Thermaltake Soprano DX

Once upon a time, computers at home were meant to be functional and not be seen. As case modding approached mainstream a few years back, Thermaltake was one of the first companies to release riced-out computer cases. Computer cases these days can be some of the most attractive pieces in an office, or even a living room. There are so many cases out there to pick from that you'll almost always end up with something that you're happy with. We've got the Thermaltake Soprano DX on our bench today.The name Soprano, much like Antec's Sonata, makes us think of something cheap and quiet. This cases is something of a little brother to the Thermaltake Tsunami line, as they both feature similar designs, but different materials and hardware. The Soprano is considered an entry-level case. It's a perty piece of hardware sitting on our desks, but does bring us the quality case Thermaltake is known for? Let's find out!

Packaging, Features, and Specifications

As we've come to expect from Thermaltake, the Soprano DX is decked out in extra features, even for an entry-level case. Let's take a look at what we're getting before we cut the tape to get the case out:

• Dimensions: 18.8" x 8.3" x 19.6" @ 23lbs.
• Mid Tower with Piano Mirror Coating
• Aluminum front door with elegant streamline design
• e-SATA connector built in
• Compatible with graphics cards as long as 12.2"
• 14cm front and 12cm rear fans for superior cooling
• Drive Bays: 4x 5.25", 2x 3.5" external, 5x 3.5" internal
• Tool-free kits for all drive bays and expansion cards
• 2x USB 2.0, HD Audio Ports
• Side Window with 80mm Fan

Quite the impressive list for an entry level case, don't you think? Thermaltake always impresses us with the amount of features it puts into any case it releases. e-SATA is still a relatively new technology, and it's rare to find ports on many high-end computer cases, let alone entry-level cases! Looking at the packaging, we've got a big giant box with pictures on it. I mean, beautiful pictures of the case with lists of the features you're going to find when you open it. Once we cut the tape, we found the case inside being supported with two pieces of styrofoam padding inside. The case itself was wrapped with a cloth, as the case has a very fine finish and probably scratches easily. Overall, I was impressed with the packaging. This may be one of the first times I've received a case in the mail that didn't have a scratch or dent on it. I'm not sure whether this was because of the packaging, or because of the build of the case. Either way, I'm happy. Let's look at the exterior of the case.