PCSTATS     
[X]   Directory of
Guides & Reviews

Beginners Guides
Motherboards by Brand
Weekly Newsletter
Archived Newsletters

Elan Vital T10 Case Review
Elan Vital T10 Case Review - PCSTATS
With the T10, Elan Vital has managed to assemble what has to be one of the world's worst cases we've ever seen.
 62% Rating:   
Filed under: Cases Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: Elan Vital May 21 2001   Max Page  
Home > Reviews > Cases > Elan Vital T10

More pain with the T10

Interestingly, the rear of the T10 features an AMR sized slot. It's a nice feature to have 7 slots plus the AMR half-slot if you have an AMR device, but for most users the AMR is really a waste. As we mentioned before there's also an integrated lock on the back of case that allows you to lock the box down if necessary.

The case has a set of fold out feet to help keep it from falling over, as it is a somewhat narrow case to begin with. The four feet can fold out of the way when not required.

The FDD/HDD rack pulls out to allow easy installation drives. It uses a little metal lever to keep it in place, but this method proved a bit difficult to engage fully most of the time.
The 5.25" rack pulls out to allow drives to be inserted. We found it a lot simpler to simply install the drives with only one set of screws (rather than removing the entire rack assembly). It saves time and for all intensive purposes keeps the drives solidly in place. Still this was one of the T10's better features, as is the removeable 3.5" rack.
An extra rack for attaching a drive is located in the very rear of the case directly above the power supply. To attach a drive, the sled pulls out and the drive is screwed in from the bottom. Installing a 7200RPM drive in this position may not be advisable as there may not be sufficient cooling.

Starting with the motherboard, which has to be dropped in, things start to go downhill from there. Putting HDD or FDD drives in is easy enough, but installing a CDROM is more complicated then it really ought to be. Why, well not because of the removeable frame, but because all the 5.25" devices sit behind the bezel. That means it has to come off before anything can be installed or removed. Which also means the whole case literally has to come to pieces.

Notice how the slot covers have to be pushed in to be installed? The front bezel covers whatever is in the 5.25" bays by a few millimeters. Thus the case has to be completely dissembled before anything can be slid into the bays.

For those of us who drop in devices like a CDROM momentarily (usually with just the side panel removed), this presents an annoying stumbling point.

Probably the worst feature of this overdone case is the "ON" switch - and I might add that is the worst possible area to have problems. To turn on the system you have to turn this very small piece of plastic while pushing it in against a rather stiff spring. To shut the computer off manually you basically have to do the same thing. The reset button "conveniently" requires a pen or paperclip to get it to work. Neither is of any real use.

The bottom line is that this case is incredibly difficult to turn on, to reset, to install new components, is over built, and poorly designed in general. The removeable drive bays are the few saving graces for this case, but the bezel and awkward panel systeml rears its ugly head and impacts on their usefulness. Always, the best test of any equipment is how long it remains in use. We bought this case a while ago, and the only part of it we still use is the power supply (which was dropped into a $35 case we bought to replace the Elan Vital T10). Yes it's that bad.

< Previous Page © 2023 PCSTATS.com Cases Reviews...»

 

Contents of Article: Elan Vital T10
 Pg 1.  Elan Vital T10 Case Review
 Pg 2.  — More pain with the T10

 
Hardware Sections 


 
PCSTATS Network Features Information About Us Contact
FrostyTech
PCSTATS Newsletter
Tech Glossary
Technology WebSite Listings
News Archives
(Review RSS Feed)
Site Map
PCstats Wallpaper
About Us
Privacy Policy
Advertise on PCSTATS

How's Our Driving?
© Copyright 1999-2023 www.pcstats.com All rights reserved. Privacy policy and Terms of Use.