At first glance, Thermaltake’s Lanbox case looks like an absolute dud. Not because of its design but rather its size. What’s the point of buying a case that won’t fit, say, a GeForce 8800­ GTX card?

So let us first rest your troubled heart. Yes, you can stuff a modern rig into the Lanbox. A rig based on a micro ATX or mini ITX formfactor, mind you. It’s a tight fit, and you might have to get a little creative with cable management, but a sweet, easily totable rig is not an unobtainable dream.

That said, the Lanbox’s design is an utter success. There’s just enough space for all the essential parts of a gaming rig, and the presentation is as artful as it is simple. Toss the case’s three fans into the mix and it’s obvious that Thermaltake understands its market. Almost.

Building your machine takes a lot of screw-work, which is forgivable, considering the case’s size. We can’t overlook the lack of “1337,” however—with no window etchings, no crazy paint job, and only one LED fan, this case isn’t going to impress anybody at a LAN party. Come on, Thermaltake, where’s the bling?

The Thermaltake VF1000SWA is the awesome offspring of a six-pack and a computer case.

Thermaltake, LanBox VF1000SWA
www.thermaltake.com

Bubb rubb

Easy to carry, plenty of air-cooling, just enough space for your stuff.

Li’l sis

No flashy appeal; an overload
of screws makes installing gear
time consuming.