Case: Silverstone Temjin TJ09-BW
We didn't have many choices when the time came to select a case; only the Silverstone Temjin TJ09 or TJ-10 would do the job. These chassis differ only in front panel design, and we picked the one without the external drive cover.
What makes the TJ90/TJ-10 special is its ability to support our liquid cooling configuration, which is something no other unmodified case can do. We needed an assembly that anyone could replicate with simple hand tools, and we weren't about to pay huge money for a pre-modified case.
While our previous choice of case with pre-installed liquid cooling system was completely inadequate from both quality and design perspectives, the Silverstone Temjin TJ09 has no such problems. Every panel is smooth, every edge polished, every joint bind-free, and every feature thoughtfully placed.
A pop-up panel at the front of the TJ09 allows easy access to two USB ports and one IEEE-1394 FireWire port, plus microphone and headphone jacks. The design works well in both desk-side and desktop system placement, though desktop use does require reaching up quite a distance.
While the TJ09 provides a vast amount of space for motherboard and card installation, the first thing we noticed was a hole that runs all the way through the lower front portion of the center.
The hole is part of a noise dampener assembly, which is one of only a few steel chassis members. A fan inside the chrome-plated dampener draws air from holes in the side panels and blows it directly towards expansion cards.
Warm air is exhausted by up to three 120 mm fans. Silverstone includes a single exhaust fan on the rear panel, while builders can add their choice of fans to two top-mounted fan holders.
We'll cover the internal components of Silverstone's Temjin TJ09 in more detail as we install our liquid cooling system.
