Thermaltake AH T600 ‘Attack Helicopter’ Case Review

1. Introduction2. Thermaltake AH T600: Exterior3. Thermaltake AH T600: Interior4. System Installation5. Thermal Performance and Noise Levels6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

Building a system inside the Thermaltake AH T600 is quite a task. There are some elements of the design that work well, such as the removable motherboard tray that allows the system builder to install components on the bench, which is very handy. The front fan bracket, which is also removable, aids installation of front fans which would otherwise be tricky or would need a full strip-down of the front panel.

However, I would not recommend this case to a novice system builder or someone taking it on for their first-ever PC build. This is mainly due to the cable management built into the chassis, or ‘lack thereof' which better describes the cable management! During the system build, I spent more time trying to hide and route cables than anything else, and feel there are certain areas where there AH T600 could be improved to produce a better looking final appearance.

The first area of cable management that is a little disappointing is the lack of rubber grommets around the cable cutouts. Granted, it would be tricky to apply cable grommets to certain cutouts, such as those at the top of the chassis that are somewhat hidden away. I would have expected the main cable cutouts to have grommets applied, however, so that is certainly disappointing from a case in this price range.

Another feature that could have been added to the case to help the overall finished aesthetic, would be some sort of cover to the back of the motherboard tray. This would hide most of the unsightly cables and give a cleaner look to this inside of the system. We have seen this on other cases with right-hand side glass panels and again, this is something we would expect at this price point.

One other minor point worth mentioning is that the case doesn’t come with any pre-installed fans, this may not be an issue for those building a unique custom water cooling setup inside. However, for some users, the cost of purchasing extra fans may come into consideration when looking to purchase a PC case, so the addition of at least a couple of pre-installed RGB fans wouldn’t go amiss.

In terms of thermal performance, the AH T600 excels in this department. This is mainly due to that fact that it is technically an open-air chassis, even though it has glass side panels and a closed looking front panel, there are various large air gaps all around and the rear of the chassis is completely open which obviously assists airflow and system temperatures.

One slight downside to this open-frame design is noise levels. With high RPM fans installed inside the AH T600, you are obviously going to hear them. So to achieve a happy balance between noise and thermal performance, some configuration of fan curves will be needed. The Thermaltake fans we used in the build were audible under load, however at 44.3 dbA, the noise wasn’t too distracting.

Another downside to the open frame design is the effect it has on the chassis' strength. When I first began to inspect the chassis, I noticed there was excessive flex towards the rear of the frame. Initially, I thought this might stiffen up once all the components were fitted, but this simply didn’t happen. Additional strengthening seems like it would be necessary here, it's almost as though the rear panel was an afterthought and gives the chassis a less-than premium feel at the rear end.

It's not all doom and gloom though, the interior of the AH T660 is extremely spacious and if we are being honest, the system we built inside didn’t really do it justice. With some kind of unique or extreme custom water cooling system installed, the AH T600 would certainly have an appearance that is impossible to accomplish with traditional PC cases.

If you want to make a statement with your PC, and ‘big, shouty' builds are your thing, then the AH T600 certainly fits the bill. The sheer size and weight of it is like no other case I’ve come across, and without a doubt, it has its own unique style. Just bear in mind its dimensions and sheer heft if you are thinking of buying one, as it weighs over 20kg empty, so you might want to add some additional support to that Ikea desk if you plan to sit the AH T600 next to your monitor.

You can pre-order the Thermaltake AH T600 from Overclockers UK HERE. The Snow white version is priced at £264.95 and the black variant is £249.95.

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Pros

• Unique appearance.
• Modular design.
• Supports high-end components.
• Great for showcasing extreme water-cooling builds.

Cons

• Very large and heavy.
• Disappointing cable management options.
• No pre-installed fans.
• The rear panel has excessive flex.

 KitGuru says: The Thermaltake AH T600 is certainly a unique PC chassis that would look great as a centrepiece in a themed gaming room or such like. However, a combination of areas with slightly poor build quality, as well as woeful cable management options, let down something that otherwise could have been quite special.

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