A Detailed Look at the Outside
After removing the case from its shipping container, we were able to get our first real look at the Armor A90. The embossed side panels and layered 3D features makes the Armor A90 very unique and attractive. I was immediately drawn to the small triangular side window as well as the beveled front door over the optical drives.
The top panel of the case features good ventilation properties as well as one eSATA port and two USB 2.0 ports. I do like the uneven look of the top panel, but it doesn’t meet my functional requirements because I typically like to place different things on the top of my PC cases like external hard drives. This is something people can work around, but vendors should take note that most people like to keep the top of their case level so they can use it for other purposes.
The front panel of the Armor A90 looks like Thermaltake added a couple peoples of black armor over the optical drives and front 120mm fan. I like how they integrated the bottom vents and plastic armor as well as the triangular power button that is almost invisible to the naked eye if you didn’t know to look for it where they installed it. I also like how they added two more USB 2.0 ports and audio and mic jacks that are easily accessible by the power button.
Here’s a close-up shot of the front panel USB 2.0 ports and audio jacks. You can also see the reset button, hard drive activity LED, and power LED.
The optical bay covers also act as vents to help dissipate heat from the system. There are three 5.25″ optical bays and one 2.5″ bay for a floppy drive or internal card reader.
Here’s an upclose and personal photo of the triangular power button. When the system is turned on, the outer edge of the power button is illuminated in with blue LEDs.
The left panel is very unique by adding a minimalistic side window and a small vented area to add a 120mm fan. They completed the overall look of the side panel by embossing 3D features into the aluminum itself.
The back panel is nothing special and includes space for a full size ATX motherboard and also places the power supply at the bottom of the case instead of at the top. There are also small stamped holes above the fan to add water cooling relay lines that connect to an external water cooling system.
The right panel of the Armor A90 matches the left panel with the exception of the side window and mesh vent. They probably could have added some better ventilation around the hard drive cage for better airflow.
The bottom of the case includes a large vent under the power supply as well as vents below the front 120mm fan. There are also four rubber feet to ensure the case is stable on any surface.
