Silverstone TJ06 "Wind Tunnel" Case Review

Cases & PSU/Cases by JNav89GT @ 2004-12-07

Cases have evolved greatly in the years I have been in this hobby. We as enthusiasts use our cases as a signature of our individuality or personal expression. Some like certain colors, others like the ?bling-bling?. The Silverstone TJ06 provides us with one of the most compelling reasons never to return to plain beige boredom, with what is definitely the highest quality case I have had the pleasure to work with.

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Introduction

Madshrimps (c)


I can vividly remember the state of computer cases just a few short years ago. You had a choice of off white or beige, and the more wild designs may have included a hint of a silver bezel. Yes times were tough back then, but to be honest we really didn’t know any better. A nice case back then was an Enlight 7237 ATX, which had two whopping 80mm fans (one intake and one exhaust). It’s funny to think that passed as “excellent” case airflow. Of course CPUs put off only a fraction of the heat they do now, and video cards were basically a non issue in heat production. This is definitely not the case today, pun intended.

Over the past 8 years computer enthusiasts have created a demand for different style cases, with more room, better airflow, and higher quality. No more are we satisfied with a small, dull, flimsy beige box. With the money we spend on our PCs it makes no sense to skimp on the on part that is immediately identifiable to ourselves and others. Whatever your personal tastes, there is sure to be a case for you, given you effort to explore the vast options available.

Silverstone is regarded by many is the pinnacle of case design and quality; also offering passive power supplies and CPU coolers for their cases. I was given the opportunity to work with the SilverStone TJ06 Aluminum/Steel hybrid chassis, and came away with some very positive impressions of their design.

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In a day where aluminum cases are becoming more standard, I was somewhat curious as to why the combination of these two metals. While Aluminum does indeed have its qualities, there are concerns about durability and tolerances, using high grade steel in place of the malleable alloy allows for more precision. For the aluminum lovers you are not forgotten, the front bezel is something I have never seen in case design, a machined piece of aluminum offers a feeling of luxury and quality.

The SilverStone TJ06 does not disappoint on features either. The list is rather long, including but not limited to front USB/firewire/audio jacks, five 5.25" Optical drive bays, two 3.25" floppy/zip drive bays, six Hard Drive bays, Wind Tunnel Technology, Dual 120mm cooling fans, a three section cooling concept, and Tool-less design. So what is the main deviation of this case in relation to the rest of the pack? Read on.......

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