan would be so negligible it would in no way justify the cost of the fan.
The other side panel has a grated opening at the bottom of the panel. I am completely uncertain as to its purpose. The opening is positioned to be blocked almost completely by the motherboard tray, so in no way is this meant to provide any means of ventilation. Its lack of purpose confounds me and its presence is completely unnecessary and superfluous.
This case would have earned higher marks had it also included a Thermaltake Power Supply. At its price, you can buy other cases of similar design that include a power supply unit. It may be a generic one, but
his is a decent budget case that should be considered more for its aesthetic looks than its function. The inclusion of the 120 mm case fan is an excellent touch that begins to outweigh some of the case's flaws.
The screwless drive mounting system is rather unnecessary and certainly not a feature on which to base buying this case. The materials and time used to develop this method would have been better spent on improving the inherent air flow of the case.
The pre-cut openings in both side panels could have been avoided and made for a case that at least would have received high marks for being an excellent modding opportunity.
The case is aesthetically pleasing and the curving front bezel with the tasteful faux chrome does make a very nice looking case.
I would gladly use this case for a standard workstation or low-powered system, but not for any of my prized hardware.
Pros:
- Removable front panel
- Nicely curving bezel design
- 120 mm factory installed exhaust fan
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Poor airflow that relies on brute strength over improved design
- Screwless drive mounting system not very effective
- Motherboard tray's "nipples" a problem for anything but ATX motherboard
- No Thermaltake Power Supply included with tower
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