3DVelocity would like to thank Soldam Corporation and especially Miho Takei for their help and generosity in providing this case for review.

Internal :

All the internal fans feature three pin connectors allowing them to plug straight into your motherboard's fan headers, assuming you have enough of them that is. If not, Soldam include three Molex adaptors that you can use instead. Also in the box are the usual assortment of screws and brass standoffs, and a rather classy metal case badge.

Two more screws and the top of the case lifts off allowing access to the power supply and drive bays. The only difference between the Supremo and the Supremo plus is that the latter comes equipped with a 235watt Pentium 4 compatible PSU.

This turned out to be a very capable unit which remained perfectly stable even with four 120mm fans and two big peltiers connected. Not a very scientific test, but it gives a fair idea.

One thing you're unlikely to run short of for a while are connectors. As you can see below, there's a fistfull featuring three floppy plugs and eight Molexes, plus the additional P4 plugs. They're also on the long side so no problems there, other than tidying up the slack.

System Installation :

The Pro 1100 comes with a removable motherboard tray, a feature you either love or hate. Personally I like them, but it's very much down to individual taste.

After driving out a further five screws from the rear of the case, removing the tray is as simple as taking hold of the preformed handle and sliding the whole assembly outwards.

Soldam have gone the extra mile here too, with even the expansion slot blanks made from anodised Aluminium. Once its out of the case, the tray feels pretty flimsy,but this is common with most removable trays, steel or Aluminium, and as soon as a couple of cards are bolted in the whole thing becomes a good deal more rigid.

Once the tray is removed, it's then a simple task to screw in the brass standoffs prior to assembly. Because the standoffs thread directly into the Aluminium, as do all the case screws, you need to be careful not to apply too much force when tightening or you risk stripping the thread.

One of the snags with removable trays are the need to keep removing the switch and LED connectors from your motherboard every time. Some case manufacturers have gotten around this by using a moulded plug mid cable, which means theres only one connection to worry about, and the fiddly connectors on the board get to stay in place. Soldam however seem to have taken a different approach by supplying bags of length on the wires themselves, meaning the tray can be slipped out without removing the connectors. This is fine, but it means there's acres of slack when the tray and board are back in place, slack which needs tidying away.

One thing this case sorely needs are some loops to hold the mass of cables neatly channeled, and believe me, there are a mass of cables. A few strategically placed cable clips are definitely a must-have.

With the sides and tray removed, you can get a better look at the monocoque chassis.

Assembling things is as you'd expect. Hole alignment was bang on the money and everything slotted together with a reassuring ease.

 

Page 4 and conclusion>>>