Thermaltake Tai Chi Aluminum Extrusion Case

Thermaltake is a company that offers a wide variety of products for custom computer builders. Whether you are looking for specialized cooling solutions, such as an active hard drive cooler, a water cooling kit or a quality CPU cooler like the Golden Orb II we recently reviewed, Thermaltake has an answer.  Top that off with Multifunction displays, USB hard drive enclosures, and top of the line chassis, and you'll find that Thermaltake has a multitude of products available to help give your rig a personal touch.

The Tai Chi Aluminum Extrusion Case is a new addition to Thermaltake's line of enclosures.  Built out of extruded aluminum, this tower has looks that kill, tons of room and it manages to stay light-weight in the process. And it's no mistake that Thermaltake named the case "Tai Chi".  The case echoes the philosophy of the ancient Chinese concept that believes in a balance of mind and body.  With balanced air flow, good looks and support for the ATX and BTX form factors, the Tai Chi is a well balanced case that is quiet, attractive and ready for today's and tomorrow's technology... 

Specifications of Thermaltake's Tai Chi Aluminum Extrusion Case Room to Spare

Along with the Tai Chi Aluminum Extrusion Case, Thermaltake included a complementary hardware kit.  There were four locking casters with 16 mounting screws, as well as an ample collection of screws, posts and thumbscrews to mount various hardware.  There were also four cable sleeves to be used on the rear of the case as well as a few zip ties to aid in cable management.  Overall, Thermaltake did a good job at providing everything needed to install drives, mount a motherboard, and keep cabling tidy.

Thermaltake ships the Tai Chi in extremely secure packaging with a protective bag over the shell and tape to secure the doors during shipping. All of these steps ensure the case will arrive undamaged and in good working order, as our model did.  However, the tape used to secure the doors of the case used glue that was virtually impossible to remove.  When you look at the first case image, note the edge of the silver door.  The smudge is what the packing tape left behind.  Glass cleaner, soap, nor rubbing alcohol was able to remove the glue from the door.  The only way to get it off was with acetone, which we thought was a bit extreme. While not a major issue, having to take the time to figure out what will get the glue off door will surely dampen the excitement for some.