Laptops are great for portable systems, but there are some drawbacks—they aren’t the most upgradable things around, and gaming-class models tend to be on the expensive side. So what’s a gamer to do? Build a portable system around a MicroATX motherboard, that’s what. Of course this also relies on a case smaller than the standard ATX mid-tower. This is where cases like the Thermaltake Armor A30 come in.
The Thermaltake Armor A30 is a relatively small case designed for micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards. Because the motherboard sits parallel to the floor, the case is wider than a normal desktop case. Of course, this also allows for more components to fit in a shorter space.
Specs
Case type: MicroATX mini tower- Material: SECC
- Dimensions (HxWxD): 10.5 x 11.5 x 18.0 inches (266 x 291 x 456mm)
- Side panel: Window + vent
- Fans
- Front intake: 90mm blue LED fan, 1200rpm, 16dBA
- Rear exhaust: 2x 60mm fans, 1500rpm, 18dBA
- Top exhaust: 230mm blue LED fan, 800rpm, 15dBA
- Drive bays:
- 5.25″ bays: 2 external
- 3.5″ bays: 1 external, 2 internal
- 2.5″ bays: 2 internal
- Expansion slots: 4
- Motherboard compatibility: MicroATX, MiniITX (max 9.6 x 9.6 inches)
- I/O ports: 1 each of USB 3.0, USB 2.0, eSATA, HD Audio
- PSU: Standard ATX (not included)
- Maximum CPU cooler height: 3.5 inches (90mm)
- Maximum GPU length: 13.7 inches (350mm)
The box contains the case, some detailed instructions, a four-pin speaker, cable ties, screws, and 2.5″ drive retention brackets.
Windows on either side of the Armor A30 show off the guts of your system, so make sure you have only the best available hardware, or your indiscretions will be uncovered and you will be publicly shamed.
This case is very well ventilated. Aside from the fans, there are holes drilled in the side panels and drive bay covers to allow extra airflow.
There is enough space inside the Armor A30 for graphics cards up to 13 inches in length. Got a Radeon HD 6990 or GTX 580? There’s plenty of room for the cards. Power cables are another story—if your GPU is of the variety that has PCI Express power connections on top of the card, you’d better make sure your power cables are very flexible. The 5.25″ bay extends over the GPU area and will block the motherboard tray from sliding in if your power cables can’t bend underneath.
Installing hardware in the Armor A30 involves completely disassembling the case—which has its benefits and drawbacks. The biggest benefit, of course, is practically unlimited working space to install your hardware. The biggest drawback is in reassembling the case.
As you can see from the video, components install easily when the case is disassembled. The modular design certainly goes a long way in making this as painless of a process as possible. Assembly can take a while, especially the first time around. The video is a very cut down version of my first attempt at installing the hardware. In reality it took about two hours to finish assembling. There was a bunch of component/cable maneuvering during this time to get the cables to sit just right. A few extra inches of space between the upper drive cage and power supply would have helped tremendously. None of the subsequent hardware swaps have taken that long though, so I’d chalk it up to a lack of experience working with this form factor.
This case will hold quite a lot of components. The build in the video consists of an ECS H67H2-M motherboard, Core i7 2600K CPU, 16GB DDR3-1600 RAM, Thermaltake EvoBlue 550W PSU, XFX Radeon HD 6950 GPU, two 3.5″ hard drives, and two OCZ SSDs.
Despite the number and varied sizes and rotation speeds of the fans, it’s not a loud case—in fact it’s nearly silent. If any noticeable sound comes from the case, it’ll be from the components.
Price
The Thermaltake Armor A30 currently sells for $119.99 plus shipping. This isn’t a cheap case, but I think the higher cost is justified. Thermaltake has put a lot of effort into making the Armor A30 a very sturdy case that is fairly easy to use. Other similarly priced cases don’t come with most of the features this case does—all of them are missing some combination of the modularity, cooling, internal space, or build quality of the Armor A30—including the more expensive cases. In my mind, this justifies the higher cost.
Conclusion
I really liked the Armor A90 when it was reviewed, and my opinion of it has only improved over time. The Armor A30 is another top-notch product in the series. While its assembly quirks can be a little difficult to work with at first, those are quickly overcome. The price may be a little steep, but considering the combination of features and its build quality the cost is worth it. Builders looking for a case for an HTPC or portable gaming system would do well to consider this case.
The Thermaltake Armor A30 is an excellent case and is awarded the Icrontic Stamp of Approval.
Oh, by the way, if you need a full PC to take on a trip (Expo Icrontic 2012, for example), the Thermaltake Armor A30 will fit beneath the seats of a Southwest airplane if you remove the feet. Just be ready to have conversations with your fellow passengers about your computer.
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