INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Yesterday i uploaded a review surrounding the latest PC Case manufactured by NEXUS, one of the latest players in the market, called the Prominent R which may not have the most radical design in the market but it does carry a large number of features making it a very good overall solution in the midi tower segment of the market. However since the design of the case may not appeal to everyone out there today i decided to take things a bit further (more like at the opposite side) and bring you a review about one of the latest midi tower offerings by Thermaltake called the Overseer RX-I (VN700M1W2N) which also happens to have a large number of features but this time over the design part of the unit has nothing simple about it (you can tell for yourself just by looking at the intro image).

 

   Since the beginning of Thermaltake in 1999, they have been at the forefront of creating new and exciting products at a time where most computer users were provided little to no choices for components that may seem irrelevant, but in reality crucial to the performance of a PC. Thermaltake Server Series solutions, with years of thermal experience and industry leadership, sets its goal on reforming total thermal management in server segment by formulating the perfect mixture of versatility, efficiency and thermal management with each respective server product category: Rackmount Chassis, Server Fixed & Redundant Power Supply and Server CPU Cooling Management Solutions. With its comprehensive line of products available, it enables Thermaltake's core customers to enjoy a one-stop-shop experience, reduce product design-in evaluation period and most important of all, flawless integration process. Each of Thermaltake's strengths enables its customer to focus on their core business while taking advantage of the skills and efficiency of a single thermal management solution partner.

 

   The Overseer RX-I is a midi tower which you will either like at first glance or hate, i don't really think there's anything in the middle. That is because its design is not like anything i have ever seen when it comes to a PC Case and i really mean it cause it combines sci-fi like elements with dragon scales (reminds be a bit of dragon age and the elder scrolls) so yes it's a very weird midi tower which i happen to like quite a bit(i do enjoy weird designs). When it comes to features the Overseer RX-I is armed to the teeth with an external SATA HDD docking station, USB 3.0 ports, space for a total of 6 fans (4 of which are 200mm ones) and much more. But since i don't expect you to take my word for it lets check the Overseer RX-I out and see just what it's all about.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the front of the box we see a large transformer like robot in the background and a large product image right next to it.

 

 

A smaller product image is placed on the left side of the box right above the dimensions and weight of the product.

 

 

The features list is present at the right side and in 12 different languages.

 

 

Several images along with the features list and 2 larger product images showcasing both air and liquid cooling are placed at the rear.

 

 

Two large Styrofoam spacers and a plastic bag are in place for protection.

 

 

The bundle contains the user’s manual, product warranty page, mainboard speaker, 2 Molex to 3pin fan adapters, several movable cable ties, 8pin power extension cable and a plastic bag filled with all the necessary screws and stand offs.

 

 

THE OVERSEER RX-I EXTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do i really need to say anything in regards to the appearance of the Overseer RX-I?

 

 

A medium sized plastic window and a fan spot are the two things we see on the left side of the case.

 

 

You can install a 200mm fan behind this area to further improve the airflow inside the case.

 

 

Leaving out the weird design the entire front fascia features a black paint and is almost entirely meshed.

 

 

There are four 5.25" optical drive bays at the front of the case all with meshed covers.

 

 

Behind the lower section of the fascia Thermaltake has placed an 200mm blue LED intake fan.

 

 

Moving at the top of the fascia we see the power/reset buttons and a large LED logo.

 

 

The I/O is placed right above and here we see the usual headphones and microphone mini-jacks, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, an eSATA port and a SATA HDD (2.5"/3.5") docking station.

 

 

The Overseer RX-I is perhaps the only midi tower i have seen to date (at least from what i remember) that has room for two 200mm exhaust fans at the top. Of course only one is preinstalled from the factory (also notice the "dragon" like scales i was talking about earlier).

 

 

Turning the unit around we see that the rear is also painted black just like the rest of the unit.

 

 

Already counting four 200mm fan spots (left/front/top) i was somewhat surprised to see an 120mm exhaust fan at the rear (not that i was expecting for something else).

 

 

A total of 8 PCI expansion slots are available at the rear of the case right next to two grommets used for water cooling applications.

 

 

Once again the PSU space is reserved at the lowest rear end of the tower.

 

 

You can easily tell from the above picture that the thumbscrews that keep both side panels in place are corroded (should be an isolated case).

 

 

Two more interesting features i found with the Overseer RX-I are the long removable filter at the bottom (you just need to pull it backwards) and the 4 rather tall feet which should provide better ventilation for the PSU.

 

 

THE OVERSEER RX-I INTERIOR

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The side panels may not feature any noise insulating materials but they are quite thick.

 

 

The interior of the Overseer RX-I features a nice black paint and looks quite spacious.

 

 

Three out of the four available optical drive bays feature a quite sturdy tool-less locking mechanism. The 4th comes with a preinstalled 5.25" to 3.5" (1.44) adapter.

 

 

You can install up to five 3.5" disk drives inside the Overseer RX-I.

 

 

The drive trays are very sturdy something we don't see a lot, not with most towers.

 

 

A very large hole beneath the CPU area along with 5 cable management holes is present on the mainboard tray.

 

 

Unlike the other two preinstalled fans the rear 120mm one is plain and doesn't feature any LEDs.

 

 

Thermaltake placed stability above all else for the PCI expansion slots by using typical thumbscrews.

 

 

The PSU space is well designed however i would prefer to see a few rubber feet instead of direct contact with the chassis.

 

 

Right next to the PSU there's another spot where you can install an 120/140mm intake fan.

 

 

Much like all the latest towers to hit the market the Overseer RX-I also features an mainboard USB 3.0 connector.

 

 

Here you can see the top 200mm blue LED fan, the empty area next to it (in which you can also install a 200mm fan) and the holes which you can use with a dual radiator.

 

 

BUILDING THE SYSTEM

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This section exists only to showcase the available interior space of the tower and not to build a fully functional system.

The tray has room for up to EATX mainboards so naturally our standard ATX board leaves plenty of room to spare.

 

 

When it comes to CPU Coolers the sky is the limit since you can install any unit you want up to 177mm in height.

 

 

The same applies with graphics cards since the available length of 344mm is enough for even the longest ones around like the Geforce GTX 590 or the Radeon HD 6990.

 

 

There's also enough space inside the Overseer RX-I to use any PSU in the market regardless of size, however really long ones will cover one of the cable management holes.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I am not going to get into the design of the Overseer RX-I since that's something that really comes down to personal preference and so although i do like it i can't say the same for all of you. However a midi tower with such a weird design is bound to have many hard plastic parts and some people may not consider it as the ideal scenario. Still the overall quality of the Overseer RX-I is very good and it also comes with the sturdiest drive trays i have seen in a long time. Moving to the features of the unit we see a very useful top SATA HDD Docking station, two USB 3.0 ports, space for up to 6 fans 4 of which can be 200mm in size for amazing airflow, tool-less design, spacious interior able to accommodate the largest CPU Coolers and graphics cards and finally the ability to add a dual radiator at the top of the interior. If these are not enough i truly wonder as to what more one can ask from a midi tower.

 

   The one last thing that remains after this entire review is of course for us to also take a look at the price tag of the Overseer RX-I by Thermaltake which is currently set at USD140 inside the USA and 100Euros inside the EU. Of course the competition around that price range is quite large and so the Overseer RX-I may not seem as the best possible solution, at least not at first. However the combination of features, build quality and design (for those who do like it) is quite unique and because of that i am sure many of you not have the slightest problem in choosing it over the competition, besides that's also why it walks away with our Golden award.

 

PROS

- Build Quality
- Design
- Top SATA Docking Station
- Dual USB 3.0 Ports
- Remarkable Airflow (Up To 6 Fans/4x200mm)
- Can Install Graphics Cards Up To 344mm In Length.
- Fits CPU Coolers Up To 177mm In Height.
- Space for Dual Radiator Setup
- Spacious Interior
- Price (For Some) 

 

 

CONS

- Hard Plastic Parts (Durable But May Not Appeal To Some People)
- Design (May Be Just Too Much For Some People)