| Tagan CS-Monolith Mid Tower ATX Case |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Cases | ||||||||
| Written by Ronald Tibbetts - Edited by Olin Coles | ||||||||
| Monday, 08 October 2007 | ||||||||
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Introduction: Tagan CS-MonolithEveryone acquainted with high-end power supplies has probably heard of the Tagan brand. Trying to build on that reputation with an expanded product line, Tagan has submitted for review their take on high-end computer cases. The Tagan CS-Monolith Mid Tower ATX Case. There has been a growing industry trend toward exotic cooling schemes. Manufacturers capitalizing on this are willing to go to any extreme to stand out in the crowd. No matter how extreme the case...as enthusiasts we benefit directly from this. Allowing for more overclocking headroom, and more powerful machines. The story goes... Hot Components vs. Cool Ingenuity... it's an arms race everyone benefits from. As long as manufacturers understand the desire for cutting edge aesthetics, quiet computing needs, and space constraints. We can all comfortably look forward to new innovations never dreamed of before. With these points in mind, Benchmark Reviews will be taking a close look at the Tagan CS-Monolith Mid Tower ATX case. Another Newest Edition to the Tagan Aplus case Family. Sporting two giant 250mmside fans, a very distinct look, and a unique approach to the installation process. This is going to be an interesting case study... So lets see what Tagan's revolutionary cooling, and design tactics bring to an already very crowded table. And if it is enough to set them apart, or even ahead. Monolith - Something suggestive of a large block of stone, as in immovability, massiveness, or uniformity. 
My first impression when handling this case was "Monolith...That seems aptly named". This isn’t a bad thing. By definition this case is the polar opposite of flimsy, or forgettable. And almost immediately, I was struck by the sheer size, and heft, of the chassis, dubbed a "Super Tower" by Tagan. Weighing in at 11.78kg (almost 26lbs) and measuring 545mm (almost 22") high, this case certainly almost qualifies for the Full Tower spec. Finished in all black matte, adding to the already real presence of this colossal case; it's a paint job no other shade could better represent. To set it off from the rest of the case, the front panel is made of a rugged hard plastic, and has been given a "Silk Rubber" material coating (which is pleasant to the touch) and also lends to the overall visual effect; matte black. Located on the front panel is the case door, inlaid with a high-gloss acrylic panel, accented with blue LED lighting effects. 
Engineered with an obvious design meant to appeal to a wide range of consumers, from first timer buyers, all the way up to enthusiasts. The CS-Monolith has incorporated two very large 250mm fans into the side panel. Overkill? Maybe. However, there are undeniable advantages to this set-up that I will go into a little latter. Other notable features include a nearly tool-less installation of components, built in accessory box, and enough real estate to park any modern hardware...with room to spare. About the Company: Tagan Technology Co., Ltd."The spirit and philosophy of TAGAN´s birth: To carry out state-of-art technologies for the best quality power supplies and to offer them to all users."
Tagan is renowned world wide for their high-end quality Power Supplies Units (PSU). Building off their PSU success they have added to their product line. Including a varied assortment of Cases, External Hard Drive Enclosures, and according to their site, Input Devices as well. Here is an excerpt from their site regarding the companies history, and philosophy. "We are a group of professional technical guys living in different countries –Germany, Japan and Silicon Valley (USA). All of us have had a couple of negative experience implementing Power Supply (PS) into systems. It is frustrating, time consuming and risky! By a very valuable opportunity, 2001 in Taipei`s Computex show, all of us met each other at a dinner party, we occasionally sat together and discussed about the power supply problems." "Based on our professional background and know-how, we suddenly all decided to study more about power supply and conduct some testing for finding out the best one. After almost a year`s teamwork in discussion, design, and developing, our team of international experts have designed some of the best and reliable power supplies for the PC as well as all the various systems. Consequently, all of us have become the founders of TAGAN. We are more than happy to share these products and experiences with you." Features: Tagan CS-Monolith Mid Tower ATX
Specifications
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