Thermaltake Kandalf VA9000B

The Kandalf provided me with all the room that I was looking for. The available space made the water cooling setup a breeze to setup and while the picture doesn’t really show it, gave me adequate room to route the cables as well. There is more work to be done before this is a finish product but I know this will not be a problem. The Kandalf comes in a bit more expensive than its brother, the Armor, and to me, this extra money is not justified. I plan on removing the front doors soon if they do not grow on me but the look of the case with the doors closed is a clean look. Many people will like this case because of the front. I personally love this case but for other reasons. I like my cases like I like my cars’ large and sturdy. Following that train of thought, the Kandalf is 100% luxury sedan.

There is also the A2400 side panel. This is a nice addition to anyone air cooling their PC but for me, I don’t want to cover up the nice water setup with a fan, regardless of how much it helps. If it dropped my temps to ungodly lows then yes, I would continue using it but as it stands now, the regular side panel is staying on the PC.

When it comes down to it, both of these items are testaments to Thermaltake’s dedication to the enthusiast. The cases keep getting better and the smaller things, like throwing an incredibly large fan on a side panel, are a nice addition as well. I am awarding the Kandalf a solid 9 out of 10 with an Editor’s Choice award. The case was just too easy to work with to not give it a good score.

The A2400 on the other hand just didn’t appeal to me.at all. I spent all that time building the water cooling setup only to hide it behind the fan. I prefer being able to see my creation. On principle alone however, the A2400 does what it should and did help lower my temps on my motherboard as well as my chipset. These are nice but my vanity trumps the A2400’s functionality. I am giving the A2400 side panel a 6 out of 10. It is nice, but I just didn’t care for it. I highly recommend it for air cooled PCs but no thank you for water cooling as there is just to much to cover up.

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Kandalf VA9000B:

A2400 Side Panel: