Maxtop's 5605 really is a cool product. It is very well styled, the blue LED is attractive and the mechanized door, while in all practicality superfluous, really has a lot of "wow" value. Unfortunately, like many things these features come at a price, and while for many users the case would certainly be an acceptable performer, for the majority of us the sacrifice in cooling is just too great.

Conclusion

The 3DVelocity 'Dual Conclusions Concept' Explained: After discussing this concept with users as well as companies and vendors we work with, 3DVelocity have decided that where necessary we shall aim to introduce our 'Dual Conclusions Concept' to sum up our thoughts and impressions on the hardware we review. As the needs of the more experienced users and enthusiasts have increased, it has become more difficult to factor in all the aspects that such a user would find important, while also being fair to products that may lack these high end "bonus" capabilities but which still represent a very good buy for the more traditional and more prevalent mainstream user. The two catergories we've used are:

The Mainstream User ~ The mainstream user is likely to put price, stock performance, value for money, reliability and/or warranty terms ahead of the need for hardware that operates beyond its design specifications. The mainstream user may be a PC novice or may be an experienced user, however their needs are clearly very different to those of the enthusiast, in that they want to buy products that operate efficiently and reliably within their advertised parameters.

The Enthusiast ~ The enthusiast cares about all the things that the mainstream user cares about but is more likely to accept a weakness in one or more of these things in exchange for some measure of performance or functionality beyond its design brief. For example, a high priced motherboard may be tolerated in exchange for unusually high levels of overclocking ability or alternatively an unusually large heat sink with a very poor fixing mechanism may be considered acceptable if it offers significantly superior cooling in return.

Mainstream user:

Simply put, this case is just too expensive to be a worthwhile product for the average mainstream user. However, if you're in the market for a cool looking new case with a couple of attractive features, are confident in your PC's temperature and stability, and have $80 to spend, you may want to check out the 5605. I must admit, despite the problems I had with this case, I still enjoy having it on my desk much more than my old, plain, grey generic case. However I don't think it will stay for long, as this non-stop space heater is fast becoming a problem as the summer goes on.

Enthusiast:

Although this case does include features that many case-modders today could appreciate, including rounded edges, thumbscrews, and of course the unique and interesting sliding door, the temperature issues are just too insurmountable to redeem the 5605 for the PC enthusiast. Despite the aluminum construction and pre-packaged 80mm fans, I regret to report that this case just doesn't cut it.