Conclusion: Computing This Quiet Comes At A High Price
Since the TNN 500A has no fans or other moving parts inside it, the chassis is totally quiet. Nevertheless, a PC based on this case is not 100% noiseless as you still can hear the hard drive and optical drives when they operate. Thus, Zalman's claims of totally no noise) are not accurate-nearly no noise would be a more accurate claim.
Moreover, computing this quiet does come with a hefty price tag. Just how high? Unbelievably, the retail cost of the TNN 500A is nearly $1,400.00. That's correct - this marvel of quiet computing technology costs as much as many users' entire PC setup.
Before sticker shock paralyzes your senses, it is important to note the exceptional quantity of materials that comprise this case beyond the included power supply and GPU and hard drive heat pipe cooling apparatus. These extra features would otherwise have to be purchased separately in most circumstances. Even with all of the included benefits and features of the TNN 500A, however, it is still difficult to justify the price of this case. That said, when compared to other solutions, the totally silent appeal of the TNN 500A will definitely hook those seeking the ultimate in silent computing.
Still, this price will make it difficult for most potential purchasers to justify such an investment. For certain applications where totally noiseless computing is mandated, the TNN 500A should certainly fill the bill.
An odd point to note is that Zalman recommends using a box or free standing oscillating fan that is pointed at the outside of the TNN 500A should you wish to overclock using the TNN 500A. Due to Zalman's recommendation, we do not recommend that this case be used by overclockers which is quite obvious as this is not the market that Zalman is targeting with the TNN 500A
While we were very impressed with the engineering effort that went into the design of the TNN 500A, we feel that it is one of the most impressive solutions that we have seen to date that addresses computing noise with an adequate cooling solution for the internal components. The TNN 500A's high price will certainly curtail the number of purchasers who are willing to pay such a high price for an almost totally silent case solution. Most users will be happy with a semi-silent solution for far less, perhaps costing as little as 1/8 of the TNN 500A's retail price. However, if you have a high requirement for an almost totally silent solution, it doesn't get much better than the TNN 500A.
