Page 3 - Physical Look - Inside
Opening the right windowed side panel of the Tagan A+ Black Pearl WCR allows majority access to the inside of the case. Like many high end cases of this segment, it incorporates a dual chamber design to separate the hard drives and power supply from the motherboard and other directly connected hardware. The platform separating the top and bottom chamber has two openings to allow the user to pass cables through. On the platform itself is the case speaker -- I found it odd to be placed there, so I ended up moving it to a place that cannot be seen when looking inside from the case window.
The power supply chamber at the bottom is surprisingly large. Extending the entire height of the bottom chamber, most of the space won't be used in that particular area. Two 80mm fans can be added above the power supply to enhance airflow though, since up to eight hard drives can be placed in the other half of the chamber. The power supply is risen slightly from the bottom with large holes to accommodate power supplies with a bottom mounted 120mm fan.
An aluminum air guide is installed to enhance CPU cooling efficiency. It allows the CPU heatsink's airflow and dissipated heat to be moved easily and more efficiently by air taken in from the rear intake fan. One negative aspect though -- it's really hard to remove, and it's quite challenging to get your motherboard in without removing it.
The motherboard tray at the back is pre-drilled to accommodate eATX, ATX and mATX motherboards; as this is a full tower case. The drilled holes are done cleanly -- a good sign of detail and quality. However, some genius decided that they don't need to be labeled, so good luck placing the risers in. While the motherboard tray is not removable, there's tons of room to work inside, thanks to the fact that it is a full tower case.
A total of front accessible 5.25" drive bays are available on the Tagan A+ Black Pearl WCR, where one can be converted to a front 3.25" drive bay with its included accessory. Only four of the seven drive bays supports tool free installation; all the others still require the use of screws. The same goes with add-on cards -- none of the slots are tool free as well.
As you can see in the photo above, near the top of the case is the locking rail that extends to entire length of the Black Pearl WCR to secure the side panel on. Really convenient, and no removable parts, so no thumbscrews to lose at all.
Since front panel connectors are placed at the front-top of the Tagan A+ Black Pearl WCR, you would have to find a way to get them neatly front the front to the appropriate areas of your motherboard. Hint: It can go behind the motherboard tray. You can lead the back in with the opening you see near the top right corner of the photo above.
The front portion of the bottom chamber contains two hard drive cages; each able to accommodate up to four drives for a total of eight. Hard drives are to be placed horizontal in relation to the chassis. Vibrational dampeners can be installed to reduce vibrational noise. It's not tool free, but the cage attachment to the case is, thanks to the thumbscrew. A thin panel separates this half of the bottom chamber with the power supply area, with tons of openings to allow air and cables to easily go through.
The fan controller board is placed above the front 120mm intake fan (Yes, it's a 120mm fan, I know it looks small in the picture). It takes the temperature data from the included sensor and displays it to the case's screen in front; additionally it can also read and control fan speed. This fan controller can support up to three fans with its 3-pin connector, and all fans are supplied the same voltage.
The back of the Tagan A+ Black Pearl WCR. Again, it features the rail side panel locking system for maximum convenience in this regard.
I have a major complaint in this area though -- there are not enough openings on the motherboard tray, and not large enough of a gap between the chamber separating piece and side panel. As most cabling enthusiasts would love to wire cables through this area, I found myself having a hard time accomplishing this -- not to mention that due to the lack of openings in this area, I was forced to run thick and limited length cables such as the motherboard 24-pin ATX connector through the middle in front. It's ugly, you know?
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
