Aerocool ExtremEngine 3T Case Review

Cases & PSU/Cases by easypanic @ 2006-04-14

The ExtremEngine 3T features a massive 250mm side panel fan, and tops it of with a 140mm in-take turbine like design. Promising massive airflow to cool down your hot running components we pit it against other enclosures at the same price point.

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Outside

From all angles

The design of the case is dominated by the large fan in the side panel and the jet-like intake in the front.

Madshrimps (c)




Removing the side panel you’ll find a small bag of screws inside, the side panel has a 250mm fan installed, to give you an idea of its size I’ve placed a regular 120mm model in front of it:



The fan is powered of a 4-pin connector; the cable is long enough to easily remove the side panel without having to disconnect the fan.

Madshrimps (c)


The front panel features an equally impressive fan and a two-part door flips open easily to reveal the drive bays.



While the doors do fit into the whole design of the case I wondered if they were actually needed as they don’t really add any functionality.

The 5.25” drive bay covers are actually grills which allows fresh air to be pulled into the case (as well as dust I guess) but with 2 large fans already blowing air into the case I think they serve much purpose.



The “little” brother of the side panel has more to it than the eye can see; from the exterior it looks pretty much like any other large fan:



But when you remove the front panel you’ll notice that the intake is made up of 2 parts, the part integrated into the front panel is not powered and is basically a modern-age windmill, spinning when there is air coming through.

Madshrimps (c)


The real 140mm intake fan can be seen mounted to the metal section of the case:



Noise inside a computer is created by the moving parts, spinning hard drive platters, power supply fans, CPU fans and case fans. Adding another moving part which serves no immediate purpose except for “looking cool” might not appeal to everyone – the close proximity of this extra blower to the actual fan will also increase air turbulence, further increasing noise generation.

Aerocool includes a fan controller with this case, a very nice and useful addition, it can control up to three fans, and two are already hooked up (front/side fan). The power button is nicely integrated into the front panel but you need to open the right door to be able to access it.



A last exterior detail is the use of thumbnails for the side panels which makes securing them an easy job



Let’s take a look inside ->
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