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Tagan Monolize-CS case review

Tagan Monolize-CS case review

Tagan is a manufacturer of PC power supplies, storage solutions, and cases. The company supplied us with a Monolize-CS tower case, an impressive creation that features two huge 250 mm side intake fans.

At first glance, the Monolize case seems to be the ideal case for an enthusiast on a budget. It fits into the market at the very attractive $100 USD price point while offering a unique cooling system, stylish design, and pleasing lighting.

Let’s delve into the details of the Monolize to see exactly how it lives up to Tagan’s claims.

Specifications

Case construction:

  • Case material > 1 mm SECC
  • Front material: Silk/rubber skin plastic and acrylic
  • Gross weight: 26 lb
  • Gross dimensions: 25″ X 23″ X 12″
  • Quantity of 5,25″: 5 bays
  • Quantity of 3,5″ : 2 bays x external, 6 x internal
  • Cooling system 2 x 250 mm side fan, separate adjustable (and on/off)
  • Fans 1 x 80/92/120 mm in back and 120 mm in front
  • Fans optional 7
  • PCI slots 2 x USB 2.0, 2 x audio and IEEE 1394 Firewire on right side
  • Motherboard support: Micro ATX Standard ATX, extended ATX (12″x13″)
  • Accessories 26 rails for the disk drives, various screws and spacers, piezo speaker and cable ties.

Fan specifications:

  • Dimensions: 220x220x30MM
  • Bearing Type: Sleeve Bearing
  • Rated Voltage: 12.0 VDC
  • Start-up Voltage: 7 VDC
  • Rated Current: 0.30 A ±10%
  • Rated Power: 3.60W ±10%
  • Rated Speed: max 800 RPM ±10%
  • Air Flow: 150.49CFM Max.
  • Static Air Pressure: 0.97mmAq
  • Noise Level: 32.1dBA
  • Life Expectancy: 30000Hours at 25C/65%RH

Features and impressions

When the Monolize box arrived at my doorstep, my first impression was that the product was huge. This is by far the largest enclosure I’ve ever worked with. In fact, the size rivals shipping boxes that manufacturers like Dell and HP use to ship complete systems.

The box itself is relatively plain but it does contains comprehensive specifications and a representative image of the case.

The simple packaging for the Monolize is enormous.

The case itself comes securely packed with foam inserts and is further guarded with a protective plastic wrap.

Here you can see that the case is packed like an OEM would pack a complete system.

Upon freeing the case from its packing we were really shocked by the size of the fans in the system.

Look how big those side fans are!

The case is truly massive. It dwarfs a 22″ LCD screen and monopolizes the desktop. Aside from imparting confidence due to its size, the Monolize actually does feel solid and well-constructed.

Convenient external IEEE1394, USB and audio ports.

The Monolize features right-facing external Firewire, USB, and audio ports to the front of the system and boasts additional ports on the bottom face of the bezel.

Case wiring routed furtively through the hinges of the bezel door.

The quality of construction is apparent in small but pleasant details such as front wiring routed through a hidden channel and the bezel’s texturized coating that’s reminiscent of satin-finished paint.

The mirror finish of part of the bezel door.

Removing the protective plastic from the case door reveals a mirror-smooth surface with Tagan’s “A+” logo barely visible with the case powered off.

Front-facing fan and power controls make controlling the system fans a breeze.

Tagan provides power buttons and fan speed dials for both side fans in a location easily reachable from the front.

The attention to detail carries to the inside of the case, but favors function over form. Tagan provides a spartan case interior that simply gets the job done.

The ascetic interior of the Monolize.

The interior of the case is large and accommodating, with room enough for an E-ATX motherboard as well as up to five 5.25″ drives and eight 3.5″ drives.

The many drive bays of the Monolize.

Tagan provides a fast and easy retention system for expansion cards: simply lift a handle and swing away the I/O clip.

This convenient clip makes installing expansion cards a snap.

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Comments

  1. BuddyJ
  2. lemonlime
    lemonlime Great work, GH! Looks like a great case for the price :)
  3. QCH
    QCH WOW.... nice looking.... I haven't weighed a case in a while, how does this one compare to other cases you've worked with?
  4. BuddyJ
    BuddyJ I think Rob said this case weighs quite a bit more than the other cases we have on hand for review. This baby is a massive steel monstrosity and it's weight is comparable to an armoured car.
  5. GHoosdum
    GHoosdum I actually did physically weight the case. It's definitely heavier than most cases I've worked with before, but comes in very close to the manufacturer spec weight of 26 pounds - it weighed in at exactly 26.2 pounds for me.

    Case weight, however, isn't really a factor when it's stationary, and the weight of it simply speaks to the quality of construction. Tagan used a heavy-gauge steel for the construction, nothing cheap or flimsy about any of it.
  6. BuddyJ
    BuddyJ So you're saying it's build like a Chrysler Imperial and should be banned from banger racing.
  7. GHoosdum
  8. Leonardo
    Leonardo Did Tagan just define a new class of case?

    Full size tower, high quality, top tier cooling, budget builders
  9. fatcat
    fatcat No Leo

    Ive tested both this case and an Antec 300 with the exact same setup and the Antec 300 has lower idle and load temps.

    I also know an Antec 900 is better than the 300.

    The 900 is $110, the Tagan is $99, and the 300 is $55

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