Thermaltake Spedo Advance Package Case Review

Conclusion

It has been a fun journey tearing this case down and putting it back together, so let’s recap.

When it comes to aesthetics, beauty is certainly in the eye of the beholder. With that said, we think that the Spedo strikes a nice balance when it comes to styling and that it will likely appeal to most buyers. Those interested in an aggressive looking case certainly won’t be disappointed, but those interested in simplistic styling will also appreciate the subtleties like the clean looking front panel and the painted black interior.

Perhaps some of the best aspects of the Thermaltake Spedo are in the cable management department. We love the pin-contact power connector for the removable side panel. Anyone who has used another case with a side panel fan knows how frustrating it can be to connect and disconnect the fan. Another great feature is Thermaltake’s CRM system. Although it’s nothing more than some plastic shields and intelligently placed zip-ties, it made routing cables behind the motherboard tray simple while keeping things clean. The Spedo’s sheer size also makes it a pleasure to work with in this regard.

From a performance perspective, we were pleasantly surprised by Thermaltake’s ATC system. At first, we were very sceptical as it is little more than some plastic dividers and a movable fan. Clearly our scepticism was misplaced, as it provided some measurable improvement in both GPU and PSU temperatures. Even more impressive than the ATC system is the rear motherboard tray fan, which shaved a full five degrees off of our Phenom processor at load. Now that is definitely a feature for Thermaltake to boast about.

Although there is no denying that the Spedo and its ATC system are very capable performers when it comes to keeping a higher end system cool, we couldn’t help but feel that Thermaltake should have taken a more graceful approach to cooling in the Spedo. Considering the fact that five fans are crammed into the Spedo, – not even considering optional fans - it really didn’t do much better than the Cooler Master Storm Sniper that employs a much more simplified cooling approach. Another big issue with the Spedo’s cooling system is noise. One would definitely expect a case with more fans to be a bit louder, but the Spedo is very loud in comparison to the Storm Sniper and even the SilverStone Fortress FT01. The side panel fan was especially loud for some reason. Buyers looking for a quiet case will not be pleased with the Thermaltake Spedo.

Noise issues aside, the biggest problem with the Spedo Advance is its build quality. To be perfectly honest, we expected a lot better in a $250 case. This case had quite a few parts that simply made it feel “cheap”. From the plastic door handle, to the hard drive cadies, to the punch-out slot covers, to the ATC components, to the 230mm fans—and the list goes on. Other premium case manufacturers have set the bar pretty high in this regard, and Thermaltake will definitely have to improve things if they want to stay competitive in the premium enclosure market. It is either that, or they’ll have to greatly reduce the cost of their enclosures. It just seems really unfortunate because the overall structure of the case, and the exterior plastic panels are really quite sturdy. We only wish they continued this level of quality in all aspects of the case.

Overall we think that Thermaltake is on to something good with the Spedo Advance Package, but it really needs to be refined. We’re afraid that there are similar performing cases out there that offer better quality and lower noise at the ~$250 price point.


Pros:

- Very spacious interior
- Excellent cable management features
- Rear socket fan very functional and can lower CPU temperature significantly
- ATC cooling system is functional and helps to lower GPU and PSU temperatures
- Good overall cooling performance


Cons:

- Build quality of plastic components and fans
- Side panel fan is way too loud
- Drive caddy clips don’t work very well
- Punch-out slot covers a real disappointment
- Too expensive

Thanks to Thermaltake for sending us this case