Page 4 - Installation and Conclusion
The entire installation process on the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I was fairly simple and straightforward. Since the standoffs were already pre-installed onto the motherboard tray, I installed my Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD5-B3 motherboard in before my Cooler Master GX 450W power supply unit. Both of these steps were quite simple, and required no change from the standard method of installing these two parts. Since I already had the Thermaltake Jing aftermarket CPU heatsink already installed onto the motherboard, I did not have the opportunity to test out the motherboard cutout provided on the Overseer RX-I. However, I looked at the backside of the motherboard, and I can say with 100% certainty there is a very large area with plenty of spare room to be able to install most, if not all, aftermarket CPU heatsinks backplates without much effort. Also, since the Overseer RX-I is a fairly wide chassis, and without a side fan obstructing the area around the CPU heatsink, the chassis is most likely able to hold the tallest heatsinks in the market today.
As aforementioned, since all the front port connection wires are already fed through to the back and tied together, it saved me plenty of time, and ensured a very clean cabling job without much effort. As well, seeing the availability of internal USB 3.0 is very nice.
I have also installed my Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 1GB OC next, which allowed me to get a feel for the expansion slot system. Although I do not necessarily need tools to remove and install thumbscrews, it is a good idea to keep a screwdriver handy anyway.
The Thermaltake Overseer RX-I may not have the most open motherboard tray layout. However, there is a sufficient number of cable routing holes to deal with all your wires, no matter the position. That being said, the top hole where I fed the motherboard power supply cable through is very small. It would be nice if Thermaltake were to provide a slightly larger hole in this area, as stated previously in this review.
Once it was all set up and plugged in, I pushed the power button with everything working superbly. The system lit up brightly with a blue glow all around -- cool.
In terms of sound, on a scale from 0.0 to 10.0 where 0.0 is silent and 10.0 is the loudest, the Overseer RX-I would come in at 4.5 in my personal opinion. Since we here at APH Networks are fairly sensitive to sound -- we are some of the pickiest people around -- the Overseer RX-I is definitely not considered silent. After all, you really can't expect a system to be quiet when it is glazed all around with fans, mesh, and of course, a 140mm exhaust "TurboFan". That said, the RX-I is not marketed towards silent PC enthusiasts, and I am sure you can slow the fan down with a controller to make things quieter.
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Let me first say that, although the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I may be too outgoing or too much of a "try-hard" for my tastes (Of course, to each on their own, this statement has nothing to do with my ratings), it has definitely toned down from its predecessor, the Chaser MK-1. The size has been shaved down, the design more conservative, and the feet simpler. The fans are now only blue in LED lighting, rather than the rainbow combo we have previously seen. Even the interior is toned down in a good way, as there are fewer blue accents, and an overall cleaner look. And best of all, the Overseer RX-I does all this while being able to support one motherboard size larger at a more affordable price! Let's stop with the comparisons, and go directly to the rundown of the pros and cons list that we so adore. So, what makes the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I a must-have? Well, for starters, this case takes on an exterior design that can be quite stunning in the eyes of many enthusiasts and gamers. The steel chassis is robust, and will have little to no problems housing some of the nicest internals on the market at the moment. As well, a huge list of features accompanies the case, including internal USB 3.0 support, 240mm radiator support at the top for water cooling, side acrylic window for internal viewing, tool-free optical and expansion slot system that makes overall installation easier, air filters in the front and on the bottom for dust catching, and a motherboard tray that includes many cable routing features and rubber flaps for cleaner wiring. What limits the case? Well, Thermaltake must address the non-existent air filter issue on the top panel. It would have been a little more convenient if the manufacturer adopted a tool-free hard drive mounting system. Since the top bezel is fixed to the front panel I/O connections, the connected wires makes it difficult to both remove and install components through the top of the chassis. Lastly, one of the largest problems I have found on the Overseer RX-I would be the huge amount of fan turbulence and sound emanating from the rig -- but then again, this isn't made for silent PC enthusiasts. Priced at $139.99 USD at press time, the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I is geared towards the mid-class case market. However, the user can expect to find that this case definitely performs just as well, if not better, than many cases around this price range. The Thermaltake Overseer RX-I is a case that will, beyond any doubt, "over-see" to the task of finding a good and reliable new home for your components.
Thermaltake provided this product to APH Networks for the purpose of evaluation.
APH Review Focus Summary:
7/10 means Great product with many advantages and certain insignificant drawbacks; but should be considered before purchasing.
8/10 means Definitely a very good product with drawbacks that aren't likely going to matter to the end user.
-- Final APH Numeric Rating is 7.4/10
Please note that the APH Numeric Rating system is based off our proprietary guidelines in the Review Focus, and should not be compared to other sites.
Looking to build a great performing gaming system? Well, top it off with the Thermaltake Overseer RX-I gaming case, since it will house close to anything you throw at it for a relatively reasonable price.
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Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Installation and Conclusion
