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FIND THE TAGAN EL DIABLO CASE ONLINE TODAY
Impressions and Conclusion
At a glance, the El Diablo Advance feels like a solid case. The quality of materials used is much higher than one would expect from a case in this price range. The mainboard and PSU compartments are spacious, and the drive rail system works quite well. The ample cooling provided by the four oversized fans is also a plus, especially if you're planning to construct a high power rig with multiple graphics cards, hot 10k rpm hard drives, and a high-end CPU.
The problems with this case, are in the small things. The provided cable management, while welcome, is inadequate to the task of taming even the Diablo's own wiring. The fans, while certainly capable of moving a fair quantity of air in style, have problems with rattling and clicking noises when in use at low speeds. The front intake fan, of which Tagan is so proud, has a tendency to rattle against its own frame in an inconsistent way, which can be maddening. Especially disheartening is the necessity of a manual page describing the procedure for moving the LED's clear of the fan blades. These LED's, as it happens, are not in any kind of protective enclosure, they simply poke out from the hub of each fan on a stiff pair of unshielded copper leads. The wiring is another disappointment; Tagan clearly tried to tame the wiring in this case with cable looms and hold-down clips, but inconsistent cable lengths, coupled with a poor choice of location for the fan controller board, turn the bottom of the case into an unsightly rat's nest.
That's not to say that there's nothing to love, however. The thermal management in this case is excellent, with each of the three fan groupings tied to an integrated speed-control dial or knob for easy manual adjustment. The top-panel I/O header is well placed to avoid accidental bumping and jostling of the cables while in use, something many manufacturers overlook. The in-built temperature sensor is another welcome touch, letting you monitor ambient case temperature—or at your option, an individual component—without having to shell out for a separate accessory. The capacity of the internal and external drive cages is astounding for a case this size, and with the top-panel exhaust fans, this case could be retrofitted for an internal watercooling system with very little effort.
Overall, this case is a mixed blessing. The chassis design is unusually good for a budget case, and the thermal management features are a welcome boon, saving the need to tie up a drive bay or two with aftermarket accessories. The poorly-managed wiring, on the other hand, combined with the lack of spaces to tuck away extra lengths of cable, make difficult the task of anyone seeking to employ a little cablegami to clean up the interior of their system.
This case is aimed at a very particular niche: the budding overclocking enthusiast who is not quite ready to make the jump to liquid cooling. For these people, the El Diablo Advance will serve their needs quite adequately. There's a fair bit of work involved in achieving a tidy appearance with this case, but at a MSRP of $99, many will find it worth the effort.
REALTIME PRICING