Verdict and Conclusion
Although the Thermaltake Armor A30 is a Micro-ATX chassis that’s meant to be small (or should I say smaller), it is still fairly large … well, larger than I expected anyway. I guess Thermaltake had to make room for all the full size components including standard length graphic cards, full size ATX12V power supplies, as well as full size 5.25″ optical drives. Having said that, it’s still smaller than your standard midi or full tower chassis. Its mini size is perfect for gamers and LAN party goers, who want a compact gaming chassis that’s easy to carry and not too bulky. One of the things I liked about the Armor A30 is the removeable motherboard try! Wow, how cool is that … especially on a Micro-ATX chassis. You won’t find this on many Micro-ATX chassis out there.
Looking at the features of the Armor A30, I have to say I’m pretty impressed. It’s truely designed for the gamer in mind, with its black interior, honeycomb mesh design and side windows (not one, but two windows). At first, I was worried about the internal temperature due its compact size. However, my concerns were vanished when I realise that there’s plenty of cooling, with its large ultra-quiet 230mm LED fan, 2 x 60mm fan are the rear and 1 x 90 blue LED fan at the front. With all these fans running, I was worried about the noise level too … but as it turns out, the noise level wasn’t too bad either. During several hours of PC usage, our average internal temperature was around 26 degrees Celsius, with a peak of 28 degrees Celsius. As far as cooling and temperatures are concerned, I’m extremely happy with the Armor A30.
The front I/O panel supports 1 x USB 3.0 SuperSpeed connector, as well as USB 2.0 x 1, eSATA x 1 , HD Audio x 1. Because of the Micro-ATX size, the CPU cooler height is limited to 90mm high, while the VGA length is limited to 350mm in length. So make sure you double check before you dive straight in.
The whole chassis is constructed of high quality SECC steel with a black finish, both internally and externally. So sorry guys … no Aluminium here. Well, one has to keep the costs down you know 😉 In general, the overall build quality is very good. I have no complaints in that department.
With all the good points mentioned, let’s talk about what I didn’t like about the Armor A30. Well, there’s no “tool-free” or “screwless” feature. Everything has to be screwed on properly using a screwdriver and the included screws … from installing the optical and hard drives to mounting the PSU and PCI-E expansion cards. And one other thing. Both the side windows on fixed on the chassis sides, which can not slide out (check out the photo above). I found that a bit odd that’s all.
Since we were one of the first to review the Thermaltake Armor A30 Micro-ATX Chassis, we were unable to get a final retail price on the product. However, a close friend of ours from Newegg suggested that the price whould be somewhere in the region of USD $120-150.00 (GBP 80-100). At this price, I think it’s OK and not overly priced. It should appeal to most gamers and LAN party goers.
Final words. All-in-all, the Thermaltake Armor A30 is a very well designed Micro-ATX Chassis that’s ideal for is well worth considering if you’re an avid gamer or a LAN party goer. It’s compatible for both Micro-ATX and mini-ITX motherboards, and comes with some great features. It offers great cooling and can easily support SLI for the hardcore enthusiast gamer.
SCORE
8/10
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